If the Red Wings want to smash their long playoff drought, they need to keep playing sound hockey in the scoring realm. Right now, it seems like that will continue. But they’re still lacking in two areas of their game that would require outside help.
Enter Dylan Cozens, who’s still apparently linked to the Wings. While I have my reservations about Cozens coming to Hockeytown if general manager Steve Yzerman pulled off what would be a blockbuster deal, it doesn’t mean he wouldn’t help the Wings.
No, Cozens doesn’t look like a scorer, and while he could be a No. 2 center for a few bad teams, I would feel a lot better if contenders treated him more like a No. 3 center. So, if the Wings traded for Cozens and they implemented him as a 3C instead of a 2C, I’d call this one a decent trade.
Dylan Cozens would make a better 3C for the Red Wings
Why? It’s because of where Cozens would help the Wings play better hockey. He won’t score often and with just 16 assists at the 4 Nations Face-Off break, he’s not a playmaker. But he’s shown the ability to be a very, very good defensive forward, and that’s what the Wings might need.
For one, when you look at Detroit as a whole, they’re one of the NHL’s least physical teams. And if you want the Wings in the playoffs, that level of physicality must skyrocket. Cozens will bring that, as he’s garnered 121 hits so far. Since Detroit’s averaging just 17.6 hits per game, Cozens would immediately bring that number to between 19.6 and 20 if he ended up in the Motor City.
While the Wings aren’t necessarily struggling in this next metric, it’s something they could use one more hand in. And that comes in the faceoff dot, where Detroit’s currently averaging a 50.3 faceoff win percentage.
Again, it’s not a bad number, but one that will become more important ‘down the stretch,’ especially in the defensive zone. Cozens is winning the faceoff battle 50.4 percent of the time. And while it’s a small increase overall, it’s substantially better than what we’ve seen from most Red Wings players who regularly handle faceoffs, so give Cozens another point there.
Maybe Cozens would help the Wings in other areas?
With the Red Wings getting all high-octane all of a sudden, maybe Cozens will find that scoring ability he flashed in 2022-23? Sure, the Sabres are a better-scoring team overall, but the Wings have been closing the gap during their recent surge under Todd McLellan. It’s a new system and that could be all Cozens requires for his productivity to sail north.
Changes of scenery can help or hurt a player, but Cozens would have an advantage if he came to Detroit, since the Sabres face them more often than they do teams in the Metro, Central, and Pacific Divisions. That said, he knows the players and their tendencies better, which, even under McLellan’s system, could shorten the learning curve.
Overall, Cozens has 11 goals and 16 assists, good for 27 points on the year. His shooting percentage is a modest 9.1, and his overall productivity in Buffalo has been a repeat of last season. So, if I’m Dylan Cozens and the Red Wings want me, I’d welcome the change of scenery.