Sabres draft 2-way center Dylan Cozens with No. 7 pick
The Buffalo Sabres selected forward Dylan Cozens with the seventh overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.
Dylan Cozens
Position: Center
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 183 lbs
Age: 18
Club: Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)
Nationality: Canada
| GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| 68 | 34 | 50 | 84 |
(Stats courtesy: EliteProspects.com)
Cozens took an unusual journey to the draft stage. Born and raised in Whitehorse, Yukon, he grew up playing with older kids and was in recreational leagues with grown men by the age of 12. With a lack of quality youth hockey in the remote territory, a 14-year-old Cozens moved by himself to British Columbia, where he eventually became a first-round pick in the Western Hockey League draft in 2016.
The center is far from the fanciest player in the draft. That isn't to say he's not skilled, but you won't hear too many scouts calling him a wizard or a magician with the puck on his stick.
What Cozens is, however, is a north-south, highly intelligent two-way center. He's an excellent skater, and his strength and reach make him incredibly difficult to defend. More of a finisher than a playmaker, he knows where to go to score goals.
What they're saying
In an exercise with The Athletic's Craig Custance, an NHL amateur scout was asked to provide player comparisons for each draft prospect. For Cozens, the scout decided on four-time Selke Trophy winner Patrice Bergeron.
"He's a hard one. I would say he's got quiet skills. Great skater. He does everything well. Bergeron is so smart, he has skill but you don't sit there and go, 'He has top-five skill in the league.' Cozens has a lot of underwhelming qualities that equal a really, really good player."