mjd1001

I think TNT At the point might be related to his injury. He can't take faceoffs, and I think they are moving him off the wing due to that also. Not only is his one timer great on the side, but even if the other team covers it up, to do that they open up the ice for the other 4 guys out there on the PP. I too would rather see him back on the wing. Back to Cozens....The other stat I never looked up until now...PP goals for per 60 on ice (not PP goals per 60, that is individual, the goals FOR is about when you are on the ice). Meaning, how many goals does your team score on the PP when you are on the ice, whether you score it , you have an assist, or are just on the ice creating havoc in front of the net. Now the key thing with this stat is, since you are sharing the ice with the same teamates a lot of time the numbers should be close with other players on your team. But that is good for evaluation. Even a SLIGHT increase or decrease in your numbers will say that the few times you are out there with 'other guys' you are potentially helping, or hurting them more than other players on the team. For his career heas at 7.55. Behind Tuch, Thompson, Skinner, and Mitts. If when they share the ice their numbers are the same, that means in games where Cozens is out (injury) or where the are on different units, those guys perform better with him NOT on the ice with him. (I am only looking at forwads here, BTW Tuch's numbers on the PP have droped SIGNIFICANTLY in the past 1.5 years, something to watch.) Now, him, and some of those guys were different players if you go back 4-5 years ago, so how about recently? This year he is at 6.17. Thompson is 8.79, Zucker 9.12, Peterka 10.14, Quinn 7.63... only Tuch has fallen behind him this year. My math may be a bit 'wonky'...but let say him and Thompson are on the PP together 50% of the time. Their numbers would be the same for that time on that ice. That means the other 50% of the time, the differnece between the 2 would double. I don't know the exact time they share on the PP together, but whatver the numbers are, those guys perform better statistically with him not on the ice with him as they do when he is out there with him. So yeah, I get I'm the president of the "Cozens needs to go" fanclub. But how can a guy score 1 goal every 29 games on the PP.....have his numbers be worse than most other forwards in terms of Total goals for per 60 ont he PP (meaning he brings down the other guys when he is on the ice, both this year and for his career?) How can he still be getting PP minutes? Oh, and the thing I posted about his games missed last year after he got hurt against philly. Small sample size, but in the 3 games before he got hurt with him on every PP, sabres didn't score a single PP goal. 2 games he missed they scored a PP goal in both games. 3 or 4 games after he got back with him on the PP, they team didn't score a single PP goal again. Here is one other stat...Over the time he has been in the NHL, he is one of 103 forwards that have recorded more than 700 minutes of ice time on the Powerplay. He is last of those 103 players in PP goals scored. 103 guys, he is 103rd in goals. In points, he is 101st out of 103, but the two guys behind him have less assists but a lot more goals.

They made a mistake. He had 18 Power play POINTS that year, but only 5 power play goals. For his career, he has 11 power play goals. Whoever wrote that article must have looked at the stats for that year and mistaked PP points for goals. Part of my not being a fan of Cozens is being perplexed why he is on the PP. He has been on virtually every single powerplay over the past 3-4 years, being 2nd or 3rd in PP minutes among forwards (at one point a few weeks ago he was first this year). The Stats don't support it. If he plays just about every single PP, why does he have 1 Powerplay goal every 29-30 games.....those are his stats. Now watch him on the PP. He doesn't have the ability to get the puck and look around and make a great pass. When he gets the puck in a 'high danger' area its almost always a shot.....even if that shot needs to go through 2 defenders forming a wall in front the goalie or the goalie is perfectly set for the shot. I like to say he's a "black hole"...the puck goes in to him but it hardly ever comes back out....He'll take the shot and get credit for that 'high danger chance' that analytic guys so much like even if in reality he's rushing a shot and a teamate is open for a better chance. He lacks the ability to think, or react other than just that, a reaction. Its why not only is he not good at scoring on the PP, but he doesn't often set up other guys and help his teammates perform better on the PP.

Thats sure part of it. Tuch would be a very good 2nd line winger. He's OK as a first line winger. Thompson is perpetually playing through injuries. Benson, Peterka, and Quinn are up and down young guys, sometimes more 'down' than up. Krebs is finding his spot in the NHL, but only good enough as a 3rd/4th liner. Your entire 2nd line (Cozens, Quinn, and whoever else) are barely playing good enough to be an average 3rd line, let alone a 2nd. Cozens is way over his head as a 2C, he should be at most a 3rd line winger. On Defense, Byram is skilled but has a limited game. Power looks to be a couple years away from being a steady reliable guy. UPL has flashes of being great, but he really only has been an average NHL goalie. Even 'average' guys stand on their head every once in a while, while having bad games mixed in. That is exactly what he has been the last 2 seasons.

Flyers look to be getting brand new Arena. Their current Arena is the same age as the Key Bank Center, although it did go through a $265m renovation about 5 years ago. New Arena scheduled to cost about $1.3 Billion: Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and Comcast Spectacor Announce Joint Venture to Build World-Class Arena in South Philadelphia as Well as Revitalize Market East Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) and Comcast today announced that HBSE and Comcast Spectacor have entered into a binding agreement to form a 50-50 joint venture to build a world-class, state-of-the-art arena in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex that will be the new home of the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers. Full article here: https://www.nhl.com/flyers/news/harris-blitzer-sports-entertainment-and-comcast-spectacor-announce-joint-venture-to-build-world-class-arena-in-south-philadelphia-as-well-as-revitalize-market-east

Maybe he's not been traded or maybe you can't get much for him from Detroit because he simply doesn't have as much value as many think. -The rumors about teams calling for him could have been a GM calling the Sabres and saying something like "you are shopping Cozens? Call us back before you make a move so we can have a chance to match it, but right now for a reclamation project that plays bad defense and is getting paid $7 per year, we aren't giving you more than a mid level prospect and maybe a 2nd. You can thank us later for taking that contract off your hands" I think there is real chance if you want to criticize Adams for not making a Cozens trade, its not that he can't make a fair trade for him....but rather a large portion of the fanbase 'overvalues' Cozens...and if Adams DOES get a 'fair' return for him, he'll get shots taken at him for getting less than what the FANS think he is worth. -There is also a chance that a deal (or other deals involving Cozens) has been worked out, but before you can pull the trigger of course you have to run it by Pegula. Pegula, liking Cozens, is reluctant to trade him at all, but for sure he might be vetoing the trades if Pegula over-values Cozens and thinks he is worth more than what they are getting offered. There is a debate as to just how much Pegula meddles, but I'm pretty sure any trade that gets worked out needs his final stamp of approval, and I can see him saying 'no' if his personal opinion is one of the players on the Sabres getting traded aren't getting enough return. There is the theory that many GM's overvalue "their own" guys/picks. That can also hold true for an owner, who gets final say in the trades.

I like Hamilton for his 'reporting' quite a bit. But the deeper he gets into his 'strong opionions', the more I start to differ with him. Not all the time, but more than usual.

So, in many regards sounds LIKE Benson and the OPPOSITE of Cozens....doesn't sound all that bad to me from that perspective.

I don't think so. First of all I don't think it matters all that much, I certainly don't think it makes the team better. If there was a campaign in the locker room for it than fine, but I don't think that is the case. And even in terms of leadership, I don't see a problem, or at least any other players that are head and shoulder above Dahlin. If anything, I can get behind him being the best player, and a lot of his 'mistakes' being because he is going too hard when he should be scaling back his actions on the ice a bit. I see no probem with Dahlin as Captain. If it WAS any kind of problem, I think it would be behind 20 or so other issues with this team in terms of priority.

I agree with the premise of not doing a full tear-down. I don't want to burn it all down. I'd start with moving Cozens up front because, he quite frankly is just bad (I literally think how much he hurts the team is greater than anything positive he brings)...and if you can get a real asset back for a bad player you do it. Then on Defense, I didn't want this before... but I'm open to choosing Power or Byram and moving one of them. (hopefully part of the return you get is a quality D-man that can slot into your top 4). If they could do those 2 moves in the next couple of weeks, I'd be happy. It would literally reset my entire expectations and view of the team for a while. Do JUST that, evaluate the changes and then have a plan to make more changes if needed.

I get your point. But Cozens out and Kulich, McLeod, Krebs as your #2, #3, and #4 centers (In any order you want), I'm not so sure that is even worse than any 2 of those guys with Cozens here. Of course, the question is, is there a better deal out that that gives you better help right now?

I was a little kid in the early 80s with my father got season tickets for the Bills. I THINK our sideline seats were something like $12.50 per game, but in those years I remember games where there were only 15,000 - 20,000 people in the seats for some games. By contrast, it is perplexing that the Sabres actually draw as much as they do at times.

The bad thing is if they DID win the next 10 games in a row, that puts them at .537 point percentage....so 10 in a row would BARELY put them in the 8th spot. But that still would only be an 88 point pace. At the moment the middle of the conference is kinda weak, but odds are it would still take more than that to make the final spot in the east by the end of the year. Of course, 10 in a row is moot point with this team (wins that is, I'm sure they COULD do 10 losses in a row again)

I agree with the concept but Cozens is just so bad. Without hyperbole, I think he actually hurts the team being out there. Let him go to another team and play amazing for them, he's not doing it here. 2-3 times a week he makes a play that puts the rest of the team in a bad position and I can't fathom how he isn't benched right away from it. He tanks the PP when he is on it. Everytime he gets new linemates they have some of the worst games they have had playing with him (statistically not even close). No forward on this team is worse than a -4 except for Cozens and the guys that were on the line with him most of the year. Tage and Zucker were both positive players all year, and just went negative after a couple games with Cozens. 11 forwards on this team have taken 30 or more shots on goal, he is the only one shooting under 10%. If you are getting calls from other teams about Cozens, then see what you can get from them that might be better than what Detroit offers of course. But its well past time for Cozens to go.

They are allowing 1 goal every 3 games more than the median team (15-16 place in goals allowed) I think getting them to that point is easily made up by goaltending. The team defense in front of the goalie isn't great, but you are getting less from UPL this year than you did last year. Enough to make up 1 goal every 3 games? I think so. Stats tell me that they have the 4th worst save percentage in the league. Also the Sabres are NOT allowing a vastly large number of high danger chances than a typical team, enough to make up for the extra goals allowed. Beyond the stats though, I can tell you my opinion is that I am seeing a lot of goals allowed that I say in my head after "he needs to make that save". UPL isn't awful. I like him and I think he should still be the starter here. But his overall play has been less than stellar this year. Put "last years UPL" on this years team, with the same performance he had last year, and this team is at worst middle-of-the-pack in goals allowed.

I'm good with either. The one thing that I don't get is people who complain about how 'big' power is yet he doesn't hit people and is 'soft'. That's not his game. Sure, it would be better if he WAS a monster clearing everyone out with ease from in front of the net, but he isn't. Neither is Bryam, nor Dahlin. Judge him on his game. As you said, his shot, his passing, his entries and exits.

A follow up on Pettersson... Its one game, I get it, and he didn't score. but he was all over the ice. All the guys on the NHIC studio commented on how he played a good overall game. He slid in front of his own net to block a shot. He took the body a few times. He had a couple good stick checks where he caught a guy from behind and loosened up the puck. I still am concerned about his contract. You NEED 25-30 and 80-90 points if you are paying him that money. But he did not look like a soft, lazy, or perimter player at all tonight. Not one bit. If Pettersson plays 80% of what he did tonight, and You do nothing at all but swap him in at 2c and Cozens out, and this team is 10 points better right now.

I'm OK with trading either Bryam or Power. I don't really care which one. I think they both can be very good D-men in the next few years...and if you trade them to another team that is good, some will look back at it and say it was a bad trade. But with Dahlin taking 25+ minutes per game when healthy, you don't need both Byram and Power. Having both of them is a luxury....a luxury than can be swapped for something that is more of a 'need'.

I can't do 15 words but I can keep some theories short: -Any coach seeing his 'raw skill' and thinking they are the one to get something out of him? -I don't beleive much in 'showcasing' players, but with other teams scouts at Sabres games, get him on the ice in front of them? -If Tage is hurt, what are your other options? -Pegula likes him. He's Pegula's favorite. Hes not coming out of the lineup or getting moved down the lineup per Terry. Not at 20 minutes of ice time, but Bryson I think is slightly better than many think (hes a good 3rd pair guy) and Clifton I like more and more (he's a very good 3rd pair guy and I wouldn't be upset with him getting 1-2 more minutes than he is getting now) But yeah, I get your point, If you move one of the big three, you need someone/something else to fill in those 2nd pair minutes you are leaving open.

I feel like I'm bashing Cozens, but after about 2 weeks of somewhat better play by Cozens, he is back to being bad. On the first goal allowed tonight, Gilbert had a giveway. But Cozens was out of position again. He chased the puck into the zone where Gilbert was already there, he had no chance of getting control of the puck, but Cozens left the entire slot wide open, the puck eventually went right through the zone he was vacated. He caused Zucker to rotate down low to cover the slot which is why the whole near side was open. If Cozens didn't go after a puck he had no business getting, Zucker doesn't have to leave the near side wide open to cover the slot where cozens was supposed to be, and the goal isn't scored, even with Gilbert's giveaway. As far as stats, Quinn was taken off of Cozens line the last few days. The have only spent a few seconds on the ice together. Since getting away from Cozens, Quinn has 3 goals in 2 games and has made ZERO glaring defensive errors. At the same time Tage and Zucker were put on a line with Cozens and the proceded to both be a -4 on the night, I think their worst of the season. (they were both plus players on the year before having Cozens on their line) Krebs is an opposite example. Not that you follow my posts, but last year I posted Cozens and Krebs were the worst 2 forwards I have ever seen without the puck. Krebs made almost as many of those plays as Cozens (Cozens was still worse but Krebs was close). I didn't want Krebs re-signed, I was hopine they would let him walk, but if the did bring him back it would be on a one year minimum deal. I disliked Krebs game almost as much as Cozens. But something happened in the offseason. Krebs got better. He must have studied film, committed to playing positionally better. He has cut his mistakes away from the puck drastically. Krebs did it, Cozens is almost 24 years old and in his 5th season, if he hasn't done it by now, I don't think its in him. As much as I disliked Krebs last year and I do not think he is close to being a 2nd line center, I think the team is better with Krebs on the 2nd line than with Cozens. I think you lose 4-6 goals per year scored by Krebs in that position instead of Cozens, but I think you might get the wingers make up for that with a better playmaker, and you save quite a few goals allowed with better positional play.

I think he's bad. He has done this for the last few years. I know for the last 2.5 seasons I have watched replays of most goals the Sabres have allowed, and when a glaring mistake is made by a forward (leaving a guy wide open), its probably Cozens almost as much as the rest of the team combined. I have posted videos and screenshots in many GD threads. Its almost like he was the best 13 year old kid on his team and was allowed to freelance and just do whatever he wanted...and his game without the puck never evolved from that. Here is one good example (just one, there are many): https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/buf-vs-pit/2024/09/21/2024010001 Watch the replay on that page of Pittsburgh's first goal, its on the PP. The other 3 players on the ice are staying in their position. Cozens is ALL over the ice. He chases the puck wherever it goes, eventually Pitt takes advantage of it and scores because of it. At one Point Cozens is WAY on the other side of the ice deep into the Zone, Quinn has to adjust and then things to to h**l. Again, just look at how the rest of the team plays the PK and Watch Cozens, he skates around like a 8 year old who was never taught any positional play. Remember, Cozens spot is up high on the NEAR side of the ice. He chases the puck from his high-near zone, across right in front of Quinn, goes over to Quinns side on the boards, goes down low to the low corner opposite is side....all the while where he is supposed to be is WIDE open. That is a preseason game and its just one PK example, but stuff like this happens with him on goals allowed usually a few times each week.

I'm watching Hockey night in Canada right now with the Leafs playing Vancouver. Its the first Vancouver game I have watched in a while but Pettersson is playing a strong game away from the puck. He is the anti-Cozens. He's in the right spot most of the time, he's very good at stick checking enough to cause a defender to lose the puck but not enough to get a penalty. He actually covers for his teammates that go into corners.

All of that is my main problem with Cozens. Again, I don't know just how complex of a 'system' the Sabres play. But I'll watch, and I see players looking around. I might see Tuch go in deep to forcheck and Tage then drops back to the blue line to cover any exit. One D-man will go into the corner to chase a puck, so the opposing one will 'shade' more to the center to cover anyone else coming into the zone. When I see things like that, its kinda basic stuff, but it makes me think these guys practice positioniong. Then I watch Cozens....BLAAAHHHHH...blows all of that stuff up. Will chase the puck no matter where it goes, leaves coverage on a guy making him wide open to try to chase a loose puck 20 feet away. Takes shots on goalies where the goalie sees it coming and is set and waiting while his winger is wide open. Cozens is the definition of pond hockey and it has to be infuriating to be one of his linemates IF you are doing the right thing and have to keep covering for him.

The team's play mean that in one particular period of time they did not play well. The team itself, you are saying its not their play 'for one period', but rather as a player the are embarassing. Personally...I would much rather have my boss tell me "your presentation on Tuesday was embarassing" rather than tell me "as an employee, you are embarassing".

I don't know for sure, but I just 'assume' it is. The trap, we heard of the 'left wing lock', plays that are set up off of faceoffs where a guy may be assigned to 'pick' an opposing player. Maybe having one winger forcheck deep into the zone and depending on what side the opposing team exits the zone with the puck, the remaining forwards 'rotating' to cover for the winger who is in deep. When Short handed, do you strictly maintain the PK 'box', or does one guy pressure the puck carrier...and if so is that based on pre-scouting that tells you what players on the other team are more suceptible to pressure and which ones are not...and then if you DO push a guy with the puck how do the remaining players 'rotate' to fill zones? Even when, how often, and where to go during and after line changes? I don't know, I am guessing and would HOPE that some advanced scouting goes into playing other oppoents, and that player are told to not play 'pond hockey' and just chase the puck but to play zones on the ice depending on what their linemates are doing. Please do not tell me they had that trade with Detroit worked out to ship out Cozens, and then pulled it back because they thought they 'needed' cozens because tage can't take faceoffs!

Speaking on Friday's episode of the "32 Thoughts" podcast, Friedman confirmed that the Sabres and Red Wings were deep in discussions leading up to the NHL’s holiday trade freeze in December. “There’s definitely not a lot that gets out of Detroit, and there’s not very much that gets out of Buffalo,” Friedman said. “But finally, it got coughed up to me that they believe the Red Wings were looking at Cozens. And it fits. ”I think there’s a lot of people looking at Cozens. And I will say this, there was a time that a couple people said to me they thought it was close.” NHL insider Chris Johnston noted on Dec. 17 that Buffalo could be hesitant to move young players with upside after some of their recent moves backfired. full article: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nhl/red-wings-trade-for-sabres-dylan-cozens-was-close-before-roster-freeze/ar-BB1rhJw9?ocid=BingNewsSerp