Is Dylan Cozens really the Sabres second-best under-25 player?

One respected Sabres publication claimed Dylan Cozens, despite his poor season in 2023-24, is the second-best player for the Blue and Gold aged 25 and under. Calvin of Die by the Blade penned the article, but these rankings comprised both the site’s staff and its readers, as opposed to that of just one writer. 

But did they get this one right or wrong? Because the first name that came to my mind was none other than JJ Peterka, who ranked third on the list. In my mind this one’s a close call, because despite Cozens’ poor season last year and Peterka’s borderline breakout, we still know what the former is capable of. 

And when you watched Cozens play last season, it wasn’t like he was always caught out of position or not doing his part to make something happen. Sequences just weren’t finishing, whether he was firing the puck at the net or trying to log a helper. “Unlucky” is one way to describe the trying season that was, and it’s why, at least for this season, I agree with those at Die by the Blade. 

Dylan Cozens should be in a much better position with the Sabres

Dylan Cozens could be the one player on Buffalo’s top six who should flourish under head coach Lindy Ruff when the games start to count next week. I stated something similar about Rasmus Dahlin earlier, and for the hard-hitting Cozens, the same concept applies. 

This is a player who should make room for himself to get into a scoring position, using his physical game to his advantage when in the offensive zone and just crushing plays when the Sabres need to get puck possession back. Cozens finished last season with 108 hits, and Ruff’s system should just unleash him, something that will impress Sabres fans everywhere. 

Should he once again become the player who resembles the one who scored 31 goals and 68 points last season, Cozens will easily justify his No. 2 ranking from Die by the Blade, unless JJ Peterka ends up with 70-plus points and about 35 goals, which isn’t impossible. 

Either way, I would see Cozens, at worst, taking the third spot, but after he enjoyed a career season in 2022-23 and, despite last year being rather pedestrian, it makes little difference. Behind (presumably) Rasmus Dahlin, Cozens is the Blue and Gold’s second-best youngster in 2024-25, even if he honestly just edges out JJ Peterka.