The Buffalo Sabres’ season has not gone well, so they’ve decided to shake things up. Earlier today, they linked up with the Ottawa Senators to acquire Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker in exchange for Dylan Cozens. Here are the full details.
Norris and Cozens are in similar places in their careers, though for different reasons. Norris has struggled with injuries, while Cozens has maintained his health but has regressed from the 31-goal, 60-plus-point season he had in 2022-23. Both players could use a change of scenery, but will it be enough to revive their careers?
Senators Hoping to Revive Cozens’ Career
Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, and Rasmus Ristolainen have had career rivals since getting traded by the Sabres, and we’re probably about to find out if Cozens is next in line. Things have not gone well for him the last couple of seasons, but he just turned 24 in February. Perhaps the Senators can get more out of him, and they need more offense desperately. The Senators can’t score at five-on-five, so they’ll be relying on Cozens to provide more goals.
Related: 2025 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
When on his game, Cozens uses his skating to create offense off the rush. He’s not just a rush player, though, as he plays a gritty game and gets to high-danger areas when he’s firing on all cylinders. Consistency has been an issue, but perhaps that’s the product of playing on a Sabres team that’s consistently inconsistent.
The one concern with Cozens is his defensive game. Even when he’s clicking, his defensive game lags. This is a reclamation project for the Senators, but if they can get him looking closer to his 2022-23 self, they have a player on their hands. It’s not a guarantee, though, so it’s a gamble on their part. Will it work out? Time will tell, but they didn’t give up much by trading Norris. If anything, it’s like for like, so we’ll see if it pays off.
Senators Grade: B
Sabres Shake Up Their Core…I Think?
I’ll admit, I’m struggling with the Sabres’ part of this trade. Norris is a different player than Cozens. He’s not particularly great at even strength, but he has a high-end shot, giving him underrated finishing ability that’s hard to come by in the NHL. However, he’s not as versatile as Cozens, who has some more weapons in his arsenal.
Norris has had some significant injuries in his career, so the injury worries are legit. His contract is pricey, with a cap hit of $7.95 million, about $900,000 more than Cozens. You could argue Cozens isn’t a $7 million player now, and you’d be correct, but Norris is not an $8 million forward, either. I’d probably rather retain Cozens and hope he bounces back, but also may have just been time to move on.
As for Bernard-Docker, he’s a solid defensive defenseman who’ll give the Sabres better depth, though he’s an offensive black hole. He’s under contract for the rest of the season at a cap hit of $805,000 and will be a restricted free agent this summer. It shouldn’t cost the Sabres much to re-sign him, and he will improve their defensive depth.
I’m also a bit curious as to why the Sabres gave up a second-round pick in this deal. If anything, neither team should have to give up a pick in a hockey trade like this, though at least it’s not a first.
Overall, I don’t have any strong feelings about this trade for either team. Norris and Cozens are both reclamation projects, though for different reasons. The Sabres needed to do something to shake up their core, so applaud them for that and try something different. But this trade just feels like a whole lot of meh for me.
Sabres Grade: B-
