Buffalo Sabres center Dylan Cozens has been at the center of trade speculation this season, and Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman recently revealed just how close the Detroit Red Wings came to acquiring him.

The Red Wings and Sabres nearly made a major trade involving Dylan Cozens before the NHL's annual holiday break.

The Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings are gaining momentum in the standings but continue to explore changes to their rosters. Both teams were expected to compete for playoff spots this season, but they have yet to meet those expectations.

Over the past few weeks, the Detroit Red Wings have hosted several scouts and senior hockey operations executives from the Buffalo Sabres. Detroit has also had scouts at a few Sabres games.

The Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings have been linked to each other in trade talks as of late. The player the Red Wings have been connected to the most is forward Dylan Cozens, and NHL insider Elliotte Friedman has provided more information on the matter.

According to Elliotte Friedman in his latest 32 Thoughts written column, “I believe the Buffalo player the Red Wings were (are?) looking at is Dylan Cozens.” Several teams have been linked to a potential Cozens trade,

Teams are calling the Buffalo Sabres about the availability of centre Dylan Cozens, and the team has found themselves in a position where anything is possible, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli wrote Tuesday in his latest Trade Targets piece.