{"id":493956,"date":"2026-07-27T08:05:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T12:05:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=493956"},"modified":"2026-07-26T21:45:23","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T01:45:23","slug":"dylan-cozens-role-senators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2026\/07\/27\/dylan-cozens-role-senators\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dylan Cozens Role and the Impact On the Top Ottawa Senator Forwards"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2026\/07\/07\/claude-giroux-senators-ott\/\" target=\"_self\">The Ottawa Senators<\/a> do have something to settle within their top-six (or top-nine, depending on how you look at it) forward group. The idea that really determines the design is on the <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/c\/cozendy01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-07-25_hr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dylan Cozens<\/a> role within the group. So, let&#8217;s get into it and discuss the options the Sens have on their current group of forwards, without making any further changes prior to the start of the 2026-27 campaign. You already know, it&#8217;s time to get sensational.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\"><smartframe-embed class=\"smartframe_wp_element\" customer-id=\"b0c95bc04383cef69c6b47df872135cf\" image-id=\"WmOBjtRHQWF1\" style=\"width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 3624px; aspect-ratio: 3624\/2416;\" ><\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n<p><span>Credit Image: \u00a9 Slavek Ruta\/ZUMA Press Wire<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>The Impact of the Dylan Cozens Role On the 2026-27 Ottawa Senators<\/h2>\n<p>The idea the Sens coaching staff is struggling with is whether they load up their top-two lines or not. It has been known over the past couple seasons, that one of the strengths of the Sens lineup is their depth down the middle. They have three excellent centres, in <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/s\/stuetti02.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-07-25_hr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tim Stutzle<\/a>, Dylan Cozens, and Shane Pinto. Rightfully so, it is a trio that you&#8217;d matchup with anyone in the league.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond the centres, and just to recap the forward group as a whole, if we look at guys that are locked in their respective positions, we have the following.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Left Wing:<\/strong> <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/e\/eklunwi01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-07-25_hr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">William Eklund<\/a>, Warren Foegele, Fabian Zetterlund<\/li>\n<li><strong>Centre:<\/strong> Tim Stutzle, Shane Pinto<\/li>\n<li><strong>Right Wing:<\/strong> <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/b\/bathedr01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-07-25_hr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Drake Batherson<\/a>, Claude Giroux, Michael Amadio, Andre Burakovsky<\/li>\n<li><strong>Undecided:<\/strong> Dylan Cozens, <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/g\/greigri01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-07-25_hr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ridly Greig<\/a>, Stephen Halliday, Nick Cousins, Kurtis MacDermid<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The debate we are having, that depends on the Dylan Cozens role we choose, is loading up the top-two lines, or sticking with three-line depth. We will assume the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2026\/07\/21\/nhl-rumours-batherson-sens\/\" target=\"_self\">top line is Eklund, Stutzle, and Batherson<\/a>. This top line in itself will ultimately be a huge determining factor in how effective the Senator forwards are offensively. Specifically, it is how the likes of Stutzle and Eklund perform. That being, whether on the same line, or if head coach Travis Green thinks the chemistry isn&#8217;t there as hoped, and looks for a combination that works better for both of them.<\/p>\n<p>One potential difficulty of having Eklund and Stutzle on the same line, is that you might need some muscle out there with them. That follows from Brady Tkachuk, <em>Trady if you will<\/em>, often being paired with Stutzle on line combinations in previous campaigns. Whether that is Batherson, possibly Cozens, or someone else, they may have to make some adjustments in how they play, so they maintain a physical presence to their system.<\/p>\n<h3>Studying the Sens Forward Team Speed<\/h3>\n<p>What the Sens might have gained in speed in the forward group with Eklund versus Tkachuk, depending on how they rotate the other forwards, they probably will ultimately sacrifice toughness among the group, regardless. So, it really is this component of speed, that the Sens need to exploit.<\/p>\n<p>Looking at some stats from <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nhl.com\/nhl-edge\/skaters\/dylan-cozens-8481528\/20252026\/2\/skating-speed\/forwards\/over-22\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NHL edge from 2025-26<\/a>, we see that Eklund had a max speed of 35.9 km\/h and had an average of 15.32 km skated per 60 minutes. In contrast, Tkachuk had a max speed close to Eklund of 35.5 km\/h, but trailed in distance, with only 13.47 average km skated an hour. Moreover, if we look a little deeper, with speed bursts between 32 and 35 km\/h, Eklund has a decided edge at 109 to 49. Anyway you look at it, he will turn up the pace, when directly compared with Tkachuk. Another interesting stat for Eklund, is he actually ranked in the 93rd percentile in high-danger shots on goal. There&#8217;s a lot to like for Sen fans in this young talent.<\/p>\n<p>If we do a similar comparison with Burakovsky to Lars Eller, we find they are very similar in both max speed and number of bursts of 32-to-35 km\/h. However, Burakovsky does have an edge with bursts between 29-to-32 km\/h at 508 to 362. As well, in average kms skated per 60 minutes, Burakovsky is 15.8, compared to Eller&#8217;s 15.3.<\/p>\n<p>The intriguing aspect is Cozens&#8217; numbers. He is actually in the 98th percentage in max skating speed (38.2 km\/h), that includes 22 bursts of 35 km\/h or more (97th percentile). His speed could potentially be an enormous asset on the wing. Okay, so before narrowing in on the potential lines, and finding the perfect Dylan Cozens role, is there something else to discuss? Well, thought you&#8217;d never ask.<\/p>\n<p>The other part to discuss, is the chemistry that does exist between Batherson and Cozens. If they can find a fit with one of the speedier wingers, perhaps Warren Foegele for instance, it might help balance out the top nine that way. Maybe you insert Ridly Greig with Eklund and Stutzle in that case, but it is difficult to think about the right mix of toughness, in that sense.<\/p>\n<h3>The New Lines<\/h3>\n<p>In terms of exact lines, considering all we have discussed, we like something like this below. Starting first with the balanced three lines, and then loading up the top six.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Eklund &#8211; Stutzle &#8211; Batherson<\/li>\n<li>Greig &#8211; Cozens &#8211; Giroux<\/li>\n<li>Foegele &#8211; Pinto &#8211; Amadio<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Eklund &#8211; Stutzle &#8211; Batherson<\/li>\n<li>Giroux &#8211; Pinto &#8211; Cozens<\/li>\n<li>Foegele &#8211; Greig &#8211; Amadio<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Both of our looks have Giroux on the second line and Burakovsky out of the top nine altogether. Giroux might be better suited for the third line, and we should be able to mix Burakovsky in there somewhere, perhaps on that line with Pinto and Cozens. There&#8217;s also the possibility that Burakovsky has some chemistry with Stutzle or Eklund, given their skill and ability to attack with pace.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, putting Cozens on the wing with Pinto, would take the pressure off of Cozens, and allow him to focus on filling the basket with biscuits. If Cozens finds himself at centre, he would be naturally more concerned with his two-way game, something that Pinto is already confident in. And of course, something else to consider, we really like the fit with Pinto and Amadio, likely being on the third line, but maybe that is the fit with Cozens for the second line.<\/p>\n<p>The idea is that the Sens do have options. Maybe they could juggle their two-versus-three line schema based on their opponent. Maybe a team weaker down the middle like the Minnesota Wild, you load up the top six. Then a team with more centre depth, like the Pittsburgh Penguins or Carolina Hurricanes, you need that lineup with three big time centres.<\/p>\n<p>The other side of the coin, if nothing is working, is to work the trade angle. General manager Steve Staios almost left it too late last year to make the decision of bringing in goaltender James Reimer, as the Sens did manage to squeak into the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. But this is discussing the entire offensive alignment. It isn&#8217;t something a trade can fix, unless you find the blockbuster that works with the group. Time will tell, as it is only July, but it is a fun discussion to have.<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo Credit: Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Is Steve Staios hinting at some BIG lineup changes? \ud83e\udd14#GoSensGo #NHL #Hockey  #OttawaSenators\" width=\"540\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nxEMKKm2Z1E?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Ottawa Senators do have something to settle within their top-six (or top-nine, depending on how you look at it) forward group. The idea that really determines the design is on the Dylan Cozens role within the group. So, let&#8217;s get into it and discuss the options the Sens have on their current group of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4222,"featured_media":482932,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,4547,4548],"tags":[1892,3511,6277],"class_list":["post-493956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-senators","category-hockey","category-nhl","tag-andre-burakovsky","tag-dylan-cozens","tag-william-eklund"],"modified_by":"Levi Pike, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/493956","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4222"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=493956"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/493956\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":493994,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/493956\/revisions\/493994"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/482932"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=493956"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=493956"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=493956"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}