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

[KiwiGriff]

Save us Dylan Cozens, you’re our only hope.

Unfortunately I think that’s the Sabres office’s view too. If they can get a 2nd line Centre then Cozens can come in and develop. If they expect him to be the 2LC then I hope it doesn’t break him with too much too soon.

 

[joshjull]

 

[Jim Bob]

WHL announces 2019-20 Conference First All-Star Teams – WHL Network

Forward Dylan Cozens (Lethbridge Hurricanes): With 85 points (38G-47A) in 51 games, Hurricanes co-captain Cozens ranked second in Eastern Conference scoring and seventh in league scoring. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound product of Whitehorse, Yukon was tied for the league lead in short-handed goals with four and recorded five four-point games as part of 23 multi-point efforts throughout 2019-20. A prospect of the Buffalo Sabres, the 19-year-old Cozens has recorded 223 points (95G-128A) in 179 WHL regular season games.

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[Buffaloed]

Looks like he broke his thumb yeah

It was a good career move.

 

[Jim Bob]

Wheeler: The top 50 drafted NHL prospects ranking, 2020...

1. Dylan Cozens, C, 19 (Buffalo Sabres — 7th overall, 2019)

This one was agonizing because Cozens doesn’t have a star-level quality that some of the six players that follow him on this list do. I can see outcomes for each of the next half dozen names in my ranking where they go on to have a higher ceiling than Cozens. Other things, like that Cozens is going to have to play behind Jack Eichel (while Trevor Zegras and Cole Caufield have a more direct trajectory to the first line within their organizations) and may not reach his full ceiling as a result, can creep in and cloud your judgment if you let them, too. But I tried to remind myself that I’m less interested in what he isn’t than what he is — or that organizational circumstances shouldn’t play too pronounced a role in my evaluation of his skillset. With all of that in mind, I began to give Cozens the slight edge over his peers at the top because of his unique blend of straight line speed and puckhandling ability for his size, as well as his improved finishing touch. For every defining skill that some of the other players atop my ranking had, they often also had traits that could prevent them from maximizing those standout tools. Cozens had fewer holes, which made me ever so slightly more confident in his ability to reach the top of his projection.

Well, we've been down this road before...

 

[Gabrielor]

Wheeler: The top 50 drafted NHL prospects ranking, 2020...



Well, we've been down this road before...

I trust Cozen's shown work ethic more than Mittelstadt's, but yes. This is a trap, Kim and Terry.

Cozens may be the answer to 2C, and soon, but don't base the next season on it, or any season for that matter.

 

[UnleashRasmus]

Wheeler: The top 50 drafted NHL prospects ranking, 2020...



Well, we've been down this road before...

I will still take Cozens or Zegras all day over Caufield. Yes, I know he had a nice year in college. It's just a preference thing. Cozens doesn't have one stellar thing, he does everything overly well. He's also abit further along than Casey was at this point in his career in my opinion. He's being handled properly.

 

[joshjull]

Wheeler: The top 50 drafted NHL prospects ranking, 2020...



Well, we've been down this road before...

Hockey world stop toying with my emotions!

 

[joshjull]

I trust Cozen's shown work ethic more than Mittelstadt's, but yes. This is a trap, Kim and Terry.

Cozens may be the answer to 2C, and soon, but don't base the next season on it, or any season for that matter.

I wouldn’t worry too much about Cozens getting rushed with Krueger here. He has been very protective of young players.

 

[Gabrielor]

I wouldn’t worry too much about Cozens getting rushed with Krueger here. He has is very protective of young players.

Now that Krueger is de-facto in charge, I agree.

Prospects will have to earn their spots. (As it should be)

 

[joshjull]

I will still take Cozens or Zegras all day over Caufield. Yes, I know he had a nice year in college. It's just a preference thing. Cozens doesn't have one stellar thing, he does everything overly well. He's also abit further along than Casey was at this point in his career in my opinion. He's being handled properly.

Cozens is definitely ahead of Mitts at the same point. IIRC Mitts NHLe was around 26/27 at Minny. Whereas Cozens NHLe this past year was 41.

Prior to joining us (pre and post draft), Mitts really didn’t have any numbers that were all that amazing outside of World Juniors.

 

[joshjull]

Now that Krueger is de-facto in charge, I agree.

Prospects will have to earn their spots. (As it should be)

Yep. Even beyond that he sheltered the ones that made the roster as well.

 

[BananaSquad]

Casey would have dominated the WHL as well.

 

[joshjull]

Casey would have dominated the WHL as well.

No he wouldn't have.

Casey didn't even dominate in the USHL in his half season there during his draft year (24gms 30pts). A league that's a step below the WHL. He followed that up with a solid, but certainly not dominant, season in Minny. Mitts hasn't come close to dominating any league outside of HS.

Cozens had a good but not dominant draft year (68gms 84pts/NHLe of 31). Then followed that up with the monster season he just had (51gms 85pts/NHLe of 41). The second half of that season he was flirting with almost 2pts per game.

To further bring home the disparity between the two of them in their post draft seasons. In order for Mitts to have had a similar NHLe to Cozens (41). He would have needed 51pts in those 34gms. Not the 30pts he did.

Here are two different NHLe calculators if you want to play around with it.
The NHLe Calculator (Updated 04/11/2019)
NHLe Calculator - Frozen Tools

 

[VaporTrail]

Cozens looks like the kind of player who can take over the play...Mitts has never really showed that to me

 

[jc17]

No he wouldn't have.

Casey didn't even dominate in the USHL in his half season there during his draft year (24gms 30pts). A league that's a step below the WHL. He followed that up with a solid, but certainly not dominant, season in Minny. Mitts hasn't come close to dominating any league outside of HS.

I wouldnt say he dominated either, but I disagree with some of what you imply. The WHL is a step above the USHL but scoring is also higher in the WHL. And if you look at the draft eligibles that scored at a higher rate from the USHL, almost all of them played for team USA's stacked teams, while next best green bay player had 46 points in 56 games. So he was playing at a relatively high level compared to his peers. I didnt like the pick when we made it, basically for the reasons you stated, but there are some caveats that can't be overlooked.

Cozens had a good but not dominant draft year (68gms 84pts/NHLe of 31). Then followed that up with the monster season he just had (51gms 85pts/NHLe of 41). The second half of that season he was flirting with almost 2pts per game.

To further bring home the disparity between the two of them in their post draft seasons. In order for Mitts to have had a similar NHLe to Cozens (41). He would have needed 51pts in those 34gms. Not the 30pts he did.

Here are two different NHLe calculators if you want to play around with it.
The NHLe Calculator (Updated 04/11/2019)
NHLe Calculator - Frozen Tools

It seems like sometimes NHLe is one of those things that is used if it backs up our opinions. If we are going to use it to validate Cozens' play, more people should be on board the Seth Jarvis hype train.

 

[joshjull]

I wouldnt say he dominated either, but I disagree with some of what you imply. The WHL is a step above the USHL but scoring is also higher in the WHL. And if you look at the draft eligibles that scored at a higher rate from the USHL, almost all of them played for team USA's stacked teams, while next best green bay player had 46 points in 56 games. So he was playing at a relatively high level compared to his peers. I didnt like the pick when we made it, basically for the reasons you stated, but there are some caveats that can't be overlooked.


It seems like sometimes NHLe is one of those things that is used if it backs up our opinions. If we are going to use it to validate Cozens' play, more people should be on board the Seth Jarvis hype train.

I think you're seeing things in my post that aren't there.

I don't think Mitts would have dominated the WHL. He hasn't dominated any league since HS (which you agree with). I compared the play of Mitts/Cozens in their pre and post draft seasons using NHLe to help make the point. I used NHLe to show the gap between what each did in their respective post draft seasons. I only used NHLe because its one of the few tools that can be used to compare production from different minor leagues. Anything you feel I'm implying beyond that was not intended.

 

[GOALOFSSON]

Cozens looks like the kind of player who can take over the play...Mitts has never really showed that to me

Not sure if I'd want his speed at 2C or on Jack's wing.

Obviously if he ends up with Eichel we'd probably need Mitts or this year's pick to pan out for the 2nd line. Or maybe a trade/put Sam there.

VO/Skinner - Eichel - Cozens/Pick(Lundel?)/Sam

V/S - Sam/Coz/Pick - Sam/Coz/Pick

Pick and Cozens may take a year or two.

 

[VaporTrail]

Not sure if I'd want his speed at 2C or on Jack's wing.

Obviously if he ends up with Eichel we'd probably need Mitts or this year's pick to pan out for the 2nd line. Or maybe a trade/put Sam there.

VO/Skinner - Eichel - Cozens/Pick(Lundel?)/Sam

V/S - Sam/Coz/Pick - Sam/Coz/Pick

Pick and Cozens may take a year or two.

If he pans out an Eichel 1C and Cozens 2C could be deadly

 

[lauraP]

Not sure if I'd want his speed at 2C or on Jack's wing.

Obviously if he ends up with Eichel we'd probably need Mitts or this year's pick to pan out for the 2nd line. Or maybe a trade/put Sam there.

VO/Skinner - Eichel - Cozens/Pick(Lundel?)/Sam

V/S - Sam/Coz/Pick - Sam/Coz/Pick

Pick and Cozens may take a year or two.

Holtz

skinner-eichel-holtz
Oloffson-cozens-reinhart 2021

 

[Jim Bob]

Holtz

skinner-eichel-holtz
Oloffson-cozens-reinhart 2021

I'd prefer Raymond on Eichel's RW with Skinner or VO at LW.

 

[lauraP]

I'd prefer Raymond on Eichel's RW with Skinner or VO at LW.

If Raymond or Rossi are their select them I doubt they are though.

 

[Gabrielor]

If Raymond or Rossi are their select them I doubt they are though.

I've bought into this idea the last few days that Rossi could be, because of Sanderson.

xxx	Alexis Lafrenière
LAK	Quinton Byfield
OTT	Tim Stützle
DET	Cole Perfetti
OTT	Jamie Drysdale
ANA	Lucas Raymond
NJD	Jake Sanderson
BUF	Marco Rossi

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

I don't see that result as a longshot, and it would be a fantastic result.

All's the same though. My guys are Rossi, Raymond, and Lundell. Any of those 3, it's a great 1st pick.

 

[lauraP]

I've bought into this idea the last few days that Rossi could be, because of Sanderson.

xxx	Alexis Lafrenière
LAK	Quinton Byfield
OTT	Tim Stützle
DET	Cole Perfetti
OTT	Jamie Drysdale
ANA	Lucas Raymond
NJD	Jake Sanderson
BUF	Marco Rossi

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

I don't see that result as a longshot, and it would be a fantastic result.

All's the same though. My guys are Rossi, Raymond, and Lundell. Any of those 3, it's a great 1st pick.

I’ll be one happy camper if we walk out with Rossi / Raymond.