Despite his impressive preseason performance thus far, as was expected, the Buffalo Sabres have elected to assign rookie centerman, Dylan Cozens to the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL.
We have assigned forward Dylan Cozens to the @WHLHurricanes.#Sabres50 pic.twitter.com/ndO2uKcL6I
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) September 26, 2019
Through two preseason contests, the 18-year-old did not register a point, but he did manage to produce a positive Corsi-for percentage (53.66%) in just over 21 minutes of action. The seventh-overall pick from the 2019 NHL draft showed flashes of offensive potential with his solid positional awareness, elusive speed, and impressive skating ability, given his size.
One more year of seasoning in the junior ranks should serve him well for next season when he will almost certainly compete for a permanent roster spot with the big club.
For now, he’ll continue to hone his skills with a Lethbridge team looking to make a deep run in the WHL playoffs after their first-round elimination in 2018-19.