C Dylan Cozens - Lethbridge Hurricanes, WHL (2019, 7th, BUF)

[Team Cozens]

I had him ranked at 6 before the draft. He only started to “fall” in the mocks of Internet nobodies after everybody was done playing hockey and yet, en masse, people began to decide Zegras, Caufield, and Boldy were better. He went right where he should have for you and will be an amazing second line centre for you. He can push the offence by himself in a multitude of ways while matching up against other teams’ stars. He’ll also slide nicely onto your powerplay, I suspect, as he plays the bumper position well (Eichel left half boards, Dahlin point, Reinhart net front, Skinner right half boards, right?). And he’s got great character and flash; he’ll be a fan favourite.

Appreciate the comments and reply.

 

[1972]

This kid is truly a throwback, just a good humble man. Nice to see for a change.

Good person first and foremost, he will easily figure out how to be a good NHL player.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

uh oh....that looks really bad

 

[Ace]

Surprised someone managed to find him to hit him in the first place because he was invisible out there,

 

[Dahlin 2 Eichel]

Surprised someone managed to find him to hit him in the first place because he was invisible out there,

Think your monitor might be off

 

[DatDude44]

Surprised someone managed to find him to hit him in the first place because he was invisible out there,

He had two shifts....

 

[Moskau]

Wouldn't be a true Sabres prospect without something happening to him. Welcome to the team kid.

 

[SI90]

Ouch!!!

 

[buffalosabrebills]

What the fuuuuuuuu

 

[izzy]

apparently it looks worse than it is

but it looked pretty f***ed

 

[Ace]

He had two shifts....

He was hurt with one minute left in a 15 minute game.

If you think he only had two shifts it only proves my entire point.

 

[Michoulicious]

Looks dislocated. Those are fun to put back into place.

 

[Zaddy]

I had him ranked at 6 before the draft. He only started to “fall” in the mocks of Internet nobodies after everybody was done playing hockey and yet, en masse, people began to decide Zegras, Caufield, and Boldy were better. He went right where he should have for you and will be an amazing second line centre for you. He can push the offence by himself in a multitude of ways while matching up against other teams’ stars. He’ll also slide nicely onto your powerplay, I suspect, as he plays the bumper position well (Eichel left half boards, Dahlin point, Reinhart net front, Skinner right half boards, right?). And he’s got great character and flash; he’ll be a fan favourite.

That's just plain wrong. Both FC and HP had him falling on their final lists.

Yet lots of scouts love his IQ.

Yet lots of scouts don't like his IQ. Just check the Black Book for reference.

 

[Chainshot]

Is it safe to assume he's out of the WJSS at the end of the month due to the thumb surgery?

 

[Chainshot]

2-3 month recovery, definitely out for the WJSS.

 

[Chainshot]

Signed his ELC.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

If I’m Buffalo, I’m tempted to start him in the NHL.

Buffalo can’t afford another season of finishing among the worst teams in the league and they have some of the worst center depth in the NHL.

I never understood why Reinhart was moved off center instead of Mittelstadt. I would think a reversal of that would give them a little more depth to their lineup, but if they aren’t going to do that, they need Cozens to be a second line center quickly because a team with Mittelstadt as their second line center isn’t going to be any good.

I doubt Cozens would be that good immediately, but he had a very good season in the WHL last season, and is more NHL ready than someone like Dach. He may be more NHL ready than Byram, who is talked about as almost a sure thing to start in the NHL.

I don’t think Cozens is a player that’s going to be ruined by starting in the NHL. He plays a pro-style already, and there should be a second or third line center spot open for him with big enough minutes and PP. Within 2-3 seasons, you could have a good 2C, and I think you speed up that clock by starting him in the NHL.

 

[57special]

Rushing a young player into the NHL is what bad teams do.

 

[ijuka]

IMO starting Cozens in NHL would be a terrible idea even though he might be the third-most NHL ready player of the draft. Or fourth in the case of Seider being more advanced than I would have imagined.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Rushing a young player into the NHL is what bad teams do.

Why would Cozens be rushed but Byram wouldn’t be?

 

[ProspectsFanatic]

He could possibly be a fringe NHLer, but I don't think it is the best route for his development. At least one more year in the WHL then you reconsider, because the following year than the WHL may not be challenging enough for him especially when comparing his physical tools to the average junior player.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Rushing a young player into the NHL is what bad teams do.

Yup. There's a good argument to be made that part of why the Sabres rebuild has taken so long is because past GMs were rushing in picks that weren't ready simply because they were better than some of the complete trash on the roster. Cozens, especially getting into the traditional Canadian development pipeline as late as he did, absolutely needs to go back to juniors next year.

 

[57special]

I never said a thing about Byram?

There are some prospects that are overwhelmingly talented AND physically mature like Mackinnon was, but in general, you don't want to overwhelm a prospect by moving him up 3 tiers from the CHL to the NHL. A player like Cozens, especially with the delay in his training caused by his thumb injury, should be looked at getting a look with the Sabres in early 2021, unless he is completely dominating the AHL in the fall of 2020...hell, even then you wait till January, but more likely bring him up for 9 games in the spring.
You hope to have him winning a position for the 2021-22 season. That is a completely normal and optimistic development path. That's why people handwringing over Podkolzin not being available for two years were overreacting, IMO.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I never said a thing about Byram?

There are some prospects that are overwhelmingly talented AND physically mature like Mackinnon was, but in general, you don't want to overwhelm a prospect by moving him up 3 tiers from the CHL to the NHL. A player like Cozens, especially with the delay in his training caused by his thumb injury, should be looked at getting a look with the Sabres in early 2021, unless he is completely dominating the AHL in the fall of 2020...hell, even then you wait till January, but more likely bring him up for 9 games in the spring.
You hope to have him winning a position for the 2021-22 season. That is a completely normal and optimistic development path. That's why people handwringing over Podkolzin not being available for two years were overreacting, IMO.

Most people mention Byram as being NHL ready, so maybe you didn't say it, but it's accepted around here that he is NHL ready, and Cozens and Dach aren't. I think Dach isn't, but Cozens has been really good and consistent for two seasons now, and he plays an NHL ready game. I think he might be NHL ready. Not every player is rushed, if they start out their first post draft season in the NHL. Most didn't think Tkachuk and Kotkaniemi were NHL ready, and they were.

Cozens was picked seventh. I highly doubt he'll be waiting until 2021 or 2022 to see the NHL, and I doubt a 2-3 month offseason injury that likely won't cause him to miss a game will impact that or at least it shouldn't.

 

[57special]

I think playing a C or Dman right out of the draft is madness, unless he something special. Playing D in the NHL is a whole different deal, especially if you want him to be a two way player, rather than an offensive specialist. What's wrong with having a guy dominate the AHL, KHL, or NCAA first?