Buffalo Sabres center Dylan Cozens has too much of a work ethic and for that, he will be the one player to make the jump in 2022-23.
If you looked up the term energy, you may just see Buffalo Sabres center Dylan Cozens’ photo beside it. Cozens may not have produced exceptionally well during the second half of the 2021-22 NHL Season, but you can’t deny his leadership ability, tenacity, work ethic, responsibility, and desire to win.
While I don’t foresee Cozens enjoying an All-Star season, he will start to establish himself as one of the league’s better centers. It was something he showed flashes of last year, and it will come more into fruition in 2022-23. So what will Cozens’ season look like? Here is the most logical prediction.
Buffalo Sabres center Dylan Cozens will have a big season
While I see Cozens logging no more than 50 points this season (15-20 goals, 30-35 assists), I do see his defensive game growing. Look for Cozens to come up big in the takeaway column, and in my bold predictions article, I had him snagging 45 of them.
This is one of those articles where I have Cozens achieving a similar number as in the bold prediction piece, mainly because of the growth he showed regarding takeaways. He also had 35 hits last season. And while his number of hits per game dropped to just 0.443 a season ago, I am also expecting a modest rebound in the category, with 50 serving as a realistic number.
Cozens will, however, create scoring opportunities on the third line, where he will most likely line up alongside J.J. Peterka and Peyton Krebs. While I don’t see a huge increase in the points category, Cozens will be a catalyst for more than a fair share of goals scored this season.
Overall, expect a big jump. Not necessarily in the points or any category, but in the way he approaches and plays the game. For the Buffalo Sabres, that will be a powerful thing.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)