Dylan Cozens

Grading the Buffalo Sabres' 7-year, $49.7 million contract extension with Dylan Cozens as the 2022-23 season rolls on.

There’s a lot to like about this deal for the Sabres. With the likes of Cozens, Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch and Jack Quinn as pieces to build around up front, along with the duo of first-overall picks in Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power on the blue line, the Sabres look poised to be a competitive team for a long time. If the Sabres hadn’t gone long-term, they’d be looking at a bridge-deal instead. This contract should carry him through his prime, just as the Sabres are starting to compete. The Sabres locking up their top two centers until the end of the decade is a big win. He’s really only taken a major step this year and the cap hit is based almost exclusively on his limited sample size of heightened play this season.