3 Sabres players who must step up following Casey Mittelstadt trade

Dylan Cozens can once again show he’s a leading scorer in Buffalo

Now that Mittelstadt’s gone, Dylan Cozens is tied for fourth on the team in points with 38 in 60 contests. He’s also sixth in goals with 14, but we expected way more from the offensive zone than he’s given us, as his 38 points equates to just 0.63 per game, nearly 0.21 points fewer than what we saw last season. 

As in 2022-23, Cozens is logging plenty of shots on goal, and he’s averaging well over two per game this year. But only 9.3 percent of those have found the back of the net, and it’s been beyond disappointing. This isn’t to say Cozens has struggled with his shot selection, but it’s more of an inaccurate shot, even from near the crease. 

He and his linemates have been creating opportunities better now than he has during his entire career at even strength and 5-on-5, given his career-best in the Corsi in both situations. If Cozens simply improves his overall shot, he will better resemble that player who scored 31 goals last year.