Cozens takes flight on stützle's wing

Whenever a team is faced with a large deficit, one of the few positives that situation affords you is a chance to experiment.

The Senators faced that exact scenario in their game against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night.

Line changes remain one of the simplest ways to shake up a struggling team, and head coach Travis Green has never been shy about throwing his combinations into a blender.

So with his team down 5-1 entering the third period, Green moved Dylan Cozens from his customary second line centre spot to the wing alongside Tim Stützle.

Seven minutes and 18 seconds later, Stützle threw a puck out front off a Kings defender to Cozens, who buried it far side. Approximately five minutes later, Cozens would score on the power play with another assist going to Stützle, which cut the deficit to one.

The Senators ultimately climbed back and tied it before losing in overtime, but even in defeat, the team’s intriguing new combination had worked.

Cozens has played the wing sparingly since arriving in Ottawa in a trade at the 2025 NHL trade deadline. He is principally cast as the second line centre, but he opened eyes at the 2026 World Championships when he played the wing on a line with Sidney Crosby and Macklin Celebrini.

Playing with an all-time great and a young prodigy isn’t exactly the toughest of assignments, but you absolutely cannot fault a player who is put into that situation and succeeds. Cozens finished with four goals and seven points in 10 games at the Worlds.

When I asked Cozens at training camp about his success at the Worlds and whether he would have any interest in playing on the wing, the 25-year-old did not hesitate with his answer.

“They know that I'd be open to it,” Cozens admitted, while explaining at the time that he had not broached the topic with the coaching staff or management. “If that's where they think our team is going to be the best, then I'm good to do that. They know I'm open to it, and we'll see what happens.”

It took 14 games for Cozens to be featured on the wing, but on Saturday afternoon in San Jose, the line of Fabian Zetterlund, Tim Stützle and Dylan Cozens was reunited. Cozens and Stützle each posted a goal and an assist in a 5–1 victory, in what was arguably one of the Senators’ most complete efforts of the season.

After the game, Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky was singing the Senators’ praises.

"I think it's probably the best team we've seen this year,” Warsofsky told reporters. “They're a good team. They're fast. They're connected. They're competitive. They're into people. They get snarl."

A large reason for that was the play of the Senators’ first line.

When Zetterlund, Stützle and Cozens were on the ice together at five-on-five, the Senators generated 16 shots to the Sharks’ 6 (72.73 CF%) and outshot the Sharks 10 to 3. They outscored the Sharks 1 to 0, while generating 78.93 percent of the expected goals (xGF%) per Natural Stat Trick.

Beyond his goal and two points, Cozens finished the night with five shots on goal and three hits. Only linemate Tim Stützle finished with more shots on goal (7).

It is not surprising to see those two succeed. Cozens’ skill set complements Stützle’s game perfectly. He can skate, get in on the forecheck, be physical, and shoot the puck.

Of course, the luxury of being able to slot Cozens on the wing would not be possible without the strong play of the centres behind him.

With five goals and 11 points in his first 15 games, Shane Pinto continues to provide excellent defence while finding ways to contribute offensively. It is incredible that Pinto’s production is as high as it is, considering 35.38 percent of his zone starts occur in the offensive end.

Pinto is on pace for 28 goals and 62 points. If he maintains this pace, both totals would set new career highs.

Ridly Greig’s versatility is also incredibly important. The natural centre has largely spent his career on the left wing, but with shifting roles in front of him and the elevation of Cozens and Pinto, Greig can fill a key role as this team’s checking-line centre.

Moving Cozens to the wing isn't simply about finding another player who can produce alongside Stützle. It's about having the depth down the middle to make that decision possible.

With Pinto thriving and Greig capable of handling a checking-line role, Green has options that might not have existed a year ago.

What began as an adjustment in Los Angeles could turn out to be one of Ottawa's most important lineup discoveries of the season.