>Dylan Cozens You probably won’t find his name on any projected Team Canada roster anywhere, and it’s easy to understand why coming off an 18-goal, 47-point season for the Buffalo Sabres — tying him for the 56th most points among Canadian skaters.
>Except it would be unwise to look past Cozens entirely given the ridiculously high level he plays at whenever he pulls on a Canadian sweater. > The 23-year-old center has been a major driver in Prague, scoring a tournament-leading eight goals, including a short-handed overtime strike against Czechia, while playing meaningful minutes in all situations.
>“What’s his ceiling?” Tourigny said. “We’re still looking for it.”
>There’s a high level of trust between coach and player given that this is their fifth international tournament working together, dating back to the Hlinka Gretzky Cup under-18 event in 2019.
>Cozens has been a standout on basically all of those national teams, and he’s now up to 15 goals in 18 career games at the World Championship. In a best-on-best scenario, he’d likely be slotted down the lineup, which is why his size, competitiveness and penalty-killing abilities would all be viewed as positive attributes.
>In Prague, however, he’s been doing it all for Canada.
>“He’s playing PK, he’s playing power play, he’s playing big minutes,” said Tourigny. “For me, he’s a competitor, he’s a guy who wants to be a game-breaker, wants to be a difference-maker. When you give him the opportunity he can do it.”
ScottyOnWheels
I really hope Lindy helps Cozens take the next step. Based on his comments, Cozens wasn’t too impressed with the compete level with the Sabres early on. I would think Ruff will help support him playing with a high level of intensity like he does on the international stage.
2 Comments
>Dylan Cozens
You probably won’t find his name on any projected Team Canada roster anywhere, and it’s easy to understand why coming off an 18-goal, 47-point season for the Buffalo Sabres — tying him for the 56th most points among Canadian skaters.
>Except it would be unwise to look past Cozens entirely given the ridiculously high level he plays at whenever he pulls on a Canadian sweater.
>
The 23-year-old center has been a major driver in Prague, scoring a tournament-leading eight goals, including a short-handed overtime strike against Czechia, while playing meaningful minutes in all situations.
>“What’s his ceiling?” Tourigny said. “We’re still looking for it.”
>There’s a high level of trust between coach and player given that this is their fifth international tournament working together, dating back to the Hlinka Gretzky Cup under-18 event in 2019.
>Cozens has been a standout on basically all of those national teams, and he’s now up to 15 goals in 18 career games at the World Championship. In a best-on-best scenario, he’d likely be slotted down the lineup, which is why his size, competitiveness and penalty-killing abilities would all be viewed as positive attributes.
>In Prague, however, he’s been doing it all for Canada.
>“He’s playing PK, he’s playing power play, he’s playing big minutes,” said Tourigny. “For me, he’s a competitor, he’s a guy who wants to be a game-breaker, wants to be a difference-maker. When you give him the opportunity he can do it.”
I really hope Lindy helps Cozens take the next step. Based on his comments, Cozens wasn’t too impressed with the compete level with the Sabres early on. I would think Ruff will help support him playing with a high level of intensity like he does on the international stage.