Steve Staios shook up his roster core ahead of the NHL trade deadline.
The Ottawa Senators general manager acquired Dylan Cozens from the Buffalo Sabres for fellow centre Josh Norris in a blockbuster move Friday.
Ottawa also shipped defenceman Jacob Bernard-Docker out of town in the swap that saw the Senators gain blueliner Dennis Gilbert and a second-round pick at the 2026 NHL draft.
Cozens, a 24-year-old carrying a salary cap hit of US$7.1 million through 2029-30, has 11 goals and 20 assists for 31 points across 61 games this season.
Buffalo Sabres centre Dylan Cozens (24) lines up for a faceoff during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Seattle Kraken Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Buffalo, N.Y.
AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes
The six-foot-three, 207-pound Whitehorse native picked seventh overall in 2019 has registered 77 goals and 120 assists for 197 points in 341 career regular-season games.
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Norris, meanwhile, put up 20 goals and 13 assists in 53 games with Ottawa in 2024-25. He has 90 goals and 66 assists in 236 career games — all with the Senators — after coming to the nation’s capital as part of the Erik Karlsson trade with the San Jose Sharks in 2018.
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But the 25-year-old carrying a $7.95-million cap hit for the next five seasons has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career – including three separate shoulder injuries that required surgery.
Ottawa hasn’t made the playoffs since 2017 despite a boatload of talent led by captain Brady Tkachuk and star centre Tim Stutzle that’s been accumulated through a long rebuild.
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The Senators (31-25-5) currently hold the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, while the Sabres (24-31-6) sit in the basement and are on course to miss the playoffs for a 14th straight season.
The move was the first big one with Friday’s deadline set for 3 p.m. ET after several GMs made splashes in the days leading up to the cutoff.
The Florida Panthers added defenceman Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks, while the Tampa Bay Lightning picked up forwards Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand from the Seattle Kraken as part of the East’s arms race.
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Meanwhile out in the West, the Edmonton Oilers added size up front with the acquisition of Trent Frederic from the Boston Bruins before getting some blue-line help in the form of Jake Walman from the San Jose Sharks.
The Vegas Golden Knights brought back a familiar face with the trade for Reilly Smith from the New York Rangers. The Colorado Avalanche snagged centre Brock Nelson from the New York Islanders.
Another situation to watch closely is pending unrestricted free agent Mikko Rantanen and the Carolina Hurricanes.
The star winger was acquired from Colorado last month, but hasn’t signed a contract extension with the Hurricanes and could be dealt again before the end of the day.
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The 28-year-old Rantanen, who carries a $9.5-million salary cap hit, has cracked 100 points the last two seasons after putting up five goals and 20 assists in Colorado’s 2022 playoff run that ended with the franchise’s third Stanley Cup title.
Carolina Hurricanes right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) shoots the puck against the Minnesota Wild during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn.
AP Photo/Stacy Bengs
He’s registered 70 points in 2024-25, but has just two goals and four assists in 13 games with the Hurricanes.
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