Prospect Info: Dylan Cozens, C/RW, 2019 7th overall, Lethbridge (WHL) --- Signed to ELC

[sabresEH]

Anyone know why Cozens isn’t playing tonight? I see Addison isn’t playing either so maybe they are sitting out the WJC guys but it has been a week since the tournament ended.

The WJC players usually take their time getting back into the lineup. Especially after tournaments in Europe.

 

[dortt]

He can't go to Rochester next year....so it's either Buffalo or back to Lethbridge

I meant once he is AHL eligible. Do not bring up Cozens until he is ready to play in the top 6

 

[joshjull]

Well done Lethbridge. Take of our and your boy

 

[Jim Bob]

Pronman: 2019-20 midseason NHL prospects ranking

Pronman: 2019-20 midseason NHL prospects ranking

Elite/High-End Bubble

2. Dylan Cozens, C, Buffalo (Lethbridge-WHL)

Pronman only had Zegras & Cozens in that top tier.

 

[Matt Ress]

N.H.L. Draft Pick Inspires Dreams as Big as the Yukon

 

[GOALOFSSON]

N.H.L. Draft Pick Inspires Dreams as Big as the Yukon

But at home, he was caught between being too good for the youth leagues and too small for the men’s. He joined a second-tier men’s beer league anyway, and in one game he was chased down by an opponent — the two collided into the boards. “This guy was about 225 pounds, 6 feet; Dylan was 12 years old and a hundred pounds lighter,” Mike Cozens said. “There was no comparison.”

Dylan Cozens broke his leg, missing a full season.

 

[Chainshot]

I love hockey, but there are dick moments like this that just remind me that people are dicks.

 

[HaNotsri]

So I got a little bit less Sabres-depressed reading the posts in this thread. Especially the broken leg post, things like that will make him more resilient when it comes to being mishandled by the organization and less inclined to lose his love for the game.

 

[sabrebuild]

I love hockey, but there are dick moments like this that just remind me that people are dicks.

Should have played tier 1. The lower beer leagues are always filled with knuckle draggers

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

So excited for Cozens. I think he is the 3rd best prospect we have drafted in the last 20 years besides Jack and Dahlin. Really think he has 70-80 point potential and the ideal 1B center. He is the 2C all teams drool over, a guy who would be the 1C on half the teams in the league.

A center who can play PK,on the PP, when defending a 1 goal lead late, center OR wing and has high end offensive potential?

Cozens is having a better D+1 season then Sam did in the dub. He should be here next year playing in the middle 6 at RW and eased into the middle throughout the 20-21 season.

Just imagine the PP in 2022...

Eichel on his usual spot on the left wall. Sam in front of the net. Olofsson on the right wall for his one timer. Dahlin at LD and Cozens at RD. Very exciting. Definitely more excited for Cozens then Mitts.

 

[sufferer]

Whelp, Cozens just received the kiss of death. RIP

 

[Dirty Dog]

Whelp, Cozens just received the kiss of death. RIP

this made me audibly laugh

 

[Not Sure]

He was 12, how did that guy look himself in the mirror. It's one thing to be competitive, but that's just embarrassing.

 

[Dirty Dog]

So excited for Cozens. I think he is the 3rd best prospect we have drafted in the last 20 years besides Jack and Dahlin. Really think he has 70-80 point potential and the ideal 1B center. He is the 2C all teams drool over, a guy who would be the 1C on half the teams in the league.

A center who can play PK,on the PP, when defending a 1 goal lead late, center OR wing and has high end offensive potential?

Cozens is having a better D+1 season then Sam did in the dub. He should be here next year playing in the middle 6 at RW and eased into the middle throughout the 20-21 season.

Just imagine the PP in 2022...

Eichel on his usual spot on the left wall. Sam in front of the net. Olofsson on the right wall for his one timer. Dahlin at LD and Cozens at RD. Very exciting. Definitely more excited for Cozens then Mitts.

im equally excited for him and his potential is huge. Fingers crossed big time for the kid

 

[Matt Ress]

Yeah that jumped out at me too. What kind of a piece of shit runs a kid into the boards. The silver lining is that the family said, f*** this town. We're taking our kid on the road.

 

[sabrebuild]

Yeah that jumped out at me too. What kind of a piece of **** runs a kid into the boards. The silver lining is that the family said, **** this town. We're taking our kid on the road.

It's hard to say in these old stories. I kinda think if the story was purely an animal hammered a 12 year old into the boards, there would be a follow up story of then his father tried to kick the guys ass.

I'm betting it was uber stupid, like the adult got embarrassed, chased the kid to try to scare him and then like the dink he sounds like, lost an edge and they both fell into the wall.

 

[Matt Ress]

It's hard to say in these old stories. I kinda think if the story was purely an animal hammered a 12 year old into the boards, there would be a follow up story of then his father tried to kick the guys ass.

I'm betting it was uber stupid, like the adult got embarrassed, chased the kid to try to scare him and then like the dink he sounds like, lost an edge and they both fell into the wall.

I'm sure that's what he told everyone. Maybe he was embarrassed that a 12 year old could keep up. Wanted to teach him a lesson. Would you even put yourself in a position where that could happen? You're losing me.

 

[vcv]

I love hockey, but there are dick moments like this that just remind me that people are dicks.

It doesn't explicitly say there was any intent to collide with Cozens. Since it was a leg break, sounds more like a freak thing.

 

[Icicle]

Leg breaks are freak accidents. Still blame the guy for causing any accident to begin with and they’d be right

 

[tsujimoto74]

It doesn't explicitly say there was any intent to collide with Cozens. Since it was a leg break, sounds more like a freak thing.

In any case, that incident might've been a blessing in disguise. He was too skilled to play with the other kids his age up in Whitehorse, and it seems like that injury is what convinced the family he couldn't stay there and play against men either.

 

[sabrebuild]

I'm sure that's what he told everyone. Maybe he was embarrassed that a 12 year old could keep up. Wanted to teach him a lesson. Would you even put yourself in a position where that could happen? You're losing me.

Losing you? I'm saying it was likely clown shoes on what we are guessing happened.

 

[sabresEH]

I got to thinking last night. Is there any kind of emergency recall loophole we can use next year to get Cozens to play some games in the AHL?

Or maybe he gets “injured” in camp. Goes down to the AHL for conditioning. Comes back up to the NHL for a 9 game stint. Then sent down for the WJC and seconds half of WHL season?

I’m sure if there was any way to cheat the CHL rule someone would have figured it out by now. But maybe something to look into

 

[Jim Bob]

I got to thinking last night. Is there any kind of emergency recall loophole we can use next year to get Cozens to play some games in the AHL?

Or maybe he gets “injured” in camp. Goes down to the AHL for conditioning. Comes back up to the NHL for a 9 game stint. Then sent down for the WJC and seconds half of WHL season?

I’m sure if there was any way to cheat the CHL rule someone would have figured it out by now. But maybe something to look into

I don't see the point in faking an injury.

If he gets AHL games next year, it will be after his junior season is over.

 

[Chainshot]

I got to thinking last night. Is there any kind of emergency recall loophole we can use next year to get Cozens to play some games in the AHL?

Or maybe he gets “injured” in camp. Goes down to the AHL for conditioning. Comes back up to the NHL for a 9 game stint. Then sent down for the WJC and seconds half of WHL season?

I’m sure if there was any way to cheat the CHL rule someone would have figured it out by now. But maybe something to look into

Why? Why rush someone else?

I'm consistently shocked that poor development results for teenagers on this team put into the AHL keep being overlooked because "maybe this time it will be different". If he makes the Sabres, great. If he doesn't, fine, go rip the 'dub apart and light the U20's in Edmonton/Red Deer ablaze. But there is no reason to do anything to put him into the AHL in this fashion.

Imagine how messed up a franchise would be to say, "Hey kid, you are know for being a high-character person and example for others from the Yukon, but we need you to lie repeatedly and in public so we can shuffle you into some games in the AHL. What do you think?"

 

[sabresEH]

Why? Why rush someone else?

I'm consistently shocked that poor development results for teenagers on this team put into the AHL keep being overlooked because "maybe this time it will be different". If he makes the Sabres, great. If he doesn't, fine, go rip the 'dub apart and light the U20's in Edmonton/Red Deer ablaze. But there is no reason to do anything to put him into the AHL in this fashion.

Imagine how messed up a franchise would be to say, "Hey kid, you are know for being a high-character person and example for others from the Yukon, but we need you to lie repeatedly and in public so we can shuffle you into some games in the AHL. What do you think?"

It was more or less a question about the emergency recall. I get someone wouldn’t fake an injury to play some AHL games but if that’s where you want him to play you find a way to get him there.

The difference with Cozens and the others we sent prematurely to the AHL (Girgs, Nylander, Mittlestadt) is that he has the proper build, and he’s not only played but is dominating at the highest level he could before graduating to the pro ranks. That’s the difference I personally see as to why he could play in the AHL next year. I mean for Girgs to go from USHL to AHL is beyond dumb. Mitts went from High School hockey to NHL in a matter of 14 months. Dumb. Nylander had done well in Juniors but needed to put more muscle on his frame before graduating to the AHL. The fact that management didn’t see all that is troublesome.

But Cozens situation is different than those 3 thankfully. He’s played in the CHL since 16. Has a big league frame. Is putting up dominating numbers this year. I like the Draisatl development path that no one chooses where we get him some pro games and practicing/training next year and then send him down for half the season to run hell on kids. There’s nothing wrong with introducing them to the pro speed and then sending them back down to junior to see how some of the stuff they do down there won’t work at the pro speed. Or that it’s going to take more time before he can pull it off at the pro level.