Buffalo Sabres: 3 most underrated players on the 2022-23 roster
By Sion Fawkes
Dylan Cozens, C
Cozens made a respectable leap last season, but he could not remain consistent offensively, scoring just two goals following the All-Star break. Clearly, Cozens is not done growing offensively.
Not that he doesn’t excel in other areas, as he displays all the intangibles you look for in a former seventh overall pick: Physical ability, mental fortitude, a tenacious work ethic, and playing style.
He is one of those young players who just needs to put everything together, and it was something we saw in the first half of the 2021-22 season when he found twine 11 times. Unfortunately, it did not last, but his leadership qualities are on another level for a 21-year-old player.
And this is what makes Cozens such an underrated asset. He has yet to light up the stat sheet. But he excels in just about every other under-the-radar area in the game given his drive, grinder mentality, and ability to lead regardless of whether things are working for or against him.
If we were to brace for the worst and assume for a second that Cozens never becomes a viable scorer on the Buffalo Sabres, he, at the absolute least, will find a long-term niche on the lower lines. Not exactly what you are looking for out of a seventh overall pick. But I can name a few high picks over the past decade who generated lesser returns.
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Overall, Asplund and Girgensons will never impress you on the stat sheet while Cozens has potential to. But they all have a place on the Buffalo Sabres roster for the 2022-23 season. Asplund and Girgensons will once again lead the team as defensive forwards while Cozens has a chance to break out of his scoring slumps and develop into a complete player.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)