BUFFALO, NY. (WKBW) — When Buffalo Sabres center Dylan Cozens signed his 7 year/$49.7 million extension on Tuesday, it was a reaffirmation of his belief that this organization is trending in the right direction.
"From the day I got drafted here I wanted to be a part of the solution, a part of the change. And I wanted to help turn this thing around, Cozens told reporters Thursday. We all believe what we have going here is something special."
All season long Cozens has proven to be in the core mix of Sabres who will lead this team into Stanley Cup contention for years to come. Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams acknowledges his long-term commitment to the organization does more than assure their chances of success.
"It's huge for the organization. And I think it sends a strong message to our fans that guys want to be here. And they love being Sabres,' Adams said. It's real and it's exciting for me."
Cozens' deal is similar in length and salary to his fellow center Tage Thompson, who inked a 7-year/$50 million deal this past summer.Head coach Don Granato says the leadership role of a guy like Dylan will only grow as he embeds his roots to Western New York.
"His contract was very similar to Tage's. And I think it should be that way. I think those two players are very comparable guys for the impact they have on winning and potential winning."
Buffalo will play it's first game after the All-Star break Saturday afternoon against Calgary. Puck Drop is at 12:30 p.m. est. from the KeyBank Center.
