Report: Flames among teams to contact Sabres about Cozens

The Calgary Flames are among a long list of clubs that have checked in with the Buffalo Sabres about center Dylan Cozens, reports The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

Calgary continues to explore the trade market for right-shot centers aged 25 or younger, LeBrun adds.

Cozens, 23, fits the bill. He possesses ideal length at 6-foot-3 and is under contract through 2029-30 with a $7.1-million cap hit.

The Whitehorse, Yukon, native is having a down year, with nine goals, 12 assists, and a minus-17 rating in 43 games. He set career highs with 31 goals and 37 assists in 2022-23 but hasn't come close to matching those totals in any of his other five NHL seasons.

Calgary's center depth currently consists of Nazem Kadri, Yegor Sharangovich, Mikael Backlund, and Kevin Rooney. Connor Zary has also played down the middle at times, but he's currently hurt. Sharangovich has struggled at center this season after enjoying a career year in 2023-24 playing primarily on the wing.

The Flames enter Wednesday holding on to the Western Conference's second wild-card spot.