Four-team battle to acquire Sabres’ Dylan Cozens in trade!

The Buffalo Sabres may not be actively shopping forward Dylan Cozens, general manager Kevyn Adams is still fielding offers for the 2017 seventh overall pick. And the calls are coming!

According to insider Kevin Weekes, four teams are quite invested in attempting to acquire Cozens, including three clubs in Canada. Weekes lists the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames and Detroit Red Wings as potential landing spots for Cozens if one of them can make the right offer.

The Flames have already added two key forwards from the Philadelphia Flyers in Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee last week, but there is a sense that Calgary is ready to make more moves. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported Tuesday that the Flames organization have been “enamoured” by Cozens all season and would like to add him for more depth in their top six forward group.

“Two thirds of the league have checked in with Buffalo on Cozens. He’s obviously a name that has garnered a lot of attention. But he’s a name that fits into what Calgary is planning long-term. He’s a right-shot, young centre who’s 23 years old. But whether or not they can actually get this conversation to go another level remains to be seen. He would be a name that remains on Calgary’s radar.”

The Sabres are currently last place in the East with a record of 22-26-5 and 11 points back of the Lightning, who occupy the last wild card spot. Their status in the playoff frame ahead of the March 7 deadline has a lot of pundits thinking that they could be sellers and perhaps Cozens will be on the move, bringing a significant return to Buffalo.

The trade package would have to be good to convince GM Adams to move Cozens, who on the other hand, might love the idea of moving closer to home in Yukon with the Flames.

He could also be interested in joining a contender like the Maple Leafs and Red Wings, who’ve also been mentioned in the mix for Cozens by Weekes.

Cozens has been in Buffalo for five seasons and has seen career highs like his 68 point campaign in the 2022-23 season. It’s been harder lately as the 23-year-old centre has fallen more into the range of a mostly 40-point producer, but he’s managed to collect 10 goals and 26 points in 53 games so far this season amid the Sabres’ struggles.