When just about everything is going wrong for a team, blame is going to be thrown around in almost every direction. Right now, the Buffalo Sabres have a lot of blame to be thrown on their coach Don Granato, some additional blame to be thrown on general manager Kevyn Adams, and the most blame on the roster as a whole. Besides a select few players in Rasmus Dahlin, Jeff Skinner, JJ Peterka, and Casey Mittelstadt, several high-end players have not been good enough in Buffalo this season, and one of the most noticeable has been Dylan Cozens.
In his first few seasons in the NHL, Cozens had a bit of a problem where he appeared “snakebitten” and could not finish some easy chances, or he made simple plays look difficult. Last season it looked like he had shed that issue, and was able to have a massive breakout. He was one of the Sabres’ leading scorers and was a clutch performer in very big moments, but this season is the exact opposite.
Cozens Is Feeling The Pressure
When a player is on their entry-level contract, the only pressure they have is playing well enough to stay on the roster so they can earn a full-time spot, and eventually a nice contract to go with it. Cozens signed his big contract last season, and it kicked in as soon as this season started. A seven-year, $7.1-million contract is a big deal, and Cozens is feeling the weight of having that dollar amount being paid to him this season. After a 31-goal campaign in 2022-23, he only has four goals and 13 points in 26 games in 2023-24, and his lack of production is getting to him as evidenced by his postgame comments around a week ago.
He recognizes the value that he can bring to this team, but he also recognizes that he needs to do more. As of late, his gameplay has not been terrible, but his finishing ability has been lacking, and his decision-making has been questionable. For a forward that is meant to be a big presence and run the second line, he has not been able to figure out his game this season. Thankfully for him, his linemates JJ Peterka and Zach Benson have been doing very well, and are making up for his average play.
Cozens’ Time To Step Up Has Passed
Cozens was given a golden opportunity to show how much he can do, and how valuable his efforts to this team are when Tage Thompson was out with an injury. With Thompson returning to the lineup this past week, and Mittelstadt continuing his consistent play, his chance to be the “top center” of the Sabres passed him by. Would he have replaced Thompson as the number-one center? Not likely, but he had the opportunity to show Granato and the fans that when injuries happen in the top-six forward group, he can be relied upon for scoring, leadership, and grit.
In the grand scheme of things, this will not be his only chance to step up and play a bigger role when a star player is out with an injury, but it would have been spectacular to see that his growth last season carried over to this one. Realistically, he will not be a point-per-game player and be scoring 40 goals and 40 assists each season, but to expect him to be a 30-goal scorer and a 60-65-point player regularly is not out of the question. There is still plenty of time left for him to bounce back and have a fantastic finish, but as of right now, this is on track to be his “down year” in regards to playing up to his new contract.
How Cozens Can Remove The Poison
Cozen’s effort is there on a nightly basis, so nobody is questioning his work ethic. His problem right now is finding a way to make better decisions, and be the playmaker he has shown he can be. It all starts with his positioning. Last season he was much more willing to go down low and be in the tougher areas of the ice, and he was willing to throw his weight around to make plays happen. This season he has relied more on his hand skills, and is attempting to go through defenders in open ice, which turns into a plethora of turnovers. He needs to let Benson and Peterka be the ones using the open ice to score, and he needs to be the one digging in the corners, and going to the front of the net. He is large, strong, and tough compared to his linemates, and if he makes use of that size, things will improve.
Related: Sabres’ Struggles A Result of Kevyn Adams’ Poor Management
Cozens needs to stop overthinking every situation and stop thinking that he needs to be some superstar-caliber player to make a difference. Being the hard-nosed power forward he was last season was exactly what the team needed, and they could desperately use now. His “snakebitten” season does not have to last until April, and once he can address his issues, the Sabres will find themselves in the win column more often. As a team, they have struggled with consistency, and getting one of their more reliable forwards back on track would make a world of difference. Cozens is far from a lost cause, and once he finds his way back to the scoresheet regularly, his confidence will return as well.
