When the Ottawa Senators on Friday dealt center Josh Norris to the Buffalo Sabres, they didn't just trade away one of winger Brady Tkachuk's longtime teammates. They traded away one of his best friends.

A move like this was almost inevitable as the Sens venture forward in their hopes of being bona fide contenders.

Dylan Cozens was a rumoured trade candidate around the Buffalo Sabres, but not many expected the Ottawa Senators to be the landing spot. In a trade involving some more pieces, the leading players in the deal were Cozens to the Senators and Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker to the Sabres.