NHL bombshell: Dylan Cozens lands at direct Sabres rival

It’s official - the Ottawa Senators have acquired Buffalo Sabres forward Dylan Cozens ahead of the NHL trade deadline as they look to end their seven-year playoff drought. While it looked like the Toronto Maple Leafs would be suitors to land the former first-round pick, it was their Atlantic Division rivals who got the deal done.

Cozens to the Senators

In addition to Dylan Cozens, the Senators also acquired blue-liner Dennis Gilbert along with a 2026 second-round pick. In return, the Sabres received center Josh Norris and defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker.

With this move, the Senators are hoping to hang onto their wild-card spot and make it into the playoffs for the first time since 2017, when they just barely missed winning the Stanley Cup. They’re currently tied with the New York Rangers for the second spot in the Eastern Conference.

Although Cozens hasn’t had quite the year he did last year, he’s put up 11 goals and 27 points in 54 games and was still a hot commodity ahead of Friday’s trade deadline, with Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reporting that “at least half a dozen teams” were interested in Cozens. Senators goalie Linus Ullmark said he hopes that Cozens will “thrive in this environment.”“

“The workhorse from Whitehorse - obviously I got to know him during my time in Buffalo,” Ullmark said. “He’s a great kid, a young centerman that hasn’t really been getting everything out of (himself), I would say. He has a lot of potential. I think he’s a very good two-way player.”

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