If he makes the team, great. And if they decide he's not helping them, there is should be no issue in sending him back to the WHL.
Prospect Info: Dylan Cozens, C/RW, 2019 7th overall, Lethbridge (WHL) --- Signed to ELC
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If he makes the team, great. And if they decide he's not helping them, there is should be no issue in sending him back to the WHL.
sabresEH
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I hear ya. I've just been thinking lately about some new development paths/avenues for the NHL(my biggest one right now I may sit down and convey through paragraph form is the ECHL). After seeing what the Winnipeg Ice are doing to get Matthew Savoie more games than he is allowed as a 15 year old I just wondered if there was something like that we could use for the AHL.
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If they rush Cozens to the AHL, I can just imagine the "the Sabres are trying to ruin Cozens like Girgensons!!!" takes.
Eh, at the end of the day, the junior clubs are trying to do the best they can for themselves which means having good players on their rosters. Transfer payments for high draftees help but gate is a bigger revenue driver. To snatch players out from underneath the CHL not only degrades the quality of the CHL, hurting the training ground for a broad spectrum of future NHL talent, it also hurts the programs below those. CHL teams pay transfer fees to the feeder systems below them - it's like the food pyramid and while the NHL is the apex predator, the system starts to break down if the apex predator starts eating the food that it's regular food source eats if you would allow me the analogy.
Cozens play will determine where he ends up. I do believe Krueger is helping to drive decisions based on on-ice performance... see Mitts.
He has an outside shot at 2RW next year, but probably belongs in the AHL for a couple of years.
He has an outside shot at 2RW next year, but probably belongs in the AHL for a couple of years.
sabresEH
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I'm well aware and understand the agreement, why its there and so on. Doesn't mean it's always the best place for the kids. Playing hockey in small town Canada can get a kid using/abusing stuff NHL teams may not want them using. Seen it a few times with kids on the Rockets and Kelowna is one of the bigger cities to play in.
With my comments about the ECHL and using it for development I have this whole thing where the NHL does indeed change the draft age to 19 so that the CHL is getting these kids for as long as they can and then using the ECHL/AHL like the MLB does with AAA/AA. Have the younger, underdeveloped guys play in the ECHL before graduating up a level. Or if a kid is top 6 or bust but isn't good enough for your AHL top 6, instead of having him play bottom six minutes in the AHL and learn the defensive side of his game, send them to the E and let them continue to develop offensively, get top PP minutes etc.
This would need to be something brought up in CBA talks I imagine as it would have a huge ripple affect amongst pro leagues. But I like the idea of having 3 pro levels for teams to have as options for sending the players they own the rights to.
I’m not sure what is being said in the article, but he wasn’t playing on a men’s team.
His bantam team actually played a mixed schedule against a variety of bantam teams (mostly lower tier teams from northern BC) and the men’s rec team in town, due to the fact that there are very few teams in the north and travel is incredibly costly.
After Cozens’ injury, I believe they pulled away from the practice due to liability issues and BC Hockey has since added a Tier 1 team.
He moved because he played bantam as a peewee and a third year wouldn’t have done him any good, he was already torching the lower level tournaments in the lower mainland as a 12 year old.
He was highly thought of prior to going to BC to play prep, but it helped him out a lot.
He went from a question mark (due to lack of viewings and level of competition) in the bantam draft to a surefire first rounder and also had an offer from Denver on the table.
Also, surprised no one else has posted it, but he was just named co-captain in Lethbridge:
Buffaloed
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Sabres Assistant General Manager Randy Sexton - He Is Who We Thought He Is
"Despite the fact it was his first world juniors, the coaching staff used him in every situation. He took key draws, he played the wing on the top line. He got a lot of first power play time. Did some PK work. He showed all of the things that we value in a player and what we were excited about Dylan when we drafted him: his speed, his skill, his competitiveness, his versatility. All of that was on display. … He should be ready to take off and have a real strong second half here."
Dads' trip marches on to Nashville for Sabres' matchup with Predators
"Despite the fact it was his first world juniors, the coaching staff used him in every situation. He took key draws, he played the wing on the top line. He got a lot of first power play time. Did some PK work. He showed all of the things that we value in a player and what we were excited about Dylan when we drafted him: his speed, his skill, his competitiveness, his versatility. All of that was on display. … He should be ready to take off and have a real strong second half here."
Dads' trip marches on to Nashville for Sabres' matchup with Predators
BananaSquad
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Imo I don’t want him anywhere near wing. If he’s not ready to play Center, send him down again.
Bendium
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Cozens with 2 Goals and 1 Assist including the GWG in OT as Lethbridge comes from behind to win 6-5 vs the Wheat Kings
BTW - Cozens currently leads the WHL in pts/game with 1.69. He's also on top with goals/game at 0.8
BTW - Cozens currently leads the WHL in pts/game with 1.69. He's also on top with goals/game at 0.8
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tsujimoto74
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We need centers. Dylan Cozens' natural position is center. The fit there seems pretty straight-forward.
Dylan Cozens more than likely isn’t going to be ready to log NHL minutes as a 2C.
the options that I see for next year are 1C in Rochester or 2RW for the Sabres.
They should allow Dylan’s play to determine which of those options are best for him... not what the team needs.
the options that I see for next year are 1C in Rochester or 2RW for the Sabres.
They should allow Dylan’s play to determine which of those options are best for him... not what the team needs.
joshjull
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he doesn’t have to be the 2C.
He can take over the role/minutes/usage Mitts had. Which would be a pretty sheltered start at center
EDIT: I think Krueger would protect the kid if he stays here next season. It’s what he’s done with all the kids on the roster.
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I am not sure why you think protecting or using rookies in sheltered roles to help them develop is a bad thing. Dahlin isn’t currently playing the role he ultimately will in a few years. And that’s okay.
Also, isn’t he not eligible for the AHL next year?
joshjull
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He can’t go to Rochester. I’d also point out the other kids Krueger has “protected” are Dahlin and Joker. Neither need to go to Rochester.
when I say protect I’m talking about not throwing them into the deep end. It’s why Dahlin/Joker have mostly played 3rd pairing minutes this year.
Then send him back to the dub if he can’t hang at 2RW.
having him play scrub minutes as a 3C is the same failed strategy as what they did to Mitts.
having him play scrub minutes as a 3C is the same failed strategy as what they did to Mitts.
joshjull
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No the failed strategy with Mitts was not realizing he wasn’t physically or mentally ready for the NHL.
BananaSquad
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joshjull
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Playing young centers on the wing has been done since forever in the NHL as a development tool.
I know we are all scarred by Sam staying at wing. But Cozens here as a wing is about as normal a development strategy as you can get.
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BananaSquad
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Bendium
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He is showing all the sines of being our long term 2C, but will NOT be ready for that role next year. I wish he could go to Rochester but he can't. I would definitely give him a few games at the start of next year to show him what is coming. Then I send him back to juniors a to play top center minutes in all situations and let him dominate. If he can get near that 2 ppg mark that would bode very well when you look at other top player development trajectories. Then he plays a year in Rochester at the #1 C position. At that point he will be physically way more mature, and have grown alot through the repetition of top minutes in the 1C spot. Bring him to the NHL and see what he can handle in the 3C role until he proves he can handle more. By that progress he likely takes the 2C role 3-4 years from now. So getting a true top six center for the team with 3-5 years of term seems the best way to help the current sabers and not be tempted to drive Cozens up the ladder to fast.
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