Three games into the 2025-26 season, the Ottawa Senators have a 1-2-0 record. Although the Senators fell 4-1 to the Nashville Predators yesterday to drop their second consecutive game, defenseman Thomas Chabot was still positive in defeat in his postgame interview.
One player that has been off to a steady start through three games is forward Dylan Cozens. The same can't be said for Cozens' former team, the Buffalo Sabres.
The Sabres are already 0-3-0 to start the season in the middle of their 14-year playoff drought, and the Senators' next game on the schedule is ironically against the Sabres tomorrow night at KeyBank Center at 7 p.m. ET. With an 0-3-0 start and a lack of offense, Cozens' impact in Ottawa early into this season is making the Sabres wish they had Cozens on the roster even more today.
Buffalo fans are frustrated three games into the season while Cozens has fit well early into his first full season in Ottawa
Through three games into the season, the Sabres have only scored two goals. In a stat that may sound shocking to some, Cozens has the same amount of points this season in Ottawa as the Sabres have goals through three games.
Cozens' two points this season have been on an area where he's thrived in Ottawa, the powerplay. Cozens has one powerplay goal and assist so far. Cozens is tied for the most powerplay points on the Senators roster with Jake Sanderson.
Frustration has completely hit where Cozens used to play. Along with being 0-3-0, the Sabres don't have Josh Norris for a period of time, the player the team received in the trade that sent Cozens to Ottawa this past March. Norris was injured in the Sabres' season opener on Oct. 9. Seeing Cozens healthy and playing well makes the trade look worse for Buffalo with the team's record and Norris being out of the lineup.
Along with losing all three games and not having Norris for months early into the season, the Sabres went viral yesterday after losing 3-1 to the Colorado Avalanche at home. A Sabres fan threw a Sabres jersey onto the ice in frustration after the game, and the boo birds reigned down at the final horn. Some fans were even seen wearing paper bags over their heads.
Cozens' role on Ottawa has been bigger so far this season under head coach Travis Green. Cozens is being one of the top players on the Senators' powerplay unit. Along with that, Cozens is shooting the puck often to generate chances to score.
Tomorrow night's game will be another chance for Cozens to prove his old team wrong again.