The Sabres hosted a season ticket holder event that produced a few interesting tidbits and we frame a conversation on the boiling fan unrest around the event and the ongoing injury issue facing Josh Norris. We also pose a question of which Amerk you’d like to see recalled for a short look over the final few weeks of the 24-25 season. The show wraps up with a brief discussion of the upcoming NCAA National Tournament.
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This week’s episode runs through the aftermath of the deadline, looking ahead to what comes next for Kevyn Adams and the Sabres. We walk through the remaining holes to plug in Buffalo’s lineup and how the Josh Norris acquisition fits within the larger scope of the club’s ongoing build. Prior to that, we talk through the explosion of takes spurred by Paul Bissonnette over Rasmus Dahlin drawing a line in the sand with Adams. While Dahlin strongly denied the report, there was no getting past the initial concern that the Sabres could alienate another star.
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Josh Norris was the big addition for the Sabres on deadline day and Kevyn Adams did a fair bit of work moving out Dylan Cozens and Henri Jokiharju and extending Jason Zucker. This episode is a quick rundown of Friday’s work by Adams, offering a brief breakdown of the Norris acquisition. In addition, this episode takes a look at a busy deadline around the league, highlighting the most notable deals made at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.
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Kevyn Adams had a productive deadline, pulling one of the more significant trades of the window for the second year in a row. Friday’s fireworks means that Buffalo’s swap won’t grab as many headlines as last year’s Casey Mittelstadt for Bowen Byram trade, but swapping Dylan Cozens, Dennis Gilbert and a second round pick for Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker is a significant shake up of the team’s core.
Similar to 2024, Adams struck for a hockey trade to help reshape his roster. Cozens was a notable piece of Buffalo’s core, locked up long term and wore an A this season. Trading him is a significant decision that almost certainly is meant to strike a chord in the room in a massively disappointing season. On the ice, Norris will step right into Cozen’s role as the team’s second center. He’s a quality contributor on the power play and should be a big upgrade over Cozens with the man advantage. Norris’ 12 power play points outpace Cozens’ 4 points of power play production this year. For their careers, Norris has 60 points (33+27) with the man advantage compared to 42 (12+30) for Cozens. For a team that struggles on the power play, that’s a helpful addition.
Norris’ injury history is the concern here. He has missed significant time with shoulder issues the last few years, though he is on pace for the highest games played total of his career this season. If the Sabres can keep him on the ice, they’ll be in good shape.
Two in the Box 