Sabres agree with Dylan Cozens on 7-year, $49.7M extension Stanley Cup champion Avalanche steadily returning to health Kraken add some size, acquire Jaycob Megna from San Jose Islanders sign Bo Horvat to 8-year deal after trading for him Bruins rolling, rest of NHL making final push for playoffs

BUFFALO, NY — Buffalo Sabers reach agreement with forward Dylan Cozens with a seven-year extension for $49.7 million.

The team announced the contract. Cozens will credit $7.1 million from the salary cap for the 2029-30 season.

Cozens, who is 22, is the latest major player the Sabers have expanded in the past six months. Buffalo signs with All-Star forward Teige Thompson for $50 million for seven seasons in August and quarterback Matthias Samuelsson to a seven-year, $30 million deal in October.

Rasmus Dalin, the top pick in 2020, who is a Norris Trophy candidate and replaced Thompson at NHL All-Star Weekend, is expected to be the next big signing. He signed a contract until next season and could start talking about a renewal this summer.

Cozens, who was to become a restricted free agent, has already set career records with 17 goals, 26 assists and 43 points, with 30 games left in the season. A seventh pick in 2019, Cozens had 34 goals and 60 assists in 169 NHL regular season games, all for Buffalo.

Sabres led by Dahlin, Thompson, Cozens and the 2021 No. 1 pick. Owen Powerare fighting for the playoffs. The organization’s 11-year playoff drought, which began in 2011, is by far the longest in the league.

ENGLEWOOD, Colorado. If his coach was watching, it could be alarming: Colorado Avalanche guard Cale Makar catch the advantage and lose in the competition of the fastest skaters.

However, Jared Bednar was out of touch and had no idea what happened in the All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge. Only now Makar came out of his crash into the sides just fine.

These days, the Stanley Cup champions are definitely improving in terms of injuries. Defender Bowen Byram returns to the squad along with the striker Valery Nichushkin. Defender Josh Manson approaching a return. Same for the captain Gabriel Landeskogwho has not yet played this season. Forward Darren Helm is also progressing.

Despite all their bumps and bruises, the Avalanche made it to the All-Star Game with a playoff berth. To weather the injury storm, Colorado has relied on 39 different skaters this season, the most in a single season since the team moved to Denver in 1995.

“Anyone we can bring back right now is just huge,” said Makar, whose team kicks off a three-game road trip in Pittsburgh Tuesday night.

Bayram is returning after being out of action since early November with a lower body injury. He was an integral part of their Stanley Cup run a season ago when he led all rookies with nine assists in the playoffs. Bayram started this season quickly – two goals and three assists in 10 games – before injury.

“He looks great. He is buzzing there, ”said Makar about his comrade on the blue liner. “Hopefully it doesn’t take him too long to get back into play mode. But I think he’s a guy who can turn it on pretty quickly.”

Bayram missed part of the games last season due to concussion symptoms. This time, he was able to be with the team as he made his way back.

“I was just happy that it wasn’t my head,” Bayram said. “It was much easier to be out of the house when you still feel good and feel like yourself. … I’m just happy to start working again.”

Count on Bayram for as many minutes as you need.

“I am 100%, so there is no reason to relax,” Byram said. “I’m confidently jumping back.”

Manson will join the Avalanche on the trip so he can ride with the team. He has been out of action with a lower body injury since early December.

“I think it helps to get on the road, to be around the guys,” Bednar said.

Landeskog could return “pretty soon,” Bednar said, but did not give an exact timeframe. The longtime Avalanche captain pulled out after knee surgery in October.

The Avalanche successfully entered the All-Star break, winning seven of the last eight. They scored 57 points behind Dallas (66 points at the All-Star break), Winnipeg (65) and Minnesota (58) in the Central Division.

One thing the Avalanche are wary of is another slow start after the break. It happened over Christmas when the team had a few days off and they quickly went 0-4-1 on their return.

“It’s just a shift of mentality back into game mode. There is no more vacation,” Makar said. “We still have a long way to go. We are not where we want to be right now. But there’s still plenty of time.”

SEATTLE – Seattle Craken sign defenseman Jacob Meghna from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft.

Meghna is in the midst of her best season with 12 points in 48 games for the Sharks, averaging over 19 minutes per game.

“Jacob has shown with his performance this season that he is a responsible defender who can be relied upon in any situation,” Seattle general manager Ron Francis said. “He provides much-awaited depth to our defensive group and we are delighted to have him join our organization.”

At 6’6″ and 220 pounds, the Megna will add size and bulk to the Seattle lineup. Meghna finished fifth at San Jose in both blocks and hits.

Meghna previously played for Anaheim for three seasons from 2016 to 2019. 48 games played this season is a record for a 30-year-old football player.

Seattle is leading the Pacific Division and will return after the All-Star break against the New York Islanders.

New York Islanders signs center Bo Horvath to an eight-year contract less than a week after acquiring him in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks.

The team announced the contract after the first practice after the All-Star break. Horvath’s deal is valued at $68 million and the 2030-31 salary cap is under $68 million. is 8.5 million dollars.

General manager Lou Lamoriello joked to reporters at a Long Island practice that Horvath’s contract was “too long and too much money”.

The islanders took the lead Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Rati prospect, and a protected first-round pick for the Canucks to Horvath. He was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the season, and the trade was the result of Vancouver and Horvath’s camp failing to reach an agreement last summer.

Lamoriello and Horvath expressed confidence in a deal after the deal. For the second season in a row, the 27-year-old has scored over 30 goals.

Horvath was selected by the All-Star Game and played for the Pacific Division despite the trade. He played with a longtime Canucks teammate. Elias Pettersson and scored one last goal together before going their separate ways.

“I want to start,” Horvath said after the 3-on-3 All-Star Game. “That’s enough. Let’s start playing some games and getting to know the guys. I just want to start playing hockey again.”

Horvath was on holiday with his family in Orlando when he was traded. He said coach Lane Lambert wanted him to enjoy the All-Star celebration before playing the Philadelphia Flyers’ Islanders.

“Obviously I’ll be number one, take out the systems and obviously the chemistry with the new linemates and stuff like that,” Horvath said.

After facing the Flyers and Seattle, Horvath will play against his former team when Vancouver visits the UBS Arena.

SUNRISE, Florida — Bruce Cassidy’s Vegas Golden Knights have lost eight of 10 games before the All-Star break after leading the Pacific Division midway through the NHL season.

They’re still safely in the Western Conference playoffs, but they can’t hold on.

“We’re still in a good position – that’s how we look at it,” Cassidy said. “Not many teams can go home in the last 30 games in this league and we are certainly not one of them.”

Cassidy’s old team, the Boston Bruins, probably could. They’re at the top of the NHL and running away with the Atlantic Division.

With 39 wins and 83 points in 51 games, Boston is close to breaking the record for the best regular season in NHL history. The Carolina Hurricanes, who beat Boston in seven games in the first round last year, are further up the standings with 76 points.

“There are no weak spots from top to bottom,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said.

The Bruins are in a class of their own, but the playoff races behind them in the East and West should be hot, with about 30 games until the Stanley Cup chase begins.

CAPITAL BRANCH

At halftime, the Hurricanes won a seven-game streak, causing some fear for the Bruins in the race for the President’s Trophy and home-ice advantage in the postseason. Winger Max Pacioretti a re-rupture of his right Achilles tendon five games before his return did not slow them down, and if their goalkeeping continues, Carolina has a good chance of reaching the Eastern Finals.

“This team is a special group of guys,” said Brind’Amour, who captained the Carolinas in the Cup in 2006 and is now in his fifth year as a coach. “We show it every night. It’s just very consistent and they take their job very seriously. They do it right.”

The New Jersey Devils, who finished second, compete for the first time since 2018. Losing the following season helped them win the first-place lottery for Jack Hughes, a two-time All-Star, who won them the early lead.

“Much better than being on the sidelines,” Hughes said. “We’re very excited because it’s going to be a very important hockey game and it’s going to be very competitive and we’re very excited to be where we are.”

They are followed by the New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders. All three teams from New York were able to pass what was expected from the Rangers after reaching the Eastern Finals last year.

“I think last year’s run really taught us a few things and things that…