Is Kevyn Adams doing anything?

[Sidc3000]

32 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

They finished last year at 9th worse or 24th overall. This year they are currently hovering around 11th or 12th worse so they are basically a stone's throw away from being a bubble team and I would argue are there. SO no, in my opinion if Adams thinks being a bubble team next year is progress he is wrong and it is not. 

They are currently hovering. We will see what happens from note to April.  

[Hank]

Davies got quite a few games in Nashville last year, I'm a little surprised he hasn't gotten a look yet. I'm not saying he's good, but he is better than Myers, who a few posters were interested in claiming off of waivers. 

[PerreaultForever]

5 hours ago, Mango said:

I think Kevyn Adams is better than our GM's the last decade.

He very well might be, but to be fair, at the moment, the best players on the roster currently driving this team (Tage, Dahlin, Cozens, Samuelsson) are all JBot's. 

[Marvin]

2 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

He very well might be, but to be fair, at the moment, the best players on the roster currently driving this team (Tage, Dahlin, Cozens, Samuelsson) are all JBot's. 

Just curious: who is on from Murray's tenure?

[Thorny]

6 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

I do not believe for a second that Adams would be happy being a playoff bubble team next season. 

Thank you so much for saying this 

[Thorny]

54 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

He very well might be, but to be fair, at the moment, the best players on the roster currently driving this team (Tage, Dahlin, Cozens, Samuelsson) are all JBot's. 

Who the Pegulas didn’t even want to fire. 

Face it, the Pegulas really do “know a little something the fans don’t”.

They know more about hockey than us all 

Combined, probably 

Edited December 16, 2022 by Thorny

[Sabres Fan in NS]

58 minutes ago, Marvin said:

Just curious: who is on from Murray's tenure?

KO ??  He signed in 2016, I think.  Not sure when GMTM arrived.  It's all a haze.

ZG was drafted in 2012.  It's been 10 years.  Yikes.

[Thorny]

1 hour ago, Marvin said:

Just curious: who is on from Murray's tenure?

Regier (1): Girgensons

Murray (4): Asplund, Okposo, Olofsson, Fitzgerald

Botterill (10): Cozens, Mittelstadt, Skinner, Thompson, Bryson, Dahlin, Jokiharju, Pilut, Samuelsson, Luukkonen 

Adams (11): Hinostroza, Jost, Krebs, Peterka, Quinn, Tuch, Clague, Lyubushkin, Power, Anderson, Comrie  

Edited December 16, 2022 by Thorny

[GASabresIUFAN]

2 hours ago, Marvin said:

Just curious: who is on from Murray's tenure?

DR: Draftees: Girgensons AHL: Malone (but re-signed by KA)

TM: Draftees: Asplund, Olofsson, Fitzgerald- AHL: Murray

TM: Signings & Trades: Okposo

JB: Draftees: Mittelstadt, Cozens, Dahlin, Samuelsson, Bryson, UPL.  AHL: Weissbach, Cederqvist, Rousek, College: Johnson, Portillo, Huglen.  ECHL: Pekar

JB: Trades & Signings: Skinner, Thompson, Jokiharju, and Pilut

KA: Draftees: Power, JJP, Quinn AHL: Kulich, Rosen, Kisakov, and Kozak. Another 20 prospects in Juniors, Europe and NCAA (including Savoie & Levi).

KA: Trades: Tuch, and Krebs   Signings & Waiver Claims: Hinostroza, Jost, Clague, Lyubushkin, Anderson, & Comrie. AHL:Biro

I hope this helps.

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

Regier (1): Girgensons

Murray (4): Asplund, Okposo, Olofsson, Fitzgerald

Botterill (9): Cozens, Mittelstadt, Skinner, Thompson, Bryson, Dahlin, Jokiharju, Pilut, Luukkonen 

Adams (12): Hinostroza, Jost, Krebs, Peterka, Quinn, Tuch, Clague, Lyubushkin, Power, Samuelsson, Anderson, Comrie  

Samuelsson was drafted by Jbot.

Edited December 16, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[Thorny]

Cozens, Skinner, Thompson, Dahlin, Jokiharju and Samuelsson would be 6 guys Adams has clearly identified from the group of 15 mainstays from before he was here as part of the future team. 

Adams appears to have added another, I dunno I’ll give him credit for 5 guys here he appears to have added, to that 6: Peterka, Quinn, Tuch, Power, one of Krebs/Jost (it’s hard to say if both, neither, or 1 will be in a significant role LT so I split the difference. 

That’s 11 guys, out of a target 20.

7 forwards

4 defensemen

...but, it’s important to remember, as this is the the biggest thing, the half of that 11, that were players Adams “kept”, and properly identified, combined with the half of the 11 he added himself, appear to fill in the top 6 and top 4. 

This, in short, is why it’s now “go time”. The other 9 spots, apart from goalie (ULLMARK, haha I said it again, I live in the past - a bad fan), are presumably much easier to find than the first 11. 

Find: 5 bottom six forwards, 2 bottom pair D, 2 goalies

Girgs, Asplund, Olofsson, Okposo, Mittelstadt, Hinostroza, lesser of Krebs/Jost present 7 options for those 5 players, upgrade depending on goal as necessary. 

Depth D is an issue, after a great looking top 4, I’m not sure I see any of the depth D we have being here for long. Maybe Lyubushkin or Clague. Area of need this offseason. 

Goalie. Ya maybe Comrie one day is a backup.  Area of need this offseason

Edited December 16, 2022 by Thorny

[GASabresIUFAN]

I forgot to add Levi as an acquired Prospect for KA. Also Added Kozak to AHL for KA and Biro as an AHL prospect signing.

Edited December 16, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[LGR4GM]

4 hours ago, Sidc3000 said:

They are currently hovering. We will see what happens from note to April.  

This team will be in the hunt. 

[LGR4GM]

2 hours ago, Thorny said:

Thank you so much for saying this 

The goal next year is playoffs. Period. No excuses. If it's not, wtf are we even doing?

 

Also I think they make playoffs this year. 

[Taro T]

For all the wrangling back & forth on wishing the Sabres would make a "REAL" move this season.  They aren't going to do it unless it makes a ton of sense for the future.

The playoffs THIS year, though we all want to see it, is NOT the goal.  It won't be frowned on should they sneak in, far from it, but it isn't THE goal.

The Canes won their division in '05-'06, just 1 point behind the Conference leading Sens w/ 112 points.  (Both just ahead of the Sabres.)

Know what they did the season before that?  Missed the playoffs w/ 76 points.  That was 11th in the East and would've tied for 12th in the West.  They were 23rd out of 30.

The season before that?  Dead spanking last with 61 points. 

Granted there was no season for '04-'05, but that puts this season's Sabres basically in line w/ where those Canes would've been this year.  And really believe that w/ what the Sabres have now, the goal next year is going to be not just playoffs but Stanley Cup with only support pieces* added to what they currently have.

Sure they'd like to have playoffs this year, both for the experience plus the goosing of the STH base that would accompany it.  But they aren't going to sacrifice 1 iota of what they think THIS crew can become though experience AND the addition of kids that should be ready to step up too next year.  Also, expect we might see almost none of Kulich, Rousek, Rosen, etc start the year on the big club but expect they'll get injury callups & then push some of whomever starts the year on the 3rd & 4th lines out the door.

Have given lip service to the "Adams is following the Canes" model.  But holy cow, amazing how similar the results are between the 2 at similar points in their rebuilds.  Even though it seems the Canes were older than the Sabres at comparable points.  But that SHOULD just make staying high end that much more doable.

 

 

* - There may be a starting goalie brought in if Comrie doesn't pan out, but he'd be Hussoesque, not Bobrovskyesque.

 

[Marvin]

9 minutes ago, Taro T said:

For all the wrangling back & forth on wishing the Sabres would make a "REAL" move this season.  They aren't going to do it unless it makes a ton of sense for the future.

The playoffs THIS year, though we all want to see it, is NOT the goal.  It won't be frowned on should they sneak in, far from it, but it isn't THE goal.

The Canes won their division in '05-'06, just 1 point behind the Conference leading Sens w/ 112 points.  (Both just ahead of the Sabres.)

Know what they did the season before that?  Missed the playoffs w/ 76 points.  That was 11th in the East and would've tied for 12th in the West.  They were 23rd out of 30.

The season before that?  Dead spanking last with 61 points. 

Granted there was no season for '04-'05, but that puts this season's Sabres basically in line w/ where those Canes would've been this year.  And really believe that w/ what the Sabres have now, the goal next year is going to be not just playoffs but Stanley Cup with only support pieces* added to what they currently have.

Sure they'd like to have playoffs this year, both for the experience plus the goosing of the STH base that would accompany it.  But they aren't going to sacrifice 1 iota of what they think THIS crew can become though experience AND the addition of kids that should be ready to step up too next year.  Also, expect we might see almost none of Kulich, Rousek, Rosen, etc start the year on the big club but expect they'll get injury callups & then push some of whomever starts the year on the 3rd & 4th lines out the door.

Have given lip service to the "Adams is following the Canes" model.  But holy cow, amazing how similar the results are between the 2 at similar points in their rebuilds.  Even though it seems the Canes were older than the Sabres at comparable points.  But that SHOULD just make staying high end that much more doable.

 

 

* - There may be a starting goalie brought in if Comrie doesn't pan out, but he'd be Hussoesque, not Bobrovskyesque.

 

This is why I think a trade for depth defencemen is more likely than any big splashes.  It fits the timeline, the mindset, and the long-term plan.  No Demko, Chychrun, etc.

[Eleven]

49 minutes ago, Taro T said:

There may be a starting goalie brought in if Comrie doesn't pan out, but he'd be Hussoesque, not Bobrovskyesque.

It should be Levi and it should be this spring.

[French Collection]

I’m going to go back to a term we haven’t used in awhile, weaponizing cap space.

Many of us wanted this to be used last year and this season. It is still available and I would hope KA has ideas on how to use it short and long term. 
 

I don’t think many trades are available yet but after the holiday season some players will shake loose. I don’t think KA will make any major moves, letting this team continue to develop and identify who he wants going forward. The only thing I think may happen is moving Mitts and or VO for a 4/5 Dman with upside.

Where he can make a dent is by being the third party on a deal. I am sure there are teams thinking they can go all the way if only they could add a guy like Patrick Kane. His cap hit is huge and the majority of teams are tight to the cap. KA could take 1/2 of his retained salary and get an asset or two for that. The asset could even be a depth Dman or a goalie prospect.

KA could also create space for someone by taking a cap dump, someone who still has some game, to finish the season. Again, this player could be a Dman or a goalie. You don’t need to take a cap dump who is cooked, just someone they can’t afford.

[Mango]

3 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

The goal next year is playoffs. Period. No excuses. If it's not, wtf are we even doing?

 

Also I think they make playoffs this year. 

I actually think that with our current rate of scoring our goal next year needs to be to win a playoff series. 
 

You can’t lead the league in scoring and be top ten in diff and head into the offseason with “making the playoffs” as your goal for the following season. But that bar is too low for the current team. Making the playoffs needs to be a step not a finish line for the 23-24 season. 

[Mango]

3 hours ago, Taro T said:

For all the wrangling back & forth on wishing the Sabres would make a "REAL" move this season.  They aren't going to do it unless it makes a ton of sense for the future.

The playoffs THIS year, though we all want to see it, is NOT the goal.  It won't be frowned on should they sneak in, far from it, but it isn't THE goal.

The Canes won their division in '05-'06, just 1 point behind the Conference leading Sens w/ 112 points.  (Both just ahead of the Sabres.)

Know what they did the season before that?  Missed the playoffs w/ 76 points.  That was 11th in the East and would've tied for 12th in the West.  They were 23rd out of 30.

The season before that?  Dead spanking last with 61 points. 

Granted there was no season for '04-'05, but that puts this season's Sabres basically in line w/ where those Canes would've been this year.  And really believe that w/ what the Sabres have now, the goal next year is going to be not just playoffs but Stanley Cup with only support pieces* added to what they currently have.

Sure they'd like to have playoffs this year, both for the experience plus the goosing of the STH base that would accompany it.  But they aren't going to sacrifice 1 iota of what they think THIS crew can become though experience AND the addition of kids that should be ready to step up too next year.  Also, expect we might see almost none of Kulich, Rousek, Rosen, etc start the year on the big club but expect they'll get injury callups & then push some of whomever starts the year on the 3rd & 4th lines out the door.

Have given lip service to the "Adams is following the Canes" model.  But holy cow, amazing how similar the results are between the 2 at similar points in their rebuilds.  Even though it seems the Canes were older than the Sabres at comparable points.  But that SHOULD just make staying high end that much more doable.

 

 

* - There may be a starting goalie brought in if Comrie doesn't pan out, but he'd be Hussoesque, not Bobrovskyesque.

 

This is where my head is with the current development and roster. I want the playoffs this year.  Even if we don’t make it, I’m still high on the roster. Just making the playoffs and being done in 5 next year would be a fail more me honestly. 
 

I think other posters are right on staying the course but I think we’ll be forced to spend on a goaltender at some point. 

[Taro T]

3 hours ago, Eleven said:

It should be Levi and it should be this spring.

You're expecting Levi to be the #1 moving forward as of this spring?

Would be awesome if it happens.  But it seems rather optimistic.

[grinreaper]

27 minutes ago, Mango said:

This is where my head is with the current development and roster. I want the playoffs this year.  Even if we don’t make it, I’m still high on the roster. Just making the playoffs and being done in 5 next year would be a fail more me honestly. 
 

I think other posters are right on staying the course but I think we’ll be forced to spend on a goaltender at some point. 

If I have GMKA pegged correctly any moves that he makes will have to adhere to his overall plan. Contrary to what some may think here, adding or jettisoning players could fit into that plan. His steps seem to have started out by cleaning house of anyone that he didn't see part of the Sabre's future whether it be because of desire to be here, style of play, contract specifics or taking up a needed roster space for younger players with more potential. I think as much as it can that stage is behind him. He's now evaluating what he has in the system and may have even formed opinions on some or most of the players that he feels might be core or long term parts of the team. My guess is that he feels the 1st line is set, the 2nd line looks set but he needs more than 30 games from Quinn and Peterka to feel confident with them. The 3rd and 4th lines have capable NHL players that can certainly fill those roles until younger players can beat them out. With high draft picks in the AHL, Juniors and College, the Sabres look like they have an abundance of forwards with the likelihood that more than enough will make the big team. As discussed here over and over the big GM type decisions that are of the more pressing kind have to do with bolstering the defense and goaltending. I'm betting that his evaluation regarding the forwards needs to be complete enough in order to use any of those that aren't going to be core team members as trade bait. 

I doubt that Adams will enter the free agent market in the offseason unless it's for solid, veteran D-Men and a goaltender that will not keep Levi or Portillo from getting NHL playing time if so deserved. 

GMKA & HCDG would love to make the playoffs (and further of course) if in doing so doesn't force them out of their plan. They've made so much progress which I don't think they even expected this soon, that if they can find a way to shore up the defense and cut down the goals against the team is in a great position to make a legitimate push for the playoffs this year. I also believe that the plan is not to just make the playoffs and hope the team gets hot but to build a team and organization capable of contending for the Cup for an extended period of time. Sticking to the plan gives the Sabres the best chance to build a team that will end up skating around a rink with the Cup raised while sacrificing the plan in order to enjoy the instant gratification of a playoff round or two falls woefully short of what I've been hoping for since first seeing Gilbert Perreault make a rink long magical rush through and around 5 opposing players to score a goal. The playoffs are nice and all but I've seen a lot of playoff games. Yes, they were often exciting but I want to see how it feels when the Sabres win the Cup. 

 

[FrenchConnection44]

I know this has already taken place and is not about Adams, per se, but I thought this was an interesting pre draft scouting report on Jost. 
 

Jost was simply fantastic this season, putting up huge numbers for a 17-year-old in the BCHL, even when you adjust for its lesser league quality. He is a dynamic, athletic center with decent off-the-puck skills as well. Jost is one of the better skaters in his draft class, with an easy, explosive stride whose first few steps will be able to evade NHL checkers. He's a highly-skilled puck handler who can execute high-difficulty plays in tight spaces, as well as make above-average passes.

Jost's defensive play has shown significant improvement during this season. I didn't love his defensive positioning last year, but by the world under-18 championship in the spring, he was arguably Canada's best defensive forward. Bigger players can muscle him off pucks too easily at times. However, Jost does work his tail off, often being one of the hardest working players on the ice on top of being one of the most skilled.

[Berg]

15 hours ago, Pimlach said:

What did you think of UPL last night? 

He has had a few strong games, and few klunkers.  Sometimes UPL plays with good technique (last night) and other times he is a sloppy mess.  It is well worth playing him over a guy like Tokarski.  Goalies take a while.   

He played well, but it is his instability that does not give the right to seriously count on him. He needs time, he still needs a lot of work to become faster and more efficient.

We all want results at the end. Especially those who have been waiting for more than 10 years.

I've been a Buffalo fan since 2004 and will probably live a couple of years less because of this.

[Pimlach]

5 hours ago, Berg said:

He played well, but it is his instability that does not give the right to seriously count on him. He needs time, he still needs a lot of work to become faster and more efficient.

We all want results at the end. Especially those who have been waiting for more than 10 years.

I've been a Buffalo fan since 2004 and will probably live a couple of years less because of this.

Been a fan since 1970.  The first 40 years were really good - No Cups but a lot more winning than losing and many great players.  The past 12 years, basically the Pegula era, have been a disaster.  You can see things looking brighter since Granato took over for Kruger.   

[JohnC]

19 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

He very well might be, but to be fair, at the moment, the best players on the roster currently driving this team (Tage, Dahlin, Cozens, Samuelsson) are all JBot's. 

You are correct that most of our best players were brought in by KA's predecessor/s. But to his credit, when KA took over he didn't indiscriminately jettison players for the sake of completely starting over in order to separate himself from the prior administrators. He kept players that he wanted to be the new core and dealt players from the old core to start afresh. And to his credit he got a fair return for players that he dispatched. It is the return on these players that is to a significant degree accelerating the rebuild.  KA simply handled this remaking of the roster in a smart and judicious manner. There is still more for him to do but let's give him credit for what he has already done.