The Ottawa Senators have to be feeling good about one of the hardest decisions the organization has made in recent history.
At the 2025 NHL trade deadline, the Sens sent Josh Norris to the Buffalo Sabres for Dylan Cozens.
The 25-year-old Cozens was essentially a desperation trade by the Sabres. It was evident that he didn’t want to be in Buffalo anymore. And the club found a willing taker in Ottawa. But that trade came at the expense of a high-end piece in Josh Norris.
Looking back at the deal, the Senators were glad they moved on from Norris when they did.
Make no mistake. Norris is a very talented player. But his injury history and overall inconsistency have finally caught up to him.
Norris looked like the real deal after the 35-goal campaign in 2021-22. Alas, that only seems like a distant memory now. He had one more 20-goal season in Ottawa before his tenure ended.
And in Buffalo, things have not gotten better. His inability to stay healthy has allowed other prospects to pass him on the team’s depth chart.
Norris is now pulling third-line duty on the wing. His two goals and three points in 14 games have not helped matters. And at the rate he’s going, it could be that Norris may end up sinking even further down Buffalo’s depth chart.
Senators were the change of scenery Cozens needed
As for Dylan Cozens, landing with the Ottawa Senators was the change of scenery he needed. Yes, it sounds like a cliché when struggling players say they need a change.
But in Cozen’s case, it’s plain as day.
The former seventh-overall pick found it hard to establish himself in Buffalo. He asked out after the Sabres fell into a nosedive during the 2024-25 season.
That’s why the 1-for-1 swap, as it were, greatly benefited Cozens. He immediately hit the ground running in Ottawa, scoring five goals and 16 points in his first 21 games. He followed that up with a 28-goal campaign last season. This year, he’s notched four goals and 10 points in 16 games.
That situation makes it clear that the Senators were the right fit for Cozens after all.
As for the other pieces in the deal, the second-round pick the Senators got ended up going to the Toronto Maple Leafs after the Senators sent it to Los Angeles in the Warren Foegele deal, and then the Kings flipped it to Toronto for Scott Laughton. Dennis Gilbert, the other piece in the deal, ended up signing back with the Sabres in free agency.
Meanwhile, the Senators sent Jacob Bernard-Docker to Buffalo, who subsequently signed with the Detroit Red Wings in free agency as well.
That’s why this deal has essentially become a 1-for-1 deal, unless you believe it was Norris for Cozens+Foegele.
Add us as a preferred source on Google