The Calgary Flames are in a weird spot.
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Last season, they were definite sellers, moving Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, and Chris Tanev before the 2024 trade deadline. Fast forward nearly a year and the Flames are contending for a postseason position, as they have a 26-20-7 record with 59 points through 53 games.
They obviously aren’t buyers this deadline either. At best, they’re a re-tooling team that needs a few more seasons of solid drafting and smart hockey trades. One of those smart hockey trades came on Jan. 30, as they traded two picks, Jakob Pelletier, and Andrei Kuzmenko to the Philadelphia Flyers.
It stands to reason that if they make any more trades before Mar. 7’s deadline, would be one of a similar nature. Moreover, it’s worth noting that Elliotte Friedman said on the most recent “Saturday Headlines” that <a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2025/02/01/flames-have-told-teams-theyre-keeping-andersson-kadri-and-weegar-friedman/">the Flames want to keep Rasmus Andersson, Nazem Kadri, and MacKenzie Weegar</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Elliotte Friedman reporting that Rasmus Andersson, Nazem Kadri, and MacKenzie Weegar are not going to be traded this season.
No surprise there. Conroy and the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> want to make the playoffs this year. Trading those guys could take them out of the hunt. <a href="https://t.co/4i5aAyBX2b">pic.twitter.com/4i5aAyBX2b</a>
&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1885871766154997918?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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With that being said, which players from the Buffalo Sabres are a fit?
<h2>Dylan Cozens</h2>
There’s a whole lot of smoke surrounding Buffalo Sabres right-shot centre Dylan Cozens.
<a href="https://www.tsn.ca/video/early-trading-flames-remain-interested-in-cozens-despite-trade~3074500">According to Pierre LeBrun</a>, the Calgary Flames (along with two-thirds of the league) have an interest in Cozens. It seems like the Sabres may not want to trade him but if they do, they don’t want a futures deal. <a href="https://flamesnation.ca/news/dylan-cozens-morgan-frost-calgary-flames-flyers">Our very own Mike Gould wrote about this report on Tuesday</a>.
There was even more smoke on Wednesday, as Kevin Weekes noted the Flames as one of several teams interested in Cozens. At the very least, it seems as if the Flames definitely want him, but are they willing to pay the price?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
In speaking to sources , I’m told there’s been plenty of expressions of interest from clubs in <a href="https://twitter.com/BuffaloSabres?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BuffaloSabres</a> F Cozens including ; <a href="https://twitter.com/CanadiensMTL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CanadiensMTL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NHLFlames?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NHLFlames</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MapleLeafs</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DetroitRedWings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DetroitRedWings</a> . <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SabreHood?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SabreHood</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HockeyX?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HockeyX</a> <a href="https://t.co/EJGtKI36f6">pic.twitter.com/EJGtKI36f6</a>
&mdash; Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinWeekes/status/1887211203359060048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Sabres selected the Whitehorse, Yukon native seventh overall in the 2019 draft. Making his National Hockey League debut in 2020-21, Cozens didn’t really break out until 2022-23 when he scored 31 goals and 68 points in 81 games.
In the midst of that season, Cozens signed a seven-year, $49.7 million contract extension with the Sabres but hasn’t lived up to it yet. Last season, his scoring dropped to 18 goals and 47 points in 79 games and it’s been even worse this season, as Cozens has just 10 goals and 26 points. If he stays at his current pace, the right-shot centre will finish the season with 15 goals and 40 points, similar to last season and his 2021-22 season before his breakout.
However, there is hope. Buffalo has the longest playoff drought in the league which can really bring down players’ numbers. The closest they’ve been to breaking the 13 (soon to be 14) year playoff drought was in 2022-23 when Cozens popped off.
There’s another Sabres top-10 pick who flourished after being traded. Sam Reinhart was selected second overall in the 2014 draft and regularly reached the 22-25 goal mark during his tenure with the Sabres. He was eventually traded to the Florida Panthers and has registered four consecutive 30+ goal seasons, including a 57-goal season in 2023-24.
Maybe, just maybe, Cozens getting away from the Sabres can help his game flourish. It makes sense for the Flames as well, as they receive a right-shot centre that fits their age scheme as Cozens is only 23 years old. It’d cost a lot and it may be too soon for the re-tool/rebuild, but Cozens has the potential to be a game-changer. 
<h2>Bowen Byram</h2>
Last season, the Buffalo Sabres traded Casey Mittelstadt (another one of Buffalo’s top 10 picks) for left-shot defenceman Bowen Byram.
Byram was selected fourth overall in the 2019 draft by the Colorado Avalanche and is having a career year with the Sabres, scoring six goals and 27 points. Over an 82-game season, he’s on pace for nine goals and 41 points, which is already the pending restricted free agent’s best season in terms of production.
The issue is that the Sabres already have significant money committed to two other left-shot defencemen, Rasmus Dahlin ($11 million a season until the end of 2031-32) and Owen Power ($8.35 million until the end of 2029-30). Add in their alternate captain, Mattias Samuelsson, who also is a left-shot defenceman and the team is crowded with left-shot defencemen.
Of course, Byram can play on the right side as does Dahlin with him and Byram making up the first pairing for the Sabres. But wouldn’t it make sense for the Sabres to get some assets and use the money saved from his next contract on a position that they need?
Like Cozens, Byram fits the Flames&#8217; age scheme as he’s just 23 years old.  Just picture him alongside MacKenzie Weegar or Rasmus Andersson.
Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.
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The Calgary Flames are in a weird spot.
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2109" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="328"></div>
Last season, they were definite sellers, moving Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, and Chris Tanev before the 2024 trade deadline. Fast forward nearly a year and the Flames are contending for a postseason position, as they have a 26-20-7 record with 59 points through 53 games.

They obviously aren’t buyers this deadline either. At best, they’re a re-tooling team that needs a few more seasons of solid drafting and smart hockey trades. One of those smart hockey trades came on Jan. 30, as they traded two picks, Jakob Pelletier, and Andrei Kuzmenko to the Philadelphia Flyers.

It stands to reason that if they make any more trades before Mar. 7’s deadline, would be one of a similar nature. Moreover, it’s worth noting that Elliotte Friedman said on the most recent “Saturday Headlines” that <a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2025/02/01/flames-have-told-teams-theyre-keeping-andersson-kadri-and-weegar-friedman/">the Flames want to keep Rasmus Andersson, Nazem Kadri, and MacKenzie Weegar</a>.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1885871766154997918

&nbsp;

With that being said, which players from the Buffalo Sabres are a fit?
<h2>Dylan Cozens</h2>
There’s a whole lot of smoke surrounding Buffalo Sabres right-shot centre Dylan Cozens.

<a href="https://www.tsn.ca/video/early-trading-flames-remain-interested-in-cozens-despite-trade~3074500">According to Pierre LeBrun</a>, the Calgary Flames (along with two-thirds of the league) have an interest in Cozens. It seems like the Sabres may not want to trade him but if they do, they don’t want a futures deal. <a href="https://flamesnation.ca/news/dylan-cozens-morgan-frost-calgary-flames-flyers">Our very own Mike Gould wrote about this report on Tuesday</a>.

There was even more smoke on Wednesday, as Kevin Weekes noted the Flames as one of several teams interested in Cozens. At the very least, it seems as if the Flames definitely want him, but are they willing to pay the price?

https://twitter.com/KevinWeekes/status/1887211203359060048

The Sabres selected the Whitehorse, Yukon native seventh overall in the 2019 draft. Making his National Hockey League debut in 2020-21, Cozens didn’t really break out until 2022-23 when he scored 31 goals and 68 points in 81 games.

In the midst of that season, Cozens signed a seven-year, $49.7 million contract extension with the Sabres but hasn’t lived up to it yet. Last season, his scoring dropped to 18 goals and 47 points in 79 games and it’s been even worse this season, as Cozens has just 10 goals and 26 points. If he stays at his current pace, the right-shot centre will finish the season with 15 goals and 40 points, similar to last season and his 2021-22 season before his breakout.

However, there is hope. Buffalo has the longest playoff drought in the league which can really bring down players’ numbers. The closest they’ve been to breaking the 13 (soon to be 14) year playoff drought was in 2022-23 when Cozens popped off.

There’s another Sabres top-10 pick who flourished after being traded. Sam Reinhart was selected second overall in the 2014 draft and regularly reached the 22-25 goal mark during his tenure with the Sabres. He was eventually traded to the Florida Panthers and has registered four consecutive 30+ goal seasons, including a 57-goal season in 2023-24.

Maybe, just maybe, Cozens getting away from the Sabres can help his game flourish. It makes sense for the Flames as well, as they receive a right-shot centre that fits their age scheme as Cozens is only 23 years old. It’d cost a lot and it may be too soon for the re-tool/rebuild, but Cozens has the potential to be a game-changer. 
<h2>Bowen Byram</h2>
Last season, the Buffalo Sabres traded Casey Mittelstadt (another one of Buffalo’s top 10 picks) for left-shot defenceman Bowen Byram.

Byram was selected fourth overall in the 2019 draft by the Colorado Avalanche and is having a career year with the Sabres, scoring six goals and 27 points. Over an 82-game season, he’s on pace for nine goals and 41 points, which is already the pending restricted free agent’s best season in terms of production.

The issue is that the Sabres already have significant money committed to two other left-shot defencemen, Rasmus Dahlin ($11 million a season until the end of 2031-32) and Owen Power ($8.35 million until the end of 2029-30). Add in their alternate captain, Mattias Samuelsson, who also is a left-shot defenceman and the team is crowded with left-shot defencemen.

Of course, Byram can play on the right side as does Dahlin with him and Byram making up the first pairing for the Sabres. But wouldn’t it make sense for the Sabres to get some assets and use the money saved from his next contract on a position that they need?

Like Cozens, Byram fits the Flames' age scheme as he’s just 23 years old.  Just picture him alongside MacKenzie Weegar or Rasmus Andersson.

Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.

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2 Sabres’ players the Flames can target before the trade deadline

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