Kevyn Adams Press Scrum, July 2, 2025

[apuszczalowski]

9 hours ago, Porous Five Hole said:

I am also signing off on the concept of Kess. In his latest pod, Fairburn said the best player in the trade may be Kesselring.  I’m optimistic.  Losing an unhappy JJP seems to suck right now, but we could be laughing all the way to the bank on this one. Here’s to hoping (which I recognize is a ***** strategy).

This is usually the take on any trade around here.

The guy they traded away will never be as good as they were here and will regress.

The guys they get are all underated with a ton of untapped potential that will be reached playing here and the trade will be viewed as a steal.

I think it's all a part of the stages of grief in Buffalo sports....

3 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Adams has no clue what a 2nd round pick is worth. I stand by that statement. 

You could have just stopped there

[Pimlach]

26 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Adams has no clue what a 2nd round pick is worth. I stand by that statement. 

So far it’s worth a Malenstyn.  

Edited 14 hours ago by Pimlach

[Porous Five Hole]

26 minutes ago, apuszczalowski said:

This is usually the take on any trade around here.

The guy they traded away will never be as good as they were here and will regress.

The guys they get are all underated with a ton of untapped potential that will be reached playing here and the trade will be viewed as a steal.

I think it's all a part of the stages of grief in Buffalo sports....

You could have just stopped there

Everything you said is true.

For the concept of a Peterka regression, here are the numbers.  

Just for clarity, the ‘on ice’ means it’s not just him but all of his linemates when he’s on the ice. 
Normal on-ice shooting percentage is around 9%. Great player makers like McDavid can get it up to 14% range over a full season (he had 13.24% last year, 9.25% at 5v5). Peterka had almost 15% last season and 14.23% at 5v5. So either 5v5 Peterka is a better playmaker than McDavid, Tage Thompson is a better finisher than Draisaitl/Hyman or it was unsustainable. 

Edited 14 hours ago by Porous Five Hole

[Archie Lee]

9 hours ago, dudacek said:

 

I’ve heard this from a few informed sources. 

There’s a minority opinion out there that the great unwashed may have an inflated view of Peterka and don’t know how good Kesselring is. Even most of these people still think JJ is the best player in the deal, so it was interesting to hear Fairburn - the most credible of the Sabres beat guys - say it may end up being Kessel.

Wishful thinking I’m sure, and I’ve had a lower opinion of Peterka than most.

The red flag on the Peterka criticism, to me, is that so much of it is based on Peterka’s attitude. Not enough consideration is being given to the toxic environment the players are existing in. I’m giving the benefit of the doubt to the 23 year old, whose attitude has not prevented him from improving year after year, and not to the GM who has a now lengthy track record of failure. 

[inkman]

48 minutes ago, JohnC said:

Let's summarize the transactions and the aftermath. The Sabres are better on the blueline, and that is before knowing how the Byram issue turns out. In general, I would say that the Sabres are grittier than last year's version of a team. The issue that hangs over these player maneuvers and renders them helpful or not is the state of our goaltending. Is the addition of the new goalie going to be helpful? Will UPL become an adequate to solid #1 goalie? Will Levi eventually force his way onto the Sabres and relegate UPL as expendable? If the Sabres get consistent and solid goaltending, then at least we can hope for a credible playoff race. If not, then we continue to be stuck in the abyss. For me, it's not an issue of being confident or not about the position. I just don't know. So entering the season I find myself as being queasy about this team's prospects.  

 

43 minutes ago, SabresVet said:

Interesting to hear Adams' response to the philosophy change on roster construction, notably with veterans.  He talked about having their presence, which is a far cry from the narrative about not blocking the kids getting to the NHL.  And, being tougher to play against.  

What changed?  I'd speculate it's Ruff being in the room more than anything else pushing for this.  And, because Jarmo's been there only a month now and besides, they made it a point to re-sign Zucker and Greenway late last season.

Comes off as another off-season where they make 1 moderate move and a bunch of minor ones.  Then, pronounce that the sum is greater than the parts while gambling/banking on unproven players to improve.  Meh.  

My issue with the Sabres wanting to be grittier and tougher to play against is they still have too many players that are extraordinarily easy to play against.  Power, Samuelsson, Quinn to name a few.  
 

Follow through on your vision, move every pansy ass player out the door.  Adam’s not even considering buying out Mattias is criminal behavior.  

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

Gotta give Adams credit, wraps up Draft, Prospect Camp and Free Agency in 6 days... Now he gets to hang at Chautauga Lake until November, when he'll have to explain the putrid product... Rinse and repeat... SMH...

[inkman]

Just now, Standing Room Smoking Cigs said:

Gotta give Adams credit, wraps up Draft, Prospect Camp and Free Agency in 6 days... Now he gets to hang at Chautauga Lake until November, when he'll have to explain the putrid product... Rinse and repeat... SMH...

Why does he need to explain it?  Maybe to Terry but he doesn’t owe us anything. 

[JohnC]

3 minutes ago, inkman said:

 

My issue with the Sabres wanting to be grittier and tougher to play against is they still have too many players that are extraordinarily easy to play against.  Power, Samuelsson, Quinn to name a few.  
 

Follow through on your vision, move every pansy ass player out the door.  Adam’s not even considering buying out Mattias is criminal behavior.  

You have to accept the players you have and recognize who they are and what they can do and not do. None of the three highlighted players you noted would fall into the category of being gritty and muscular players, and most likely never will be. That doesn't mean that they won't be good players. You need to create a balance. If they don't provide certain physical attributes that doesn't mean that you can't add players who do add those complementary attributes. 

I believe Power is going to be a very good defenseman. Maybe not the type you want but an effective one. And I'm also hoping that Quinn gets fully healthy and becomes the goal scorer that was expected of him. Our GM jumped the gun by giving Samuelsson such a long-term extension. In my view, a minority view for sure, is that I believe that he can be a good third pairing player who can be moved up the ranks when needed. 

[JohnC]

3 hours ago, Archie Lee said:

The red flag on the Peterka criticism, to me, is that so much of it is based on Peterka’s attitude. Not enough consideration is being given to the toxic environment the players are existing in. I’m giving the benefit of the doubt to the 23 year old, whose attitude has not prevented him from improving year after year, and not to the GM who has a now lengthy track record of failure. 

I have a different take on JJP's "reported" attitude problem that is less lenient than your interpretation regarding the player. More than a few reports indicate that the source of the problem was that JJP was too lax when it came to his defensive role. So the coach got on him for that deficiency that even we laymen saw. What's wrong with that? Whether you call it hard coaching or good coaching, I have no problem with a coach addressing a problem with a player's play. That's what a coach is supposed to do. It seems that the player was not receptive to that type of authoritative style in coaching. My response is: TOUGH.  

There is no question that consistent losing is demoralizing for the players. The issue then becomes how do you change that toxic environment? You create an environment where the coaches and players hold themselves accountable. And when he was held accountable, he reacted poorly. So this talented offensive player was traded for players who addressed some weaknesses and had a more positive attitude about playing in a responsible way. The problem with the Sabres is not necessarily about the talent as it is about the attitude and "how" one plays. The bottom line is that this trade was the right thing for the departed player and it was the right thing for the team to do to alter the mix on the roster.  

Edited 9 hours ago by JohnC

[Archie Lee]

1 minute ago, JohnC said:

I have a different take on JJP's "reported" attitude problem that is less lenient than your interpretation regarding the player. More than a few reports indicate that the source of the problem was that JJP was too lax when it came to his defensive role. So the coach got on him for that deficiency that even us laymen saw. What's wrong with that? Whether you call it hard coaching or good coaching, I have no problem with a coach addressing a problem with a player's play. That's what a coach is supposed to do. It seems that the player was not receptive to that type of authoritative style in coaching. My response is: TOUGH.  

There is no question that consistent losing is demoralizing for the players. The issue then becomes how do you change that toxic environment? You create an environment where the coaches and players hold themselves accountable. And when he was held accountable, he reacted poorly. So this talented offensive player was traded for players who addressed some weaknesses and had a more positive attitude about playing in a responsible way. The problem with the Sabres is not necessarily about the talent as it is about the attitude and "how" one plays. The bottom line is that this trade was the right thing for the departed player and it was the right thing for the team to do to alter the mix on the roster.  

I think Lindy Ruff is the sort of coach who “gets on” a young player rather than coaches them. 

[K-9]

17 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

I think Lindy Ruff is the sort of coach who “gets on” a young player rather than coaches them. 

This is an unfair critcism of Lindy imo. Lindy has spent decades coaching countless young players and part of that process includes "getting on" a player when other tactics fail and that player keeps making the same mistakes game in and game out.

There's a process involved in figuring out how to reach and teach teach various players of different personalities and the same tactics don't work the same for each individual. 

Some players embrace the criticism, others don't. I'm convinced JJ chafed against it. 

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

I still to this day, as a kid going to games with the family's Red Section owned in the Aud, seeing great games, seeing great heart Sabres. Beating the Soviets, allowed as a kid to get into the press box. Saying "Hey to the Mr. Sy and Mr. Norty. As I grew I saw passion even when the Sabres faltered a bit. But they were constant, a hope. Rigas was what was but hope was there. Golisano stepped in and hope was there. But this crowd, your losing a 55 year old fan that spans the Sabres time line and I am older than 55, not by much. Adams has to go. He has killed the hope of younger generations, just so he can maintain his lifestyle. Flim Flam man, a carnival barker, a siding salesman..

[JohnC]

30 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

I think Lindy Ruff is the sort of coach who “gets on” a young player rather than coaches them. 

JJP less than interested two-way play was on display for everyone to see. What is a coach to do when after a number of “discussions” about one’s inadequate play over the same glaring deficiency is a coach to do? Just because a player is soft doesn’t mean that a coach shouldn’t be hard. 

When you hold a recalcitrant player accountable the other players see that. And usually the rest of the players in the room nod in agreement that what needed to be done got done. There is nothing wrong about kicking a player in the arse when the ears are not working. 

[Flashsabre]

3 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Adams has demonstrated he has 0 understanding of what a 2nd round pick is worth.

True but if you look back the Sabres organization has no idea how to draft in the 2nd round either. 

[Flashsabre]

I think the JJ trade will turn out like the  Savoie trade.  Everyone around hockey fandom will say “The Sabres got destroyed” in the trade but after a season it turns out that the Sabres did very well. 
 

Fans will enjoy what Kesserling and Doan bring to the team.

[French Collection]

Just now, Flashsabre said:

I think the JJ trade will turn out like the  Savoie trade.  Everyone around hockey fandom will say “The Sabres got destroyed” in the trade but after a season it turns out that the Sabres did very well. 
 

Fans will enjoy what Kesserling and Doan bring to the team.

I hope so.

JJP’s game was “sexy” but these guys bring something different that could lead to wins.

[That Aud Smell]

2 hours ago, Archie Lee said:

I think Lindy Ruff is the sort of coach who “gets on” a young player rather than coaches them. 

Where's the video of him whacking Luke Adam in the helmeted head with an errant stick? @Ghost of Dwight Drane still has it clipped, i am sure.

1 hour ago, Flashsabre said:

True but if you look back the Sabres organization has no idea how to draft in the 2nd round either. 

Dating back how far? Messrs. Roy and Pominville would like a word.

[HumanSlinky39]

4 hours ago, Believer said:

Agree.

In some earlier thread I posted about Gerry Meehan. As Sabres GM in 1989, he was instrumental in helping the first Russian player defect from the Soviet Union to the Sabres, Alexander Mogilny.

My comment was I didn’t think Adams had the audacity to do anything even remotely similar.

Somebody gave me an eye roll. Hahaha. Must be an Adams fan. After five years, I’m not.

One of my HUGE problems with Adams is he seems to feel that the Sabres are an unattractive destinations for players, and they probably are, but the GM should NOT feel that way. I feel like that governs (or limits) what he's willing to try to do. He seems to accept that it's very hard to lure people to Buffalo because the org is viewed as a joke (partially because of him) so he doesn't really try to make any splashy moves. We need somebody who says "***** that" and is willing to, and has the BALLS to go after those kind of players. Adams ain't that guy. 

[shrader]

23 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Dating back how far? Messrs. Roy and Pominville would like a word.

Why even go back that far when we've been talking about Peterka so much?  Scanning through the list of picks over the last 15-20 years or so, I'd venture a guess that their success rate mirrors that of the NHL as a whole.

[Mango]

3 hours ago, inkman said:

 

My issue with the Sabres wanting to be grittier and tougher to play against is they still have too many players that are extraordinarily easy to play against.  Power, Samuelsson, Quinn to name a few.  
 

Follow through on your vision, move every pansy ass player out the door.  Adam’s not even considering buying out Mattias is criminal behavior.  

Power will be harder to play against once we invest another 1637494 resources into finding him the right partner....

[kas23]

53 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Where's the video of him whacking Luke Adam in the helmeted head with an errant stick? @Ghost of Dwight Drane still has it clipped, i am sure.

Dating back how far? Messrs. Roy and Pominville would like a word.

And more recently, JJP. And Kulich was nearly a 2nd rounder, being picked at 28. 2nd rounders are not the garbage people are making them out to be. 

[That Aud Smell]

1 hour ago, HumanSlinky39 said:

One of my HUGE problems with Adams is he seems to feel that the Sabres are an unattractive destinations for players, and they probably are, but the GM should NOT feel that way. I feel like that governs (or limits) what he's willing to try to do. He seems to accept that it's very hard to lure people to Buffalo because the org is viewed as a joke (partially because of him) so he doesn't really try to make any splashy moves. We need somebody who says "***** that" and is willing to, and has the BALLS to go after those kind of players. Adams ain't that guy. 

Gimme Buddy Nix selling Super Mario on the drought Bills.

[JohnC]

2 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

I think the JJ trade will turn out like the  Savoie trade.  Everyone around hockey fandom will say “The Sabres got destroyed” in the trade but after a season it turns out that the Sabres did very well. 
 

Fans will enjoy what Kesserling and Doan bring to the team.

This is a trade that most likely benefits both teams. We dealt a good young player for two players that not only can help us but will help alter the mix to toughen up the unit. Even if JJP is arguably the best player in the transaction that doesn't mean that the Sabres won't benefit more from the deal because we addressed a greater need area. What's still hovering over this team is the Byram issue. If he is traded and the return is a top two-line player, then the JJP trade looks even better. 

The irony is that there was a loud call to toughen up the roster. The JJP trade helps in that area. Trades are not an act of charity. You have to give up something of value to get something back of value. 

[PerreaultForever]

7 hours ago, JohnC said:

Making a mistake with a non first round pick is not something to be exercised over. There are plenty of other issues to draw one’s attention to.

Stop apologizing for this clown show. 

7 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Adams has demonstrated he has 0 understanding of what a 2nd round pick is worth.

Agreed. And has zero accountability for his own mistakes. 

[Flashsabre]

2 hours ago, That Aud Smell said:

Where's the video of him whacking Luke Adam in the helmeted head with an errant stick? @Ghost of Dwight Drane still has it clipped, i am sure.

Dating back how far? Messrs. Roy and Pominville would like a word.

If you have to go back that far then you prove my point😁