The 5-foot-11, 185-pound forward has the numbers to prove he has more than a single dimension too. Cousins scored 10 goals and added 25 points in 65 games with Montreal and Vegas in 2019-20, one season removed from a career-high 27 points with Arizona. That trip to the NHL Bubble over the summer saw him dish out five assists to go with 22 penalty minutes in 17 playoff games with the Golden Knights.
"I would describe myself as a player that's hard to play against," Cousins said in October. "I can bring a little sandpaper, a little grit, but at the same time, I have some skill, I can make plays and I like being around the net. I'm a versatile forward that can play all three forward positions, and I can bounce up and down the lineup as well. Those guys are hard to find, so I think I could fit that bill for them."
Cousins should be one of the skaters who makes the Predators a much tougher team to play against this season.
By the Numbers:
- Cousins has skated in four full NHL seasons with Philadelphia, Arizona, Montreal and Vegas, appearing in 324 games. He enters the 2020-21 season just two points shy of 100 for his NHL career, having tallied 41 goals and 57 assists.
- He established career highs in games played (81), assists (20) and points (27) in 2018-19 with the Coyotes and dished out 117 hits in 2017-18 and 115 in 2018-19.
- Cousins played four seasons of junior hockey for the OHL's Soo Greyhounds from 2009-13, and during his final season with the Greyhounds, he finished second in the OHL in assists (76) and third in points (103) while also posting 27 goals, the second-most on his team. His 103 points were 37 more than the next-closest Greyhounds player.
Fun Fact:
- Cousins got married in October shortly after signing with the Preds and has a puggle named Riley.
