Dylan Cozens Brings the Exact Blend the Senators Need
There are some players in the NHL who put up points. Some players throw hits. And then there are guys like Dylan Cozens who somehow manage to do both every single night without looking out of place doing either.
That’s what makes Cozens such an interesting fit for the Ottawa Senators right now. He plays a style that feels built for playoff hockey — physical, direct, annoying to play against, but still skilled enough to make a real offensive impact. Those players are hard to find, and honestly, teams spend years trying to build around guys exactly like this.
Cozens was solid, even in the team’s series loss to the Hurricanes.
Even in Ottawa’s rough first-round sweep against the Carolina Hurricanes, Cozens was one of the few players who consistently looked dangerous. He scored twice in the series, threw a huge amount of hits, and kept showing up physically even while the Senators were getting pushed around at times by Carolina’s pressure game.
That combination is what stands out most. This isn’t a guy collecting empty calorie stats during meaningless games. Cozens impacts games in multiple ways. One shift he’s driving the net and scoring, the next he’s finishing a heavy hit or battling for pucks along the wall. Coaches absolutely love players who can bring both elements because they’re useful in basically every type of game.
Cozens was a hit machine during the 2025-26 season.
And the numbers back it up, too. During the 2025-26 season, Cozens finished with 28 goals, 59 points, more than 200 shots, and an eye-opening 215 hits while playing all 82 games again. That’s not easy production to find from a player who also brings real edge and physicality every night.
For Ottawa, that matters because the Senators are still trying to figure out their identity as a playoff team. They already have skill throughout the lineup, but playoff hockey usually comes down to who can survive the heavy games when space disappears, and emotions take over. Cozens looks like one of the few players on the roster who is already fully comfortable in that environment.
For someone so physical, Cozens is also durable.
There’s also something important about durability here. In a league where injuries pile up quickly, Cozens just keeps playing. He doesn’t seem to shy away from contact, and he still manages to produce offensively while playing a pretty punishing style.
The Senators may not have gotten the playoff result they wanted this spring, but players like Cozens are exactly why the long-term outlook still feels promising. He’s the kind of player contenders need more of — someone who can score, hit, irritate opponents, and still be trusted in big moments.
There just aren’t many players built quite like him anymore.