| March 17, 2026 |
Kozak (undisclosed) will be an option to play against Vegas on Tuesday, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports. - Following a six-game absence due to an injury, Kozak could occupy a fourth-line role against the Golden Knights if Alex Tuch (illness) is unavailable to play. The 23-year-old Kozak has two goals, four points, 26 shots on net, 33 blocked shots and 98 hits across 39 appearances this season. |
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| March 14, 2026 |
Kozak (undisclosed) won't play Saturday versus the Maple Leafs, Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News reports. - Kozak will miss his sixth straight game. It's not clear if he'll head out on the road with the Sabres on their trip, which begins Tuesday in Vegas. |
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| March 12, 2026 |
Kozak (undisclosed) isn't expected to play Thursday versus Washington, per Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News. - Kozak has also missed Buffalo's past four outings. He has two goals and four points in 39 appearances this season. Kozak might play on the fourth line once he's healthy, but it's also possible he'll be a healthy scratch. |
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| March 10, 2026 |
Kozak (undisclosed) wasn't featured in line combinations during warmups and will miss Tuesday's home clash with the Sharks, per Heather Engel of NHL.com. - Kozak is set to miss his fourth consecutive game due to an undisclosed injury. Head coach Lindy Ruff's most recent update on Kozak, which he gave Thursday, was that he is day-to-day. Until further information is disclosed, the 23-year-old's status will be monitored ahead of each game, with his next chance to return set for Thursday's clash against the Capitals. |
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| March 8, 2026 |
Kozak (undisclosed) wasn't in line rushes ahead of Sunday's contest against the Lightning and won't play, Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News reports. - Kozak will miss a third consecutive game with an undisclosed injury. The 23-year-old has two goals and two assists, 98 hits and 33 blocked shots on the season while averaging 11:21 of ice time per night. His next chance at a return will be Tuesday against the Sharks. |
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| March 7, 2026 |
Kozak (undisclosed) isn't available for Saturday's game against Nashville, per Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News. - Kozak is set to miss his second straight game. He's considered day-to-day, so the 23-year-old might be an option Sunday versus Tampa Bay. Kozak has two goals, four points, two PIM, 98 hits and 33 blocks in 39 appearances in 2025-26. Kozak could serve in a bottom-six capacity once he's ready to return. |
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| March 5, 2026 |
Kozak has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Penguins for an undisclosed reason, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports. - While the exact reason for Kozak's absence isn't yet clear, head coach Lindy Ruff said after Thursday's morning skate that the 23-year-old is day-to-day and remained in Buffalo while the Sabres traveled to Pittsburgh. Josh Dunne is slated to take his place in the lineup Thursday, while Kozak's next opportunity to suit up will be Saturday against the Predators. |
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| Jan. 6, 2026 |
Kozak (upper body) is expected to be a healthy scratch for Tuesday's game against Vancouver, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports. - Kozak has missed the last seven games due to injury, but he appears to be healthy enough to return after being removed from the team's injury list. Kozak has collected two goals, four points, 19 shots on net, 23 blocked shots and 62 hits in 24 appearances this season. |
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| Jan. 3, 2026 |
Kozak (upper body) is expected to miss Saturday's game against Columbus, per Heather Engel of NHL.com. - Kozak hasn't been in the lineup since Dec. 18. He has two goals and four points in 24 outings in 2025-26. His next opportunity to play will come Tuesday versus Vancouver. |
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| Dec. 31, 2025 |
Kozak (upper body) is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Stars, Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News reports. - Kozak will miss his sixth straight game. The 23-year-old has practiced with the Sabres this week, so it's safe to assume he's still in the day-to-day range without a clear update from the team. His next chance to play is Saturday versus the Blue Jackets. |
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| Dec. 29, 2025 |
Kozak (upper body) won't play against St. Louis on Monday, Lou Korac of The Hockey News reports. - Kozak was a full participant in Sunday's practice, but he will miss his fifth straight game. He has contributed two goals, four points, 19 shots on net, 23 blocked shots and 62 hits in 24 outings this season. |
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| Dec. 27, 2025 |
Kozak (upper body) won't play Saturday versus the Bruins, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports. - Kozak is set to miss a fourth straight game. He was involved in a morning skate Tuesday, so his absence might not last much longer. Fantasy managers won't need to track Kozak up to his return, as he's likely to fill a bottom-six role once healthy. |
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| Dec. 23, 2025 |
Kozak (upper body) won't play against Ottawa on Tuesday, per Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550. - Kozak participated in Tuesday's morning skate, but he will miss his third straight game. He has chipped in two goals, four points, 19 shots on net, 23 blocked shots and 62 hits across 24 appearances this season. |
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| Dec. 21, 2025 |
Kozak (upper body) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Devils, Mike Morreale of NHL.com reports. - Kozak was unavailable for Saturday's matchup against the Islanders due to his upper-body injury, and he'll remain sidelined for the second half of the back-to-back set Sunday. It's not yet clear when he'll be able to return, but his final opportunity to suit up before the holiday break will be Tuesday against Ottawa. |
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| Dec. 20, 2025 |
Kozak (upper body) won't play against the Islanders on Saturday, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports. - Kozak will miss at least one game after getting hurt in Thursday's 5-3 win over Philadelphia. He has contributed two goals, four points, 19 shots on net, 23 blocked shots and 62 hits across 24 appearances this season. |
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| Dec. 19, 2025 |
Kozak (upper body) will be a game-time decision versus the Islanders on Saturday, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports. - Kozak is expected to participate in the morning skate, which will help determine his status for Saturday's contest. Considering the 22-year-old center has gone 18 games without a goal, adding just two helpers over that stretch, few fantasy managers figure to be impacted by his potential absence. |
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| Dec. 18, 2025 |
Kozak sustained an upper-body injury and won't return to Thursday's game against Philadelphia. - Kozak logged just 4:46 of ice time before exiting the game. Josh Dunne will likely draw into the lineup Saturday versus the Islanders if Kozak isn't available. |
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| Dec. 8, 2025 |
Kozak (undisclosed) is in the lineup for Monday's game in Calgary. - Kozak will return to the lineup for the first time since Nov. 29 in Minnesota. The Manitoba native is expected to skate on the fourth line with Peyton Krebs and Beck Malenstyn. Kozak has two goals, four points and 53 hits across 19 appearances this season. |
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| Dec. 5, 2025 |
Kozak is out of the lineup Friday versus the Jets and is reported dealing with an injury, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports. - This will be Kozak's third straight absence. The 22-year-old will likely return to a bottom-six role once healthy, while Jordan Greenway and Josh Dunne will compete for playing time in Kozak's absence. |
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| Nov. 18, 2025 |
Kozak notched an assist in Monday's 5-1 win over the Oilers. - This was Kozak's first point in six games since he returned from missing five contests due to a lower-body injury. The 22-year-old forward has three points, 10 shots on net, 33 hits and an even plus-minus rating over 13 appearances this season. He's mostly been in a bottom-six role, though he saw a season-high 15:50 of ice time Monday, which could be an indication that his standing in the Sabres' lineup is trending upward. |
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| Nov. 6, 2025 |
Kozak (lower body) is slated to return for Thursday's game against the Blues, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports. - Kozak missed the last five games due to his lower-body injury, but he's set to be activated off injured reserve ahead of Thursday's matchup. He'll likely reclaim a bottom-six role now that he's been cleared to return. Over his first seven appearances of the season, Kozak recorded two goals, 19 hits and four blocked shots while averaging 9:52 of ice time. |
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| Nov. 4, 2025 |
Head coach Lindy Ruff conveyed that he wouldn't rule Kozak (lower body) out for Thursday's home game versus the Blues, according to Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550. - Kozak is set to miss his fifth consecutive game Tuesday against Utah, but he's certainly closing in on returning to the lineup. The 22-year-old will need to be activated off injured reserve in order to suit up, but when that happens, he should slot back into a bottom-six role. |
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| Oct. 25, 2025 |
Kozak (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports. - The Sabres recalled Josh Dunne from the minors in a corresponding move. Kozak will be out for at least one week, but the team isn't sure when he will be ready to return. The 22-year-old forward has two goals, five shots on net, four blocked shots and 19 hits through seven appearances this season. |
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| Oct. 24, 2025 |
Kozak (lower body) won't return to Friday's game versus the Maple Leafs. - Kozak was injured in the first period and ruled out during the second frame. The 22-year-old had some momentum coming into the game, scoring in each of the previous two contests, though he didn't get a point Friday. His status for Saturday's rematch in Toronto is in doubt. Mason Geertsen would likely play if Kozak can't suit up. |
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| Oct. 22, 2025 |
Kozak scored a goal, added five hits and blocked two shots in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Red Wings. - Kozak has scored in back-to-back games. He also saw a season-high 15:46 of ice time in this contest, likely to help cover some minutes after Jason Zucker (upper body) left the game. Kozak's been on the fourth line, but he's got a little momentum and does enough in non-scoring areas to be worthy of consideration in deep fantasy formats if he moves up a line. In addition to his two goals, he's provided five shots on net, 18 hits, four blocks and a plus-2 rating through six appearances. |
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| Oct. 21, 2025 |
Kozak scored a goal on two shots and added two hits in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Canadiens. - Kozak's goal brought the Sabres within one in the third period, though they failed to tie the game. The 22-year-old has a goal, four shots on net, 13 hits, two blocked shots and a plus-1 rating over five appearances this season. The Sabres' lineup has been pummeled by injuries early in the season, so Kozak should have a good chance of holding onto the fourth-line center job until the team is healthier. |
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| July 1, 2025 |
Kozak put pen to paper on a three-year, $2.325 million contract with Buffalo on Tuesday. - Kozak's new deal starts out as a two-way contract for the first two years before switching to a one-way deal for the 2027-28 campaign. Given the nature of the agreement, the 22-year-old center should probably be expected to spend the bulk of 2025-26 in the minors with AHL Rochester. During his rookie campaign, Kozak notched three goals and two assists in 21 regular-season tilts with the Sabres. |
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| April 18, 2025 |
Kozak (hip) was sent to AHL Rochester on Friday, per Heather Engel of NHL.com. - Sending Kozak to the minors suggests he's recovered from his hip strain, which cost him the final eight games of Buffalo's campaign. He finished the NHL regular season with three goals and five points across 21 appearances with the Sabres. He also has eight goals, 14 points and 37 PIM in 31 outings with Rochester in 2024-25. |
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| April 4, 2025 |
Kozak is week-to-week with a hip strain, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports Friday. - Kozak is unlikely to suit up for the Sabres for the remainder of the campaign as the regular season ends April 17. The Sabres hope that Kozak is well enough to play in the AHL playoffs for Rochester, where he had eight goals and six assists in 31 games before his recall. The 22-year-old rookie had three goals and five points across 21 NHL appearances before his injury. |
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| April 1, 2025 |
Kozak (lower body) was hurt in Tuesday's game versus the Senators, but there was no update on his status after the contest, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports. - Kozak didn't play in the third period after suffering the injury in the middle frame. He'll have some time to recover, as the Sabres don't play again until Saturday versus the Lightning. Isak Rosen would likely enter the lineup if Kozak is unable to suit up. |
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| March 28, 2025 |
Kozak scored a goal and added an assist in Thursday's 7-3 win over the Penguins. - Both points came in the second period as the 22-year-old rookie wrapped up the scoring for Buffalo, scoring the team's sixth goal before setting up Alex Tuch for the seventh. It was Kozak's first multi-point performance in the NHL, and he's put together a modest three-game point streak despite seeing bottom-six minutes and not featuring on the power play, collecting two goals, four points, seven hits and a plus-2 rating in that span. |
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| March 24, 2025 |
Kozak scored a power-play goal and added three hits in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Jets. - Kozak's tally came right at the end of a power play in the third period. He doesn't normally see much time with the man advantage, and he shouldn't be expected to make a significant impact in that area. He's up to two goals, nine shots on net, 19 hits and 22 blocked shots over 16 NHL appearances in 2024-25, mainly as a fourth-line center. |
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| March 14, 2025 |
Kozak was called up from AHL Rochester on Friday. - Kozak played 11 games with the Sabres earlier in the season, scoring once. JJ Peterka missed Wednesday's game against Detroit with a lower-body injury and is questionable Saturday versus Vegas, necessitating Kozak's recall as the Sabres have only 12 healthy forwards. Kozak had eight goals and six assists in 31 AHL games before his recall. |
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| Feb. 9, 2025 |
Kozak was loaned to AHL Rochester on Sunday. - Kozak was a healthy scratch in Saturday's 6-4 loss to Nashville after missing two games due to an illness. He has produced one goal, six shots on net, 16 blocked shots and 11 hits in 11 NHL outings this season. Kozak could return to the Sabres following the conclusion of the 4 Nations Face-Off. |
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| Feb. 8, 2025 |
Kozak (illness) was activated from injured reserve Saturday, per the NHL media site. - Kozak will presumably return from a two-game absence in Saturday's matchup against Nashville. He has generated one goal, six shots on net, 16 blocked shots and 11 hits in 11 NHL appearances this season. Kozak could replace Beck Malenstyn (back) in Saturday's lineup. |
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| Feb. 7, 2025 |
Kozak (illness) will be a game-time call for Saturday's matchup with Nashville, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports. - Kozak was on the ice for practice Friday, which could clear the way for him to return to the lineup against the Predators. If Kozak does play, it figures to be in a bottom-six role. Prior to getting sick, the 22-year-old center was stuck in a nine-game pointless streak dating back to Dec. 7 versus Utah. Kozak will need to be activated off injured reserve before he can rejoin the lineup, which could mean a demotion to the minors for Isak Rosen. |
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| Feb. 3, 2025 |
Kozak (illness) was placed on injured reserve Monday, per the NHL media site. - Buffalo recalled Isak Rosen from AHL Rochester in a corresponding move. Kozak will miss at least Tuesday's game against Columbus after landing on the IR list. He has one goal, six shots on net, 16 blocked shots and 11 hits in 11 NHL appearances this season. |
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| Feb. 2, 2025 |
Kozak (illness) won't play versus the Devils on Sunday, according to Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. - Kozak has one goal, six shots on net, 16 blocked shots and 11 hits in 11 NHL appearances this season. His next chance to play will be versus Columbus on Tuesday. Dennis Gilbert will replace Kozak in Sunday's lineup because the Sabres will dress seven defensemen and 11 forwards. |
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| Jan. 28, 2025 |
Kozak was recalled from AHL Rochester on Tuesday, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports. - Kozak will take a roster spot from Nicolas Aube-Kubel, who was waived Monday and sent to AHL Rochester on Tuesday. Kozak has scored a goal on five shots across nine appearances with Buffalo this season. Kozak will look to draw into the lineup when the Sabres host the Bruins on Tuesday. |
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| Jan. 25, 2025 |
Kozak was reassigned to AHL Rochester on Saturday. - Ryan McLeod (upper body) was taken off injured reserve in a corresponding move. Kozak has a goal, seven hits and 14 blocks in nine appearances with Buffalo in 2024-25. The 22-year-old also has six goals and 12 points in 24 outings with Rochester. |
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| Jan. 21, 2025 |
Kozak was recalled from AHL Rochester on Tuesday. - Kozak was sent down Monday, but he's back with the big club in short order. Now that Jiri Kulich is healthy, Kozak will likely serve as Buffalo's 13th forward while Jordan Greenway (undisclosed) and Ryan McLeod (upper body) are on injured reserve. |
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| Jan. 20, 2025 |
Kozak was assigned to AHL Rochester on Monday. - The Sabres activated Jiri Kulich (lower body) from injured reserve in a corresponding move. Kozak has one goal, four shots on net, 10 blocked shots and five hits in seven NHL appearances this season. |
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| Jan. 8, 2025 |
Kozak was recalled from AHL Rochester on Wednesday. - Kozak made three appearances for the Sabres in early December and recorded a goal, two hits and two blocked shots while averaging 9:55 of ice time. He'll rejoin the NHL club after Konsta Helenius and Anton Wahlberg were sent down Wednesday, but it seems unlikely that Kozak will have a sizable role during his time with the Sabres. |
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| Dec. 10, 2024 |
Kozak was reassigned to AHL Rochester on Tuesday. - Kozak has played in three games for the Sabres this season in which he notched one goal on two shots, two hits and two blocks while averaging 9:55 of ice time. Kozak's demotion could indicate that either Sam Lafferty (lower body) or Rasmus Dahlin (back) could be ready to come off injured reserve ahead of Wednesday's matchup with the Rangers. |
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| Dec. 7, 2024 |
Kozak scored a goal Saturday in a 5-2 loss to Utah. - It was his first NHL goal after Kozak had a marker overturned in his NHL debut against the Jets on Thursday. He opened the scoring in the first period when he redirected a pass at the front of the net under Utah goaltender Karel Vejmelka's left arm. Kozak, who was selected 193rd overall in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL Draft, is the first player selected in the sixth round or later of that draft to score an NHL goal. |
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| Nov. 29, 2024 |
Kozak will be called up from AHL Rochester ahead of Saturday's game versus the Islanders, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News - Kozak is in line for his first call-up, though it's unclear if he'll make his NHL debut. The 21-year-old was selected in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He has produced six points over 14 contests with Rochester this season. |
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