Trade #2
The Buffalo Sabres were reportedly shopping Dylan Cozens for months. Apparently it took them until the final hours before the deadline before they got the deal that caused them to pull the trigger. The Ottawa Senators sent locker-room favorite Josh Norris to Buffalo, along with prospect Jacob Bernard-Docker, for Cozens, Dennis Gilber, and a 2026 second-round pick. The fact that the Sabres added to that deal is a master class we don't expect from that franchise.
Cozens felt like a fit for the Devils. He's someone who has been a 30+ goal scorer in the past, and he's just 24 years old. He could have grown with this Devils core, and he's cost controlled through 2030 (at the admittedly steep $7.1 million cap hit). However, in Norris, the Sabres accepted an even bigger cap hit for a player who can't stay healthy.
The Devils could have made a big move, putting Dawson Mercer on the table in this deal. Mercer is also struggling this season, but he doesn't have Cozens' ceiling. The Devils could have also added some B-level prospect to the deal. Someone like Cam Squires or Ethan Edwards might have been enough. It might have helped that Lindy Ruff was at least somewhat familiar with the players in the Devils' system.
Instead, the Devils were stuck without needle movers. They had players who add to their bottom six, but they need more with a listless team trying to limp into the playoffs.