Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, and the Buffalo Sabres were active with a rather sizeable deal before the 3 p.m. deadline.
The Sabres traded center Dylan Cozens, along with defenseman Dennis Gilbert and a 2026 second-round pick to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for center Josh Norris and defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker.
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The main piece of the deal back for Buffalo was Norris, who was a former first-round pick (17th overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft of the San Jose Sharks. Despite Norris being drafted by the Sharks, he never played for them after being moved to the Senators as part of the Erik Karlsson trade in 2018.
In 236 career games with the Senators, Norris managed to net 90 goals and add 66 assists for 156 points. While Norris has proven to be a capable goal scorer down the middle of the ice at the NHL level, one concern of his is his inability to consistently remain healthy and in the lineup.
Despite the injury concerns, Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams believes Norris could be the right piece to add for his ability to play a complete game.
"I was focused on if there was a way to get a centerman here that we felt could be a 200 -foot player, then that would be the target," said Adams on Monday during an appearance with "Schopp and the Bulldog" on WGR.
Adams feels Norriscan give the Sabres some positional flexibility, as this move could keep someone like Tage Thompson out on the wing, where he has thrived this season.
"It’s still to be determined exactly how it will shake out. I know we are comfortable moving Thompson back to the middle," Adams said with Mike Schopp and Chris "Bulldog" Parker on WGR. "Norris gives Lindy [Ruff] the ability to change the matchups, and that's something the coaches will figure out."
Hear more from Adams' appearance during "Schopp and the Bulldog" available in the player below: