After trade, Senators' Dylan Cozens has 'a lot to prove' in Buffalo return

OTTAWA Dylan Cozens tried not to skip steps.

The Ottawa Senators, his new team for all of two weeks, were trying to end a two-game skid on Saturday, so he did his best to focus on facing the New Jersey Devils that night.

But the 24-year-old center knew which opponent lurked around the corner.

Obviously, I looked, Cozens told The Athletic .

I knew we were playing them again at some point.

So I looked to see when it was and it was pretty much right away.

Advertisement That wait ends Tuesday night when Cozens suits up against the Buffalo Sabres, 18 days since they traded him to Ottawa alongside defenseman Dennis Gilbert and a 2026 second-round pick in exchange for Josh Norris and defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker.

The deal looked like a win for Ottawa on paper at the time.

Weeks later, it still does.

Cozens has three goals and four assists in eight games since joining the Senators, and has played only one game in which he failed to record a point.

In contrast, Cozens managed just eight points over his final 15 games with Buffalo.

I know I have a lot to prove, Cozens said.

I obviously didnt produce the way I wanted to these last two years.

...

Im going to go out and just show the player that I can be.

Drafted with the No.

7 pick by the Sabres in 2019, Cozens once seemed destined to help them to future success after a 31-goal, 68-point campaign in 2022-23.

Instead, Buffalo is poised to soon miss the playoffs for the 14th consecutive season, the NHLs longest active drought.

I thought I was going to be there for a long time, Cozens said Monday.

I thought I was going to be part of the solution.

I dreamt every day about turning things around there and being a successful team and what it would be like.

Obviously, it didnt work out.

As the Sabres continued to lose and Cozens numbers faltered, Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams kept fielding phone calls on the young center.

In early February, The Athletic s Chris Johnston reported 20 teams had checked in on Cozens availability.

It wasnt clear then whether Ottawa was among those 20, but Sens GM Steve Staios later revealed that his interest in Cozens had been brewing for a while.

On the morning of March 7, when Staios and Adams completed their trade, Cozens was caught by surprise.

Gathering his belongings in a daze as he left the south Florida hotel where his now-former team was staying before facing the Panthers the next day.

Cozens was left to process his feelings as he rushed to the airport to get to Ottawa.

But he made sure to text a future teammate that hed be on his way over, continuing a friendship that began in Finland nearly three years earlier.

Advertisement As a member of Canadas silver medal-winning squad at the 2022 World Championships, Cozens hit it off with Senators winger Drake Batherson over beers during a team outing.

The duo wound up hanging out every day for the duration of the tournament, discovering they had many similar interests: hunting, fishing, cars, video games, and even food both men enjoy a nice steak with a pasta salad.

Skating together on the ice, meanwhile, Batherson and Cozens produced sterling results, combining for 10 goals and 27 points to each finish in the top-three in scoring.

(W)e got thrown into a game on the same line and had a lot of success, Batherson said.

He was scoring a ton of goals at the tournament.

I was just kind of setting him up.

It was just really fun to play with him.

Hard-working guy.

We both just like getting in the forecheck, trying to get pucks back keeping them alive.

And thats why Batherson was waiting in his pickup truck on March 7 when Cozens landed at the Ottawa airport.

The two men caught up that night and Cozens moved into Bathersons place; the following afternoon, they immediately reunited on a line for a home game against the New York Rangers, with David Perron on the left wing.

Cozens has since earned primary assists on three of Bathersons four post-trade goals.

Hes so good at getting pucks back and making plays, Cozens said of Batherson.

I just try and help him with that, just trying to maintain puck possession and just open up space for him to make plays.

Hes been really easy to play with.

He seems like hes got a lot of energy, a lot of life, Senators head coach Travis Green said of Cozens.

I think the line has fit together.

He feels comfortable right now.

I think the team also, the group of guys that we have in that room have welcomed him.

Theyve done a good job welcoming any new player that we have, which is a big part of playing to your potential is having confidence and feeling comfortable in your surroundings.

Advertisement While Cozens play has helped the Senators as they push for their first playoff berth in eight years, his success only adds to the dread of Sabres fans who have seen plenty of other talented players leave and shine for other teams.

Cozens has already played with a few, including current Senators goalie and former Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark.

Theres been some guys I played with that have left and gone on to win Cups right away, Cozens said, referring to, among others, the Vegas Golden Knights Jack Eichel and the Florida Panthers Sam Reinhart.

Great guys, so Im happy for them.

But Im just trying to focus on my own game, going out and being the best player I can be, and getting back to producing like I was a couple of years ago.

Thats the main focus.

Cozens will get one final chance to say goodbye to Sabres fans on Tuesday, the start of the Senators annual fathers trip.

His dad Michael will get to see one last game in Buffalo as a result, Cozens said.

While excited to see old friends and teammates, Cozens knows his return to Ottawa could produce mixed feelings.

Its going to be a little weird for sure, but Im going to try not to overthink it, Cozens said.

At the end of the day, its just another game and a big two points that we need.

(Top photo: Chris Tanouye / Freestyle Photography / Getty Images).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6223073/2025/03/24/dylan-cozens-senators-sabres-trade-batherson/