After the Sabres demolished the Rangers 8-2 on Saturday night, it was revealed that there were scouts from the Tampa Bay Lighting and the Vegas Golden Knights at the game. We have been hearing about a possible trade between the Knights and Sabres for the last couple of weeks, but now it has become more evident that Vegas likes what they see. Knights scouts have been reportedly seen at Sabres games night after night, indicating that Vegas is targeting Buffalo as a trade partner. These discussions have gone on much longer than we anticipated, then to make matters crazier, the Lighting are now in the mix for Cozens and Tuch as well.
Deadline scout watch is on in Buffalo for #Sabres - NYR. Two scouts for both the #Lightning and #VGK here. This is the fifth straight game that Vegas has had multiple scouts watching Buffalo.
— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) February 22, 2025
The Knights' main target would be a reunion with Alex Tuch, as he would be a great addition to the Vegas on their second line. Cozens would be good depth for the Knights, but he wouldn't be a top center in Vegas, not with Jack Eichel and Tomas Hertl already in the mix. Cozens's contract is also hefty for someone on the third line, but he would bring a sizeable frame and a hit-first mentality. But I think the Knights trading for him just doesn’t make sense. The Sabres have asked about Zach Whitecloud and Brett Howden who would both be excellent adds for the Sabres if a trade went down.
From the Lightning’s perspective, Cozens would be a much better addition than Tuch. The Lighting have two solid centers in Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli, however, they could put Cirelli on a wing and put Cozens at the center position. The Lighting lack skill from their forwards and wingers, moving Cirelli to a wing and moving the larger Cozens to center may work out better. It sounds like a stretch considering how good of a year Cirelli is having, but it may be what the Lightning need if they want to compete with the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Cozens is also on a large contract so the Lightning would get him for another four to five years at least, which is why long term, Cozens is the better acquisition. The Sabres have asked about Eric Cernak and Nick Paul, who would be decent fits for the Sabres. Paul would be a solid replacement for Cozens as the center has 31 points on the season.
I think the Sabres are much better off trading Cozens, he is now a third-line center who is making seven million a year and isn't producing how the Sabres want. They would also shed a major salary getting rid of Cozens, and this could be a chance for them to re-sign guys or even extend a player like Alex Tuch. GM Kevyn Adams in my opinion does not have a tough decision to make here, getting rid of Cozens makes things a lot easier going forward, and any return is going towards the future of this franchise.