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The Buffalo Sabres are pinned to the bottom of the Eastern Conference with the trade deadline approaching. While this core got close to the playoffs the last two seasons, they have fallen dramatically this season. They are in desperate need of a shakeup and it should come at the NHL trade deadline. The Sabres must trade Dylan Cozens before the March 7 deadline.
Cozens is in the second year of a seven-year contract paying him $7.1 million per season. He earned that deal with a 31-goal season in 2022-23 at just 21 years old. Since then, he has just 29 goals in 136 games. Shooting percentage has been a big part of that, dropping from 14.7% in '22-'23 to 8.9% over the past two seasons. The league-average shooting percentage for this season is 9.9%, so his 31 goals seem like an outlier.
While other teams can likely put those numbers together and figure out he is not a $7.1 million player, he could be valuable in the right spot. The NHL salary cap is about to explode, with a $7.5 million increase planned for this offseason. If a team is looking for scoring but does not want to pay inflated prices in free agency, they could trade for Cozens.
The Sabres should be asking for at least a first-round pick in return for Cozens. He is just 23 years old and will be relatively inexpensive by the time the cap rises to $113.5 in 2027-28. Cozens has a modified no-trade clause that starts in '27-'28, so dealing him before that starts is key. This could be another trade Buffalo looks back on poorly, but this season is not worth trying to fix.
If the Sabres cannot get a first-round pick or a comparable prospect at the trade deadline, they could deal Cozens this offseason. But a Cup contender could be ready to add Cozens this week.
The best fits for Sabres' Dylan Cozens
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The Sabres should be actively selling Dylan Cozens before the trade deadline. There are not many sellers because of the tight races in both conferences. Buffalo General Manager Kevyn Adams is likely on thin ice because of their failures and could extend his job security by making this deal. They have an extra fourth-rounder and two seventh-rounders in this draft. Adding more picks can give Adams one more chance to add to this core.
The Sabres also have over $30 million in trade deadline cap space, according to CapWages. That means they can take on some contracts that other teams want to dump in exchange for Cozens. The Lightning have taken swings on similar players with Brandon Hagel and Tanner Jeannot. Hagel has been key to their success and just played for Team Canada. But Jeannot was traded to the Kings within a year of joining the team. If they want to take another swing, it could work.
A team that is not in contention that could make this move is the Chicago Blackhawks. They have an extra first-round pick after trading Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers. Building through the draft has not worked for Kyle Davidson and the Blackhawks and they need to surround Connor Bedard with talent soon. However, spending in free agency is not the most efficient way to add talent. Sending that first-rounder to Buffalo for Cozens could give Bedard that talent.
Cozens and Bedard do play the same position so they may not be on the ice at the same time. But making sure the team does not get caved in while their star youngster is not on the ice is key. Cozens can help with that and increase their depth for future playoff runs.
