OTTAWA — When the Ottawa Senators traded Josh Norris to Buffalo for Dylan Cozens, there were questions for both sides: Would Cozens regain his scoring touch? And would Norris stay healthy?
The answers to both those questions have been wins for Senators general manager Steve Staios: Cozens helped lead Ottawa to the playoffs after the trade deadline and leads the team in points this season, while Norris continues to battle injury.
“It’s a great vibe here. The expectations are high, and the standard is high,†said Cozens.
Cozens was on pace for 14 goals and 41 points in Buffalo last season. In Ottawa this season — albeit only 11 games in — Cozens is on pace for 45 goals and 74 points. Thatâ€s a rich difference.
If Cozens continues to rejuvenate, it would be a massive addition to the Senators. The team has a bona fide No. 1 centre in Tim Stutzle, and Shane Pinto might be the best third-line shutdown centre in the NHL. The problem before the trade was that second-line centre Norris was often hurt, missing 132 games in his last four seasons in Ottawa.
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But a question mark around consistency has dogged Cozens. The aptly nicknamed “Workhorse from Whitehorse†is a towering six-foot-four, rangy and fast, with an overpowering right-handed shot. Heâ€s shown flashes of brilliance, notching a 35-goal season in 2022-23. But hasn’t scored more than 20 in any other of his five NHL seasons.
Through 11 games this season, Cozens has produced but has been a liability defensively. He has 10 points in 11 games but is a minus-10. Plus/minus isnâ€t the be-all-and-end-all stat, but either way, that isnâ€t good. When Cozens has been on the ice, Ottawa has been outscored 11-3 at five-on-five, and when heâ€s off the ice Ottawa has outscored opponents 21-15.
Cozens†analytics arenâ€t great either. Heâ€s second-last on the team with an expected goals share of 41.77 per cent at five-on-five, despite coach Travis Green giving him favourable match-ups, unlike Pinto, who plays against the McDavids, Matthewses and Crosbys, shift after shift.
But Cozens believes heâ€s improving on the defensive end.
“I think I’ve learned the systems a lot better this year,” he said. “And I think it’s clicking a lot easier for me this year, and we’ve done a lot of work on it, lots of videos.â€
There have been moments when Cozens has used his speed routinely to create chances and, at times, when he’s engaged and been good defensively, breaking up opponents†transition opportunities with that speed.
Cozens may be an imperfect player but he’s played better than he did during his recent stint in Buffalo. He credits some of that to leaving the sad Sabres behind and getting a taste of the post-season for the first time in his career.
“Biggest thing you learn (in the playoffs) is that every play matters,†he said.
The Senators have no regrets about the trade. The Sabres, meanwhile, might have a different take. Norris has played only 18:51 this season, which is a shame but a harsh reality for a beloved former Ottawa Senator who couldn’t be relied upon.
If Cozens continues to succeed in Ottawa, heâ€d join a long line of former Sabres who moved on to find success elsewhere: Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, Ryan Oâ€Reilly, Brandon Montour, and none other than the Senators’ own Linus Ullmark, who left Buffalo to win a Vezina in Boston. If Cozens was with Buffalo this season with the same stats, heâ€d be their leader in goals and points.
PPG in final Sabres season
PPG in first season with new team
Getting a losing stench off a player can do wonders.
“I’ve regained a lot of my confidence,†said Cozens. “I want the puck. I want it. I want it through the middle of the ice. I want to hunt it down, and I like having the puck on my stick and using my legs to skate, and I think that’s where I excel.â€
Cozens†effort and passion were never in question. The issue has always been his attention to detail, shown in his winning 54.5 per cent of faceoffs this season.
Over the summer, Cozens trained tirelessly with Senators director of player development Sam Gagner.
“I thought it was a great summer,” Gagner said. “He really does put in the work.â€
The pair spent gruellingly long days in Muskoka as Cozens honed his craft. Putting up almost a point per game to start 2025-26 has been a byproduct of that work.
“(You) can see that he, for me, looks like he’s skating better than he did last year,†said Green.
Cozens has played a large part in how Ottawa has survived without captain Brady Tkachuk in the lineup, and his success when Tkachuk returns will determine whether Ottawa will thrive.
Nick Cousins has two goals in three games as Ottawaâ€s first-line left winger. He was asked about his reaction when he found out heâ€d be playing with Stutzle and Drake Batherson.
“About time,†Cousins said, chuckling.
In Ottawa, Daniel Alfredsson is beloved like a king. Apparently, part of it comes from having a Midas touch with hockey tape.
That same hockey wisdom from the best player in franchise history has helped the Senators have the second-best power play in the NHL.
Green loves tandems within his forward group, mixing and matching a different third forward alongside them. Against the New York Islanders, the Stutzle-Batherson duo rotated in Cozens and Cousins. Stutzle has 10 points and Batherson 11 points in the six games since Green put them on the same line. Stutzle’s and Bathersonâ€s speed, skill and scoring ability match up well.
Tyler Kleven told Sportsnet.ca that after every game he watches the video from all his shifts, from good to ugly. But there hasnâ€t been much to quibble with recently, as he and Nikolas Matinpalo have formed an excellent third pairing. Green credits the duoâ€s speed and physicality for their success.
Kleven and Matinpalo have a better expected goals share than Jake Sanderson and Anton Zub, though admittedly they play primarily against third and fourth lines. The knock-on effect is that Jordan Spence has remained out of the lineup, despite scoring four points in four games. Which raises the question, when will the undersized Spence return to the lineup?
Good news for the Senators is that they are somehow .500 through 11 games with an .841 team save percentage.
Bad news for their fans: They have an .841 save percentage.
Ullmark likely wonâ€t finish the season with an .858 save percentage, but the Senators will be swimming upstream in the Atlantic Division if he doesnâ€t up his game, and quickly.
Ottawa allowed seven goals to Chicago on Tuesday, including an empty-netter, but the Sens allowed only four high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick. Ullmark has yet to steal a game this season; thatâ€s what heâ€s paid to do.
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