The Buffalo Sabres opened Friday’s trade deadline with one of the biggest moves of the day.
The team sent forward Dylan Cozens, defenseman Dennis Gilbert, and a 2026 second-round draft pick to the Ottawa Senators for forward Josh Norris and defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker.
Norris, 24, has scored 20 goals and 33 points in 53 games this season. He is signed through 2029-30 with a $7.95 million annual cap hit. He ranks among the NHL’s top faceoff winners and shorthanded ice time among forwards.
Bernard-Docker, also 24, was drafted 26th overall by Ottawa in 2018. The right-handed defenseman has four points in 25 games this season and will become a restricted free agent in the offseason. Last year, he played a career-high 72 games and led the Senators with 156 blocked shots.
Cozens, 24, was Buffalo’s seventh overall pick in 2019, tallying 197 points in 341 games. His best season came in 2022-23 with 31 goals and 37 assists. Gilbert, 28, joined Buffalo in 2024, recording five assists in 25 games while averaging 10 minutes of ice time.
Gilbert, 28, signed with the Sabres last offseason and tallied five assists in 25 games this season.
This trade comes after Buffalo signed forwards Jordan Greenway and Jason Zucker to two-year contract extensions.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].