Buffalo Sabres: 3 reasons Dylan Cozens will be a team captain
By Sion Fawkes
Buffalo Sabres center Dylan Cozens may be young and inconsistent. But his appearance at development camp shows he is team captain material.
Earlier in the offseason, I conducted a poll for Buffalo Sabres fans, asking them who I thought the next team captain should be. While Kyle Okposo won out and is the likeliest choice for captain in 2022-23, many also mentioned Dylan Cozens.
Whether Okposo remains in Buffalo long-term is irrelevant. He will either be the Sabres captain for his swan song in the Queen City, or he will sign a long-term deal and play out the rest of his career here. In the latter case, he will probably wear the C patch for an extended period.
Alex Tuch will most likely wear the C after Okposo. Meaning at the absolute worst, Cozens will be one of two Buffalo Sabres to wear the A.
So what are the odds of the C going to Cozens? It is a longshot. But when you break things down, it is easy to see why Cozens is such a popular pick among fans to eventually become a team captain.
Why Dylan Cozens will be a captain someday: Reason #1 – Desire to become a mentor
During Buffalo Sabres development camp, Cozens went out of his way to visit the team’s prospects. Cozens, however, has had his eye on the prospect pipeline since the 2022 NHL Draft, when he remained in contact with head coach Don Granato via text message.
Cozens was excited about the new additions. And Granato was quick to let Cozens know how involved the center would be with the new prospects.
"“These are the guys you’re going to be mentoring.” Granato texted. – via Buffalo Hockey Beat"
Cozens replied that it would be an honor, and he followed that up by making the trip to camp on Thursday. After watching practice, Cozens then took the opportunity to mingle with the prospects,
Among the most important aspects of his visit was that he let the prospects know the main roster is taking notice. They want nothing but success from everyone in the pipeline. And in doing so, it continues to add to the Sabres culture change that general manager Kevyn Adams and Granato have headed up.