Kevyn Adams Q&A with STH Holders

[That Aud Smell]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

Do some people think Adams plan is to wait until the kids get older and better and then announce one summer “they’re finally old enough, we’re going to try to win now!” then promptly make a whole bunch of splashy acquisitions?

That’s how it sometimes feels around here.

I’m thinking back to when the Sabres picked up Doug Gilmour and Joey Juneau in the late 90s. I have no idea now whether those players were effective for the Sabres. I remember them, though!

This season - when the Sabres were getting sh1t pumped by the Hurricanes - I was jealous that they had Burns and Stastny.

[Contempt]

39 minutes ago, rickshaw said:

Spelling police at it again

No, he spelled sediment correctly.

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

Do some people think Adams plan is to wait until the kids get older and better and then announce one summer “they’re finally old enough, we’re going to try to win now!” then promptly make a whole bunch of splashy acquisitions?

That’s how it sometimes feels around here.

It's like we're waiting for melons to ripen.

[Spoonman]

3 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Winning still isn’t the priority.  The playoffs are “a goal” not the goal.  I interpret that to mean the winning is still not the priority but an aside that would be nice if it happened.  That means he won’t do what is necessary to fix the roster holes, but hopes to fill them again with more band-aids like Comrie and Lyubuskin and hope for the best.  Frankly it’s discouraging, because last year’s band-aids did nothing to elevate the defense or goaltending.  Both areas are weaker this season than last year and that is truly saying something.

 

YOU DO YOU @GASabresIUFAN

 

 

My Sabres view ..... THE BOYS IN BLUE HAVE GROWN and DEVELOPED THIS YEAR. 

Not a finished product....  THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT! COME TO THE LIGHT!

 

 

Or continue to focus on your future....

🤣

[Derrico]

2 hours ago, Getpucksdeep said:

Also a first year STH/"Member", half season, driving in from ROC.  It has been great!  Definitely a luxury item and first thing to go if things get tight, but it has turned into quality time on the regular with family and friends.  The team is entertaining and likeable.  There's small perks like this Adams thing (not making the drive for that), discounts on merch, and general feeling of being invested with the entire organization.  Maybe that's a little cheesy but so be it.  Also, playoff tickets when the time comes are guaranteed. And after following this team for about 30 years (broke for the first ~10, too busy raising kids for ~10, and ***** team for ~10) I'm not missing it when they return to cup contender. 

The downsides - yeah it's expensive.  And is the invasions from visiting teams fans is extremely annoying. It's one thing to have a handful of out-of-town jerseys.  It's another to have to compete against the opposing team's cheer.  For that reason I strongly encourage everyone to buy-in and take our arena back.  The game is awesome in person. The sounds, the better view of the ice, the comradery and energy celebrating goals and wins with 1000s of like minded fans.  Find a friend or family member you want to hang with and make memories together and invest in this team and community we love!  Do not regret it.  Already looking forward to 23-24 season.

I’m with you brother.  Well said. 

[Derrico]

2 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

Don’t you live east of Toronto ?  

That I do sir.  I’ve finally found my way to a remote job with very flexible hours.

[French Collection]

2 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

Just to follow up - Miroshnichenko was drafted in 2021 into the Q 

Here is the 2022 draft list from the CHL.

https://chl.ca/draft

https://www.eliteprospects.com/draft/chl-import-draft/2022

Miroshnichenko was taken by Boisville-Boisbriand of the Q with the 24th pick. One other Russian was taken and one kid from Belarus as well.

Miroshnichenko was taken I the Q in 2021 as well.

Edited March 30, 2023 by French Collection

[Thorny]

Sediment lol

14 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Sediment?

Oh ffs 

[Thorny]

12 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

His first two seasons were full of the same language, and he was happy to let holes be filled by unproven young guys learning on the job. We head into next year and he's never said anything different, and in this blurb of summary points (which i acknowledge would not represent EVERYTHING kevyn said) he is continuing to talk about the next wave of those players, emphasizing them as the focus or next order of business. He has had the same response about adding vets for 3 years and has Tuch (unique situation) and Lybushkin to show for it. The rate at which Kevyn has added *meaning* to our roster through three offseasons and TDLs is incredibly slow and he has given no inclination it will speed up, but we need it to speed up to the tune of 4, maybe 5 roster spots including goal

ie his "very caluclated" is actually a mile from where I would like him to be based on his history. And his immediate, emphatic pushback at the slightest suggestion of acceleration, coupled with his and Donny's comments at the TDL about our competition, have me annoyed and impatient

I need him to tell me that a switch has been flipped, not hear the same thing I heard when Ruotsalainen was hot after the losing streak in 2021

The franchise is knocking at a brand new door. Talk like it 

re: competition

You could splice up some GM comments post deadline into a pretty funny mashup in all honesty:

“You are further ahead in your rebuild than we are.”

“No, YOU are further along than WE are!” 

”No, no, WE are the furthest behind, WE have the brightest future.” 

haha

Edited March 30, 2023 by Thorny

[Thorny]

12 hours ago, dudacek said:

 

We get it. He has a plan, you don't like it.

You don't see the improvement of the past two years as being meaningful enough, and you don't see it continuing without a course correction.

He says patience, you say ***** off, I want it now.

Nothing new here.

There’s certainly a possibility that Adams is so adept at his position there need not be a philosophy change, no conscious priority shift, no sound bite that makes Thorny happy about playoffs being the focus, that Adams simply painstakingly adhering to his process improves the team by a few points every year until we’re a playoff team, even if it takes him till his 5th or 6th year on the job. I’ve argued many times they need to consciously shift focus to a prioritization of winning, to do so. I could definitely be wrong. 

Proof is in the pudding. What I want to see is irrelevant if we improve by the same amount of points next year we are tracking for this year 

[Thorny]

11 hours ago, dudacek said:

Can we be in agreement that, for Adams, this season was largely about building culture and giving the kids responsibility to see how they respond?

Maybe he agrees next year is critical, but what he is saying is that this year told him that his “core” is already here and he doesn’t need to sacrifice major assets to add a core piece.

I guess what I’m saying is I haven’t seen you (or too many others) screaming for big changes. Everyone wants to add a good goalie, a top 4 defenceman and some physical strength and defensive acumen.

What makes you think Adams doesn’t see the same things and is unwilling to address them?

At the start of this year, he had no idea Dahlin Cozens Tuch and Thompson were the studs they have become. He had no idea how Comrie, Luukkonen, Samuelson, Power, Bryson, Mittelstadt, Quinn, Krebs and Peterka would respond to being leaned on over a full season.

TLDR: last summer he didn’t really know what he had, this summer he has a much better idea.

Seems to me he has already started the process of addressing its holes with the concepts of Stillman and Greenway. Personally, I’ve seen reason to hope that can and will continue into the summer without chasing Bo Horvats.

Seems to me your issues amount to: “he hasn’t done those things yet, and he hasn’t promised me he will.”

Guess we’ll see.

 

 

It’s easiest just to go back to Ullmark as a good microcosm. It’s not that Adams isn’t aware of who the good players are or that we have need of them (chychrun too, etc). No reason to debate it. The much more interesting question is when, if ever, he breaks on value evaluation to reach the desired end. When do the ends justify the means? When is it ok to give up an extra pick, in overpay, because the opportunity cost lost is even greater if declining? It could even be that he simply never betrays a hard line evaluation. Willingness to bend here I think is one thing signifying willingness to win WITHOUT sacrificing the future 

Edited March 30, 2023 by Thorny

[Crusader1969]

8 hours ago, French Collection said:

Here is the 2022 draft list from the CHL.

https://chl.ca/draft

https://www.eliteprospects.com/draft/chl-import-draft/2022

Miroshnichenko was taken by Boisville-Boisbriand of the Q with the 24th pick. One other Russian was taken and one kid from Belarus as well.

Miroshnichenko was taken I the Q in 2021 as well.

He was eligible for the draft because he was on their protected list, prior to the draft 

that’s why only 2 players were taken last year.  Usually there are 20 or so Russians taken 

I’m guessing this year will be the same.  

[Gatorman0519]

For the first time in years there is opportunity opening up in the east. Tampa, Pitt, Washington are aging out and the Islanders are meh. Detroit is still spinning wheels. Ottawa is the main threat of up and coming young teams. Next year should be a push. 

[Crusader1969]

6 minutes ago, Gatorman0519 said:

For the first time in years there is opportunity opening up in the east. Tampa, Pitt, Washington are aging out and the Islanders are meh. Detroit is still spinning wheels. Ottawa is the main threat of up and coming young teams. Next year should be a push. 

If Toronto crashes and burns in round 1 AGAIN, there could be big changes coming 

side note - Please , Please let them lose!  Though I do admit I think this is their year to get past the 1st round but then again it will be  Vasilevskiy vs Samsonov   So who knows 

[French Collection]

22 minutes ago, Gatorman0519 said:

For the first time in years there is opportunity opening up in the east. Tampa, Pitt, Washington are aging out and the Islanders are meh. Detroit is still spinning wheels. Ottawa is the main threat of up and coming young teams. Next year should be a push. 

I wonder if Pittsburgh blows it up if they miss out on the playoffs. I can see Sid wanting to retire as a Penguin but does he want one more Cup run. Is he willing to be the guy to pass the torch to the next generation of birds?

Ovi would probably like to break Gretzky’s record in a Caps uniform. That could mean bandaid solutions to roster holes until he’s done.

Are Bergeron and Krejci back next year, win or lose?

[Taro T]

9 hours ago, Thorny said:

There’s certainly a possibility that Adams is so adept at his position there need not be a philosophy change, no conscious priority shift, no sound bite that makes Thorny happy about playoffs being the focus, that Adams simply painstakingly adhering to his process improves the team by a few points every year until we’re a playoff team, even if it takes him till his 5th or 6th year on the job. I’ve argued many times they need to consciously shift focus to a prioritization of winning, to do so. I could definitely be wrong. 

Proof is in the pudding. What I want to see is irrelevant if we improve by the same amount of points next year we are tracking for this year 

Personally, believe the prioritization does go to winning this coming year.  Meaning, if one of the kids isn't cutting it in his role (or one of the vets either, for that matter) he'll get bumped down to a lesser role or bumped to the pressbox.   Which is a significant change from how this season played out.  

Adams said playoffs are the goal, but that they aren't going to sacrifice the future for them.  So, they will operationally change how they focus the players they have (including whoever comes in this summer) from development to winning but they won't make a panic move to give up Savoie and Kulich to get into the playoffs this coming year if things aren't going to plan.

[mjd1001]

The part about him looking 3-5 years down the line, being calculated with who they add, wanting players reaching their prime...etc.   That will not be what a lot of people who think this team needs a shot of veteran leadership want, but I'm good with it.  BUT, I'm only good with it if they do something, they can't do nothing at all this offseason.  If they pass on some good veterans, then fine, but make sure you find SOMETHING of value to add to this roster next year.