The Detroit Red Wings have been linked to Dylan Cozens and one trade pitch has them acquiring the star forward from the Buffalo Sabres.
The website PuckPedia‘s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Red Wings acquiring Cozens from the Sabres in a four-player deal.
Red Wings acquire:
Sabres acquire:
The four-player deal does make sense as Detroit and Buffalo are both looking to end their playoff droughts and swap star players.
Detroit would acquire Cozens who’s in the second year of his seven-year $49.7 million deal. Cozens could replace DeBrincat and add some scoring to the lineup. With the Sabres this season, he’s recorded 10 goals and 16 assists for 26 points in 52 games.
Helenius, meanwhile, was selected 14th overall by the Sabres in the 2024 NHL draft. Helenius would add some youth to the Red Wings and could compete for a roster spot next season.
In return, Detroit would deal DeBrincat who’s in the second year of his four-year $31.5 million deal. DeBrincat is a better offensive player than Cozens and could help the Sabres get over the hump. He’s recorded 23 goals and 19 assists for 42 points in 53 games.
Buffalo would acquire James who was selected in the second round of the 2022 NHL draft. He’s currently playing college hockey at North Dakota and is unsigned.
Red Wings Interested in Cozens
Detroit has shown interest in Cozens as his name has come up in trade talks.
With Buffalo outside of a playoff spot, the Sabres have been rumored to be involved in trade talks.
“I believe the Buffalo player the Red Wings were (are?) looking at is Dylan Cozens,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman wrote.
Whether or not Buffalo will actually trade Cozens is to be seen. But, his name has come up in trade rumors, and perhaps Detroit will end up trading for him.
NHL insider Matt Larkin of DailyFaceoff also linked Cozens to the Red Wings in a potential trade.
“Adding Cozens to the fold would finally bring Detroit a prime-aged No. 2 pivot. Given the Wings have loaded up on prospects during their seven-year playoff drought, they actually have some young NHL players they could surrender as part of a trade with Buffalo,” Larkin wrote.
Cozens was selected 7th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft.
Detroit Battling for a Playoff Spot
The Red Wings are fighting for a playoff spot as they are looking to end their playoff drought.
Detroit hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season and the Red Wings picked up a road win over Vancouver in OT which was key for the playoff race.
“I think we have a lot of resilience in this room,” DeBrincat said. “Today wasn’t an easy game to play. I think we came into the game not giving ourselves any excuses. Needed to just battle through it, and it’s good to get the two points.”
“I give the guys a lot of credit for showing some character,” Detroit head coach Todd McLellan added. “As [assistant coach] Trent Yawney says, ‘Sometimes the art has to hang in the basement.’ It wasn’t real pretty, but we found a way to scrap out a game.”
The Red Wings are 27-21-5 and in a Wild Card spot.
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