In 2024, the Montreal Canadiens acquired Patrik Laine from the Columbus Blue Jackets and the move paid off. Although Laine’s been on a bit of a point drought lately, he still has 12 goals and 18 points in 26 games, a solid total, considering how turbulent things looked for him in Columbus.
So, does lightning strike twice? Should the Canadiens take another gamble and acquire the seemingly highly-coveted Dylan Cozens from their division rival, the Buffalo Sabres? Let me give you the short answer: No, no, and no.
Listen, Cozens may be a young player who appeared to enjoy a breakout season in 2022-23, but right now, his success looks like that of a one-year wonder. Since that magical season that saw Cozens find the net 31 times, he’s got just 73 points, 28 goals, and an 8.8 shooting percentage in 132 games.
And yeah, I get it: the Sabres aren’t a good hockey team. But they’re not a half-bad scoring team, and Cozens has only found twine 10 times this season. There’s no way I’m giving up what the Sabres want for a kid who right now looks like he’s destined for the bottom six on a decent team.
The Canadiens need to forget about trading for the overrated Dylan Cozens
Take it from someone who followed the Sabres closely for a couple of years there. Cozens isn’t half-bad at using his body to create room to get off a shot, but I’ve seen him miss several of them from right in front of the net. And yeah, I get it. It’s professional hockey. Players are going to miss shots they should otherwise have made with all the chaos erupting around them.
Still, Cozens misses one too many times. He’s also been on the ice at even strength for a whopping 53 goals this season. When he’s in the game, the Sabres have “enjoyed” a save percentage of just 85.8. If Cozens continues this trajectory, he’ll have been on the ice at even strength for roughly one goal per game.
Cozens has upside, but the Habs aren’t in the position to utilize it yet
Dylan Cozens needs to end up with a contender so he can have a future on their lower lines. I understand that he’s getting a lot of money with an AAV of $7.1 million per year. But he’s proven he can’t help out as a top-six points producer on a team that, as mentioned earlier, isn’t bad at finishing sequences.
Still, he’s a hard hitter and an imposing player, unafraid to land body checks and engage in scuffles. That’s exactly the kind of player a true contender should crave, and one who’ll provide a lot of value when that ‘down the stretch’ period brings playoff hockey to our TV screens before the regular season ends.
The Habs just aren’t there yet, so acquiring a player like Cozens, one who won’t do them much in the way of scoring, isn’t the direction they must go. Instead, look for another forward who can light up the score sheet regularly, get yourself into a position where you can contend, then find a Cozens-like player. But it won’t be this season.