Dylan Cozens

Taken by Buffalo with the seventh overall pick in 2019, Cozens has made huge strides over his first three seasons with the Sabres, providing 13 points in 41 contests as a rookie, 38 points in 79 outings in 2021-22 and career-highs in goals (31), points (68) and shots (211) in his breakout last year. It's even more impressive considering he averaged a modest 16:30 of ice time while serving primarily on Buffalo's second line. To give that some context, Cozens finished fifth in the league's scoring race among players who averaged under 17 minutes. On another team, the 22-year-old forward would fit in seamlessly on the top line, but Buffalo's wealth of talent allows them to utilize Cozens in a way that he's quickly becoming overqualified for. He's likely to exceed the 60-point milestone again this season, but unless his role grows, his offensive production probably won't see another significant jump.

Cozens' final numbers last season - 13 goals, 38 points in 79 games - may not look all that great on paper, but they represented a clear improvement from the four goals and 13 points he posted in 41 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign. Cozens added nine points with the man advantage while averaging nearly 16 minutes (15:54) worth of ice time per game in 2021-22. Buffalo's expected improvement as a team combined with the fact Cozens won't turn 22 until February make him a prime candidate for another step forward in terms of production in 2022-23, so don't forget about the 2019 No. 7 overall selection on draft day.

Cozens, widely viewed as one of the top prospects in the league, made his NHL debut last season as a 19-year-old and posted four goals and 13 points in 41 games for Buffalo. He also missed time during the year due to an upper-body injury and while on the NHL's COVID-19 protocols list. With Jack Eichel expected to be traded before the start of the 2021-22 campaign, Cozens and 2021 No. 1 overall selection Owen Power are arguably Buffalo's two most valuable assets moving forward. The Sabres are many years away from contender status and Cozens will be given every chance to seize a major role for the club this year. Target him in the later rounds of your draft.

Cozens took a big step forward in his development last season, racking up 38 goals and 85 points in 51 games with the WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes after totaling 34 goals and 85 points in 68 games with the same club during the previous campaign. The seventh overall pick from the 2019 draft is too young to play in the AHL, so he'll either be a full-time player with the Sabres or return for one final season with Lethbridge in 2020-21. Cozens is a fantastic skater with high-end playmaking ability and a deadly shot, making him a true asset on both ends of the ice. He's a natural center, but if he cracks the big club's roster this season, he'll likely start on the wing, taking notes from the likes of Eric Staal and Jack Eichel before transitioning to his natural position at some point over the next few years. There's no guarantee that he'll make Buffalo's roster this season, but if he does, he'll likely be playing alongside Staal on the second line while also seeing time on the Sabres' second power-play unit, making him worth a look in the later rounds of redraft formats.