WA-BUF-DET-CozensTrade_ It's been a season unlike any other with the amount of trade rumours swirling around the NHL world. From teammates not liking each other in Vancouver and Boston to contenders making deals ahead of the deadline, we may see a lot of action on the market this season. We have already heard a lot about players that could be dealt in the coming weeks and we look to breakdown some of the potential deals that could happen before they are made so that we can getting odds at a premium before they change. All betting lines are from FanDuel and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly. The Sabres once again appear to be nowhere near being a contender and will look to make some moves to better their future. They have many valuable assets and one they appear willing to depart with is centre Dylan Cozens. The 23-year-old Whitehorse native appeared to be a superstar in the making and was drafted seventh overall by the Sabres in 2019 with the hopes that he could be a franchise cornerstone. He enters his fifth year in the NHL and has seen heights like a near-70 point campaign in the 2022-23 season but besides that has been more of a 35-40 point producer with a 40-point pace again this season. His stock is declining but he is still very young and has prospect pedigree that is enough to still attract potential suitors. Cozens signed a seven year, $49,700,000 contract with a cap hit of $7,100,000 last February that now looks like a massive overpay for a 40 point producer. The best thing they can do is move on from him before his value tanks and give him the opportunity to grow his game elsewhere with the most likely destination being reportedly Detroit. It was reported by NHL insider Elliotte Friedman on his podcast, 32 Thoughts [https://www.sportsnet.ca/podcasts/32-thoughts/], that the two teams had met and Cozens name had come up in conversation but there's no news on the current state of a potential trade except for some reports telling him that a couple sources believed a deal was imminent. "There's definitely not a lot that gets out of Detroit, and there's not very much that gets out of Buffalo, but finally, it got coughed up to me that they believe the Red Wings were looking at Cozens," he said "I don't know where it's going to go. One thing I do believe is that Cozens is a guy, like everybody is looking for right-hand centers." The Red Wings are currently red hot with seven straight wins and appear to be a likely candidate for one of the Eastern wild card spots. They are two points behind the Blue Jackets for the second wild spot and could overpass them and the cluster of teams still in the race by continuing and prolonging their hot streak with a big trade. Cozens would sure up the Red Wings second line centre spot, currently occupied by Andrew Copp, and allow more flexibility in the lineup, like moving Copp back to the wing, while also adding another scoring threat. It would make the Red Wings to make the playoffs at +480 a complete steal. Check Out: Exploring Impact of Potential Brock Nelson Trade to Minnesota Wild [https://thehockeynews.com/betting/best-bets/exploring-impact-of-potential-brock-nelson-trade-to-minnesota-wild] Check Out: Oilers Road to Second Stanley Cup Finals May Be Tougher Than Expected [https://thehockeynews.com/betting/futures/oilers-road-to-second-stanley-cup-finals-may-be-tougher-than-expected] Check Out: Team Canada, Team USA Listed As Co-Favorites To Win The 4 Nations Face-Off [https://thehockeynews.com/betting/futures/team-canada-team-usa-listed-as-co-favorites-to-win-the-4-nations-face-off-in-february] Check out The Hockey News Betting Roundtable forum to get involved in the conversation by sharing your picks in the comment section below
