Dylan Cozens was traded by the Buffalo Sabres at the deadline, and now it appears the truth behind the deal has emerged, with the team potentially happy about it.
The Sabres were taking interest in Cozens for some time, and at the deadline they finally traded him to the Senators, with many expecting him to breakout as a genuine star like so many other traded Sabres have done.
However, that may not be the case this time, as Elliotte Friedman has unveiled the timeline behind these moves from general manager Kevyn Adams, and it appears as though the trade may have been a net positive for the room.
Not only did the Sabres add a quality talent in Josh Norris, but after a meeting with captain Rasmus Dahlin, Adams moved on from Cozens, with the captain noting there's a much different (and better) vibe in the room as a result.
It's unclear exactly what happened with Cozens in Buffalo that soured his effect on the locker room, but now that he's gone, it appears things have been much more upbeat with the current group.
In three games since arriving in Buffalo, Cozens' replacement in Josh Norris has tallied a goal and an assist and posted a -2 differential while Cozens has taken a step forward on a Stanley Cup playoff team, so it appears as though this was potentially a move that helped both parties.
Ultimately, this is a situation that the Sabres have unfortunately encountered many times during their lengthy rebuild, and in the hopes of improving things overall, Adams seemingly made the right call by moving Cozens, but for now, only time will tell how this ultimately plays out.
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