Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams continues to follow through on his plan of developing, and then paying their own players.
The team announced on Tuesday it has come to terms on a seven-year, $49.7 million contract extension with center Dylan Cozens. Starting next season, Cozens will average $7.1 million per-season.
Cozens is putting up career numbers in his third NHL season. In just 49 games, the 21-year-old has 17 goals and 26 assists for 43 points, all career highs. Over 82 games, that’s 28 goals and 44 assists for 72 points.
In his brief NHL career, the center has played 169 games with 34 goals and 60 assists for 94 points.
Cozens was the seventh overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.
A few weeks ago, the Minnesota Wild inked the 2019 12th overall selection, winger Matt Boldy, to a seven-year, $49 million contract. Boldy’s numbers this season aren’t as good as Cozens, as he has 16 goals and 20 assists for 36 points in 49 games.
The first of the young Sabres players to get contract extensions from Adams were center Tage Thompson and defenseman Mattias Samuelsson.
Thompson gets just a shade more than Cozens, which in a year or two will seem like a steal. Thompson signed a seven-year, $50 million contract, which will see him average $7.143 million per-season.
Samuelsson agreed to another team-friendly contract, as he signed a seven-year, $30 million deal, which averages $4.286 million per-season.
Next season, Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power will be eligible for contract extensions, as well.
Adams is set to speak with the Buffalo media at 2 p.m. EST on Thursday.
