The Detroit Red Wings have been connected to Dylan Cozens, with one proposed trade suggesting they acquire the talented forward from the Buffalo Sabres.
Using the PuckGM tool on the PuckPedia website, a user created a trade that would see the Red Wings gain Cozens as part of a four-player exchange.
In this deal, the Red Wings would receive:
- Dylan Cozens
- Konsta Helenius
While the Sabres would get:
- Alex DeBrincat
- Dylan James
This four-player trade seems logical as both Detroit and Buffalo are eager to end their playoff droughts by trading star players.
Detroit would bring in Cozens, who is in the second year of his seven-year, $ 49.7 million contract. Cozens could potentially replace DeBrincat and contribute to the team’s scoring. This season, he has tallied 10 goals and 16 assists for a total of 26 points in 52 games with the Sabres.
Helenius, drafted 14th overall by Buffalo in the 2024 NHL Draft, would introduce youthful talent to the Red Wings and could compete for a roster spot next season.
In exchange, Detroit would send DeBrincat, currently in the second year of his four-year, $ 31.5 million contract. DeBrincat boasts superior offensive capabilities compared to Cozens and could help the Sabres improve. He has accumulated 23 goals and 19 assists for 42 points in 53 games this season.
Buffalo would also receive James, a second-round pick from the 2022 NHL Draft, who is playing college hockey at North Dakota and is not yet signed.
The Red Wings have shown interest in Cozens as his name has surfaced in trade talks. With Buffalo not in a playoff position, rumors about their potential trade moves have circulated.
“I believe the Buffalo player the Red Wings were (are?) looking at is Dylan Cozens,” noted Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
It’s still uncertain whether Buffalo will actually trade Cozens, but his name has been mentioned in trade discussions, so it’s possible Detroit might pursue a deal.
NHL insider Matt Larkin from DailyFaceoff also linked Cozens to the Red Wings, emphasizing that adding Cozens would provide Detroit with a prime-aged No. 2 center. Given that the Red Wings have stockpiled prospects during their seven-year playoff drought, they have young NHL-ready players to potentially offer in a trade with Buffalo.
Cozens was chosen 7th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft.
Meanwhile, the Red Wings are in contention for a playoff spot, trying to break a drought that has lasted since the 2015-16 season. Recently, they secured a crucial road win over Vancouver in overtime, which is vital for their playoff hopes.
“I think we have a lot of resilience in this room,” said DeBrincat. “Today wasn’t an easy game to play. I think we came into the game not giving ourselves any excuses. We just needed to battle through it, and it’s great to get the two points.”
Detroit’s head coach Todd McLellan added, “I give the guys a lot of credit for showing some character. Sometimes the art has to hang in the basement. It wasn’t real pretty, but we found a way to scrape through the game.”
Currently, the Red Wings hold a record of 27-21-5 and are positioned in a Wild Card spot.
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