Friedman: JJ Peterka to Boston; and Kevyn Adams joins their FO

[ExWNYer]

11 hours ago, Nacho Libre said:

People think Jack is the head case it’s probably JJ 

JJ's next job...

 

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, Jorcus said:

I am confused his +/- overall is exactly zero. Where does the -15 come from? I know he is not Doan but he also plays on his off wing which in my opinion hinders his defense to some extent. He also played with the Sabres when they had lesser defense and goaltending. He has to mature but in the right environment he can be a very good player.

JJP like Skinner has a certain offensive abilities that is offset by his defensive liabilities. He’s not a two-way player and most likely never will be. Could he eventually become a more well rounded player? Maybe. But so far in his young career two teams have moved on from him. And most telling, the latest team to do so moved him after only one year and after giving up assets to acquiring him.

Edited June 27 by JohnC

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

Whether Jarmo pushed for the inclusion of Doan doesn't diminish the fact that the GM at the time, KA, pulled the trigger on the transaction. It's well known that KA's management style leans toward being collaborative as opposed to being individually top/down dominating. So if Jarmo was a major factor in how the Utah deal was developed, I will give him credit for being an effective subordinate. However, that doesn't diminish the fact that KA was the presiding GM when the deal happened.  

When you compare Jarmo to KA at the podium it is evident that there is a major difference in personalities which is also evident in how they do/did their jobs. There is no right or wrong way in management style. Both styles can be successful and both styles can be unmitigated failures. In the end, the measurement is your record. 

Terry Pegula has made a lot of personnel decisions that have not worked out. It is evident to me that replacing KA with Jarmo was the right move. It was time. 

Agree with most of this.  I do think there are wrong management styles, and especially for certain businesses.  For example, what works on the shop floor of a factory would typically not be effective in most office environments.

I think Adams biggest gaffe was publicly making excuses (palm trees and taxes) when he was also preaching accountability to players.  He lost a lot of credibility after that.   There also seemed to be a lack of urgency on his part   

I will forever believe that Adams hands were tied by Terry, at least during the first few years after Covid.  But even with that, his hockey operations experience did not support what amounted to a fast track to GM.   He can probably help Boston if they are looking to build a better prospect pool.  

[ExWNYer]

12 hours ago, pi2000 said:

Wait, why did Utah trade Peterka?!

Utah gives up on him after only one season and 1 year after signing him to a nearly $40m deal?

"On June 26, 2025, the Utah Mammoth acquired JJ Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres. The same day, the Mammoth signed the pending restricted free agent to a five-year, $38.5 million contract.

One year later, the Mammoth decided Peterka was not in their plans. On Friday, the Boston Bruins were happy to accommodate them.

That a player became available just one year after signing a long-term contract is a cautionary sign. So is the fact Peterka joined his third organization in 365 days.

But the 24-year-old forward is coming off three straight 25-goal seasons. The Bruins do not have such commodities in abundance. That they didn’t have to trade a roster player to the Mammoth for Peterka was a bonus."

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/live-blogs/nhl-draft-2026-live-updates-rounds-2-7-tracker-results/BD7JEFgJr9er/

[JohnC]

31 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Agree with most of this.  I do think there are wrong management styles, and especially for certain businesses.  For example, what works on the shop floor of a factory would typically not be effective in most office environments.

I think Adams biggest gaffe was publicly making excuses (palm trees and taxes) when he was also preaching accountability to players.  He lost a lot of credibility after that.   There also seemed to be a lack of urgency on his part   

I will forever believe that Adams hands were tied by Terry, at least during the first few years after Covid.  But even with that, his hockey operations experience did not support what amounted to a fast track to GM.   He can probably help Boston if they are looking to build a better prospect pool.  

For the most part, we are in accord in our responses. Where I disagree with you is that the Pegula/Adams rebuild strategy was not predicated on quickness. When any rebuild strategy mostly emphasizes the draft it is going to take time.

[LTS]

JJ gets to play for a German coach.  Hopefully that helps him understand his position in the game. German hockey isn't huge and Sturm commands respect within the pantheon of German hockey alumni.

JJ has skill, he needs to figure it out though. I have to think Sturm has coach played into their willingness to give Peterka a shot.

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, LTS said:

JJ gets to play for a German coach.  Hopefully that helps him understand his position in the game. German hockey isn't huge and Sturm commands respect within the pantheon of German hockey alumni.

JJ has skill, he needs to figure it out though. I have to think Sturm has coach played into their willingness to give Peterka a shot.

Gonna be a bunch of angry German swearing at practices. 

[GHOST OF KEVYN ADAMS]

Smart move by Boston hiring Adams. 

Edited June 27 by GHOST OF KEVYN ADAMS

[GHOST OF KEVYN ADAMS]

4 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Agree with most of this.  I do think there are wrong management styles, and especially for certain businesses.  For example, what works on the shop floor of a factory would typically not be effective in most office environments.

I think Adams biggest gaffe was publicly making excuses (palm trees and taxes) when he was also preaching accountability to players.  He lost a lot of credibility after that.   There also seemed to be a lack of urgency on his part   

I will forever believe that Adams hands were tied by Terry, at least during the first few years after Covid.  But even with that, his hockey operations experience did not support what amounted to a fast track to GM.   He can probably help Boston if they are looking to build a better prospect pool.  

Adams was right about the Palm tree comment. We're just super thin-skinned in Buffalo because of our national reputation.(Which we all know is about as inaccurate as it gets). I agree with him on that. If your big goal as a pro athlete is hooking up with Instagram models so you can snort blow off their a---s I dont need you on my team. 

Edited June 27 by GHOST OF KEVYN ADAMS

[Nacho Libre]

4 minutes ago, GHOST OF KEVYN ADAMS said:

Adams was right about the Palm tree comment. We're just super thin-skinned in Buffalo because of our national reputation.(Which we all know is about as inaccurate as it gets). I agree with him on that. If your big goal as a pro athlete is hooking up with Instagram models so you can snort blow off their a---s I dont need you on my team. 

Just because it’s accurate doesn’t mean it’s not a terribly deflating thing to say that has ripple down effects for the entire franchise 

Unable to work with other GMs/the perception he created was one of his biggest failings as a GM 

The other type of thought is borne out of the idea he was going to get GM of the year votes after being GM for 2 months of the season. There’s more to the job. GMs are GMs all the season not just when they swing a big deal and the eff off the the cabin until next year 

[GHOST OF KEVYN ADAMS]

2 minutes ago, Nacho Libre said:

Just because it’s accurate doesn’t mean it’s not a terribly deflating thing to say that has ripple down effects for the entire franchise 

Unable to work with other GMs/the perception he created was one of his biggest failings as a GM 

The other type of thought is borne out of the idea he was going to get GM of the year votes after being GM for 2 months of the season. There’s more to the job. GMs are GMs all the season not just when they swing a big deal and the eff off the the cabin until next 

If that comment deflated any of the players they need to get off my team because thats about as mentally weak as it gets. After a suspect start I like what Jarmos doing. The draft this weekend told me Jarmos taking both the short and long view. He seems to understand the amount of talent he currently has and isn't going to trade it all away to land some big fish.

[Nacho Libre]

Just now, GHOST OF KEVYN ADAMS said:

If that comment deflated any of the players they need to get off my team because thats about as mentally weak as it gets. After a suspect start I like what Jarmos doing. The draft this weekend told me Jarmos taking both the short and long view. He seems to understand the amount of talent he currently has and isn't going to trade it all away to land some big fish.

Ya I’ve liked how he’s approached the long view certainly. I’ll let you know what my thoughts are on the now when he starts his offseason work on it 

[GHOST OF KEVYN ADAMS]

14 hours ago, irregularly irregular said:

I'm happy to give KA all the credit he deserves for the Sabres rebuild. Then I divide by 6 for the 6 rosters he iced during his tenure. The resulting quotient is not anywhere close to acceptable and he should have been dumped 2 years earlier. That's the way I see it. 

I look at the 13 key pieces on the ice during the playoffs that he acquired. First time to the second round in 17 years. Future is very bright thanks to Adams. No other GM since Darcy was able to do that here.

[GHOST OF KEVYN ADAMS]

5 minutes ago, Nacho Libre said:

Ya I’ve liked how he’s approached the long view certainly. I’ll let you know what my thoughts are on the now when he starts his offseason work on it 

It is a long road to the Cup. Carolina and Vegas are both recent examples of that. It's likely that several more key tweaks will be needed. That's just how it works when chasing a Cup.

[GHOST OF KEVYN ADAMS]

4 hours ago, LTS said:

JJ gets to play for a German coach.  Hopefully that helps him understand his position in the game. German hockey isn't huge and Sturm commands respect within the pantheon of German hockey alumni.

JJ has skill, he needs to figure it out though. I have to think Sturm has coach played into their willingness to give Peterka a shot.

He's been traded twice now in a year. If that message doesn't get through he will never figure it out.

[Ghost of Ville Leino]

30 minutes ago, GHOST OF KEVYN ADAMS said:

Adams was right about the Palm tree comment. We're just super thin-skinned in Buffalo because of our national reputation.(Which we all know is about as inaccurate as it gets). I agree with him on that. If your big goal as a pro athlete is hooking up with Instagram models so you can snort blow off their a---s I dont need you on my team. 

Adams was right about what? That factually we have higher taxes and don't have palm trees? Sure.

That doesn't make it any less UNBELIEVABLY STUPID to say OUT LOUD at a PRESS CONFERENCE.

You're defending a man who stood up and said "Wahh, I'm a baby who sucks ***** at my job! I can't do anything and it's everyone and everything else's fault!"

And it STILL took Pegula a year to fire this bum. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, he let Sean McDermott coach Josh Allen for a decade and his prevailing philosophy was "I'm scared"

Edited June 27 by Ghost of Ville Leino

[GHOST OF KEVYN ADAMS]

Just now, Ghost of Ville Leino said:

Adams was right about what? That factually we have higher taxes and don't have palm trees? Sure.

That doesn't make it any less UNBELIEVABLY STUPID to say OUT LOUD at a PRESS CONFERENCE.

You're defending a man who stood up and said "Wahh, I'm a baby who sucks ***** at my job! I can't do anything and it's everyone and everything else's fault!"

And it STILL took Pegula a year to fire this bum. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, he let Sean McDermott coach Josh Allen for a decade and his prevailing philosophy was "I'm scared"

Calm down and take your meds. The bad people are only in your head. They aren't real. And yea Im defending the guy who left us with alot of young talent and in the best position we've been in since 2006. You want to pretend that didn't happen that's a you problem. 

Edited June 27 by GHOST OF KEVYN ADAMS

[Nacho Libre]

5 minutes ago, GHOST OF KEVYN ADAMS said:

It is a long road to the Cup. Carolina and Vegas are both recent examples of that. It's likely that several more key tweaks will be needed. That's just how it works when chasing a Cup.

Vegas is a terrible example 

[Ghost of Ville Leino]

Just now, GHOST OF KEVYN ADAMS said:

Calm down and take your meds. The bad people are only in your head. They aren't real.

I wish Kevyn Adams wasn't real but unfortunately he's still here posting

[oddoublee]

1 hour ago, GHOST OF KEVYN ADAMS said:

Adams was right about the Palm tree comment. We're just super thin-skinned in Buffalo because of our national reputation.(Which we all know is about as inaccurate as it gets). I agree with him on that. If your big goal as a pro athlete is hooking up with Instagram models so you can snort blow off their a---s I dont need you on my team. 

That actually sounds like fun

[SDS]

2 hours ago, GHOST OF KEVYN ADAMS said:

Adams was right about the Palm tree comment. We're just super thin-skinned in Buffalo because of our national reputation.(Which we all know is about as inaccurate as it gets). I agree with him on that. If your big goal as a pro athlete is hooking up with Instagram models so you can snort blow off their a---s I dont need you on my team. 

I would share an Uber.

[Pimlach]

7 hours ago, JohnC said:

For the most part, we are in accord in our responses. Where I disagree with you is that the Pegula/Adams rebuild strategy was not predicated on quickness. When any rebuild strategy mostly emphasizes the draft it is going to take time.

But you never will get there by draft only, it’s not the NFL.  

[Pimlach]

5 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Gonna be a bunch of angry German swearing at practices. 

[Pimlach]

3 hours ago, GHOST OF KEVYN ADAMS said:

Adams was right about the Palm tree comment. We're just super thin-skinned in Buffalo because of our national reputation.(Which we all know is about as inaccurate as it gets). I agree with him on that. If your big goal as a pro athlete is hooking up with Instagram models so you can snort blow off their a---s I dont need you on my team. 

Right or wrong about Buffalo is not the issue.  What he said, and how he said it, showed a terrible lack of awareness, experience, leadership, and accountability on his part.  There were hundreds of hockey podcasts out there questioning his leadership after that presser.  Player and coaches all saw it too.  

Adam’s legacy is simple.  He sold off several All Star and high performing players for draft picks.  He made some really good picks but did not know how to build a roster and support them.   Without Ruff he probably would not have made the moves he did.  And again, I will give him some grace because I think Pegula was calling the shots   

Everyone wonders why the team turned it around as soon as the rumors of his demise spread.  One reason for certain is that he lost his players.  

[...]

4 hours ago, GHOST OF KEVYN ADAMS said:

It is a long road to the Cup. Carolina and Vegas are both recent examples of that. It's likely that several more key tweaks will be needed. That's just how it works when chasing a Cup.

Vegas?