Kevyn Adams GM thread

[Dex]

I think Kevyn Adams has done a very nice job in turning this franchise around and deserves the extension. Best pipeline in the NHL two years running. Excellent head coach hire in Granato. Rebuilt the front office with AGM and top notch analytics. Rebuilt the scouting staff. Changed the culture of the entire organization. Notable changes in the locker room attitude and love of playing for Buffalo. Turned around the Rochester Americans. Excellent drafting. Nice job with special nights like RJ night, RJ's last call, and the Heritage Classic. Smart, strategic free agent signings. Made a plan for success and is sticking with it - supporting Granato in allowing our young players to learn and helping to rejuvenate some older players . Hell, Jerry Forton broke down during a news conference trying to describe what Adams has done for the working environment throughout the organization.

Apparently Craig Rivet likes the extension as well. I listened to yesterday's After The Whistle while walking my dog this morning and he flat out said that anyone who doesn't think the extension is a great move is a complete idiot. So there's that endorsement

Edit: Removed double posted comment

 

[Jacob582]

I dug up the Murray extension thread. Some real gems in there.

I was interested in when I jumped off the Murray train. So I searched a few of my posts.
I remember generally liking the Evander Kane trade (Feb. 2015)
In April of 2015 I graded his job with AHL Rochester a C-.
I remember hating the Lehner trade (June 2015)
I wrote he needed to be more mature in his reponse to the attempted Zatkoff signing in July of 2016.
I wrote that he was either lying or incompetent in his handling of Rochester in May of 2016.
I wrote the word "puke" and Murray in a post in January of 2017.

I remember I felt that Murray's public performance about the draft lottery, missing out on McDavid was pretty pathetic.
***************

On a slightly different note, it was very interesting reading some of my old posts. Some things I read, I thought - Did I really write this?? Not because I disagreed, but I don't remember writing some of them.

 

[Paxon]

It's hard to argue against extending him. Not extending him more or less means replacing him. Is there anyone here who is actually at the point where they think Adams should be replaced? Doesn't seem like it. Basically everyone should be OK with extending him. It doesn't mean they can't fire him down the line.

 

[BFLO]

It's hard to argue against extending him. Not extending him more or less means replacing him. Is there anyone here who is actually at the point where they think Adams should be replaced? Doesn't seem like it. Basically everyone should be OK with extending him. It doesn't mean they can't fire him down the line.

If his contract was expiring right now I would want him extended. But it's not up now, it's up after the season. If I've got a whole season before I need to make a decision I'd rather wait and see.

 

[Fezzy126]

If his contract was expiring right now I would want him extended. But it's not up now, it's up after the season. If I've got a whole season before I need to make a decision I'd rather wait and see.

Sending a coach or a gm into a lame duck season is the quickest way to show him you don't value him and he should start thinking about other opportunities. It happens in every sport, and every profession for that matter.

It is not a sound management tactic.

 

[BFLO]

Sending a coach or a gm into a lame duck season is the quickest way to show him you don't value him and he should start thinking about other opportunities. It happens in every sport, and every profession for that matter.

It is not a sound management tactic.

It's called a contract year, not a lame duck year. People in every sport and profession try to perform their best during a contract year in order to increase the value of their next contract.

 

[unte93]

It's called a contract year, not a lame duck year. People in every sport and profession try to perform their best during a contract year in order to increase the value of their next contract.

At this stage of the rebuild knee jerk trades are not welcome - you don't wang a gm to trade futures for help to get into the playoffs - you want to back your gm's back so he can stand the course and finish the rebuild

 

[BFLO]

At this stage of the rebuild knee jerk trades are not welcome - you don't wang a gm to trade futures for help to get into the playoffs - you want to back your gm's back so he can stand the course and finish the rebuild

You think Adams would sell the farm during the season if he hadn't gotten an extension now? Even I have more faith in him than that. If you think he's that incompetent, why would you want him extended?

Performance is subjective and circumstantial.

The performance the Pegula's and the fanbase expect this season is for the youth to develop and the team to progress. Most of us seem to expect ~85 points.

No one expects playoffs this year.

With that said, what does failure look like this season? The team putting up <70 points? Tage <20 goals? Little development from the youth?

How bad would it have to get for Adams to get the axe?

 

[Fezzy126]

It's called a contract year, not a lame duck year. People in every sport and profession try to perform their best during a contract year in order to increase the value of their next contract.

You do realize this was Golisano's approach to management as well, right? That didn't exactly work out very well for anyone. It resulted in not being able to lock up our core, overpaying for supporting cast guys, a mediocre front office, and a ton of drama off the ice.

It was literally how the rotting of the organizational culture began.

On the other hand, if you lock him up early and it doesn't work out you can always fire him. The Pegulas' have shown time and again that they're willing to eat a contract.

Lastly - as a manager myself, I would never leave the future of one of my employees in limbo. it's not the culture I'd promote for my team and I want them to know that management is as committed to them as they are to us.

 

[BFLO]

You do realize this was Golisano's approach to management as well, right? That didn't exactly work out very well for anyone. It resulted in not being able to lock up our core, overpaying for supporting cast guys, a mediocre front office, and a ton of drama off the ice.

It was literally how the rotting of the organizational culture began.

On the other hand, if you lock him up early and it doesn't work out you can always fire him. The Pegulas' have shown time and again that they're willing to eat a contract.

Lastly - as a manager myself, I would never leave the future of one of my employees in limbo. it's not the culture I'd promote for my team and I want them to know that management is as committed to them as they are to us.

Galisano is rightly criticized for caring more about keeping the balance sheet in the black than results on ice. And for refusing to negotiate player contracts in season. But Regier and Ruff were both retained for the entirety of Galisano's ownership, so what are you talking about? What off ice drama under Galisano are you referring to?

What line of work are you in that your employees have contracts? It's rare in the US, or maybe you live elsewhere?

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Galisano is rightly criticized for caring more about keeping the balance sheet in the black than results on ice. And for refusing to negotiate player contracts in season. But Regier and Ruff were both retained for the entirety of Galisano's ownership, so what are you talking about? What off ice drama under Galisano are you referring to?

What line of work are you in that your employees have contracts? It's rare in the US, or maybe you live elsewhere?

Regier and Ruff always got contract extensions in September.

 

[BFLO]

Regier and Ruff always got contract extensions in September.

False. Lindy Ruff Staff History, Signings, and Coach Contracts - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

But they did get some of their extensions in September, and from Galisano. Which proves Fezzy126 incorrect about Galisano's approach.

 

[Fezzy126]

Galisano is rightly criticized for caring more about keeping the balance sheet in the black than results on ice. And for refusing to negotiate player contracts in season. But Regier and Ruff were both retained for the entirety of Galisano's ownership, so what are you talking about? What off ice drama under Galisano are you referring to?

What line of work are you in that your employees have contracts? It's rare in the US, or maybe you live elsewhere?

It's funny that you ask. My company dissolved our entire project management office and made them all contract employees a few years ago. Predictably, almost everyone left for more stable opportunities and our turnover, onboarding, and training programs became a nightmare. We've recently gone back to full-time salaried employees and things have stabilized.

Golisano was infamous for saying he'd give people day-to-day contracts if he could. He continually played hardball with players and defaulted to arbitration. As for off ice drama, he alienated heart and sole players like McKee, Biron, Cambell, and obviously botched the situation with the co-caps.

False. Lindy Ruff Staff History, Signings, and Coach Contracts - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

But they did get some of their extensions in September, and from Galisano. Which proves Fezzy126 incorrect about Galisano's approach.

Yes, Golisano locked up his front office, but his approach with player salaries is literally what started this abyss of mediocrity.

Also, (we're digressing a bit from the topic, but...) he never made high-priced contractual commitments to proven hockey executives like Karmanos or Ventura. He continually wrapped up mediocre executives that aren't even in the league anymore while gutting the support staff around them. So let's not pretend that we were ever in danger of losing Darcy Regier or Larry Quinn because Golisano wouldn't lock them up before their contracts were up. Literally no one in the league was looking to poach those guys.

Getting back on topic, what is the downside to locking up Adams early?

 

[NotABadPeriod]

GM and coaches contracts are usually easier to get out of than player contracts, which reduces the risk in "premature" extensions. Plus we don't know how the contract is structured. They may very well have left themselves an out if they need to get out of the contract, whether that is next year, 2 years from now, etc.

Also, by making an extension, they remove the incentive to make rash decisions. How many times have we seen GMs make poor decisions in a short sighted, desperate effort to save their jobs (knowing if it doesn't pan out, it'll be the next guy dealing with the mess anyways)? Knowing you have security beyond 1 year allows you to continue looking at the long-term, knowing you'll still be part of it. Which given where this team is, we definitely want to keep that long-term focus. The last thing we want is a "Forsberg for Erat" type deal.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

GM and coaches contracts are usually easier to get out of than player contracts, which reduces the risk in "premature" extensions. Plus we don't know how the contract is structured. They may very well have left themselves an out if they need to get out of the contract, whether that is next year, 2 years from now, etc.

Also, by making an extension, they remove the incentive to make rash decisions. How many times have we seen GMs make poor decisions in a short sighted, desperate effort to save their jobs (knowing if it doesn't pan out, it'll be the next guy dealing with the mess anyways)? Knowing you have security beyond 1 year allows you to continue looking at the long-term, knowing you'll still be part of it. Which given where this team is, we definitely want to keep that long-term focus. The last thing we want is a "Forsberg for Erat" type deal.

But we do want to be in on an Erat for Forsberg deal

 

[Dingo44]

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[HaNotsri]

Amazing:
Contract extensions
Patience with prospects
Trusting scouts
Building a team by "keeping the band together" which certainly helps getting good contract extensions

Good:
Not overpaying in trades
Giving the prospects opportunities
Getting a guy like Anderson around the team

Bad:
Inability to optimize short term
Not being able to put all prospects in good situations

Ugly:
Not a single serious attempt to fix goaltending, not even replacing Ullmark

***

If I look at both positives and negatives the picture of Adams is pretty cohesive.

I feel he's another extreme just like Darcy and Murray but in his own way. He has probably saved himself and the organization from a lot of bad moves but that stops us from making a big jump like Detroit and New Jersey. Adams clearly doesn't care about winning this season.

I do wish he'd be a little more frivolous regarding upgrading the roster with vets. We're a decent defenseman and a goalie away from not being a traveling circus and everyone knew it before the season started. Those moves wouldn't prevent our young guys from playing, just helping us win more games and actually have a small hope regarding playoffs.

 

[Dingo44]

Amazing:
Contract extensions
Patience with prospects
Trusting scouts
Building a team by "keeping the band together" which certainly helps getting good contract extensions

Good:
Not overpaying in trades
Giving the prospects opportunities
Getting a guy like Anderson around the team

Bad:
Inability to optimize short term
Not being able to put all prospects in good situations

Ugly:
Not a single serious attempt to fix goaltending, not even replacing Ullmark

***

If I look at both positives and negatives the picture of Adams is pretty cohesive.

I feel he's another extreme just like Darcy and Murray but in his own way. He has probably saved himself and the organization from a lot of bad moves but that stops us from making a big jump like Detroit and New Jersey. Adams clearly doesn't care about winning this season.

I do wish he'd be a little more frivolous regarding upgrading the roster with vets. We're a decent defenseman and a goalie away from not being a traveling circus and everyone knew it before the season started. Those moves wouldn't prevent our young guys from playing, just helping us win more games and actually have a small hope regarding playoffs.

We never find the Kid Line if he signed a bunch of vets. More likely Peterka and Quinn sit than Olofsson and Mitts.

The lack of quality goalies that were available in the offseason has been discussed on here in multiple threads ad nauseum.

 

[Chainshot]

How did I miss this journalistic gem?

It's still the same conversation from the outdoor game where they didn't know who players were that had just taken them to the woodshed... twice.

 

[HaNotsri]

We never find the Kid Line if he signed a bunch of vets. More likely Peterka and Quinn sit than Olofsson and Mitts.

The lack of quality goalies that were available in the offseason has been discussed on here in multiple threads ad nauseum.

I don't think a veteran defenseman for Power would have stolen ice time from Quinn and Peterka. We could have added two vets on D without losing anyone to waivers.

Goaltending this offseason? This is Adams third (!) season and so far he has:
Downgraded Ullmark to Anderson
Been slow to upgrade from Hutton to Comrie

Long term he has made good goalie moves but seriously this is his third season with predictably bad goaltending. We're talking impossible to make the playoffs bad and before his first year Hutton single handedly cost us a playoff spot.

His only good short term move regarding goaltending is Anderson and I credit him for that.

 

[Fjordy]

We never find the Kid Line if he signed a bunch of vets. More likely Peterka and Quinn sit than Olofsson and Mitts.

The lack of quality goalies that were available in the offseason has been discussed on here in multiple threads ad nauseum.

Well, this is not true, or rather we do not know this. Just veteran or at least one should have come instead of the same Olofsson. I think there would be KID line anyway, since Quinn and Peterka were already with chemistry and we just had to put one of our C with them and try different C. Now is the time to correct this situation, when we already have a core. I can still understand if Adams does not find a goalie right now, there are not many options and they will finish the season with Anderson and Comrie. But for example, finding a LD in the third pair or trading Olofsson for a guy who also needs a change of scenery seems real.

 

[Dingo44]

I don't think a veteran defenseman for Power would have stolen ice time from Quinn and Peterka. We could have added two vets on D without losing anyone to waivers.

Goaltending this offseason? This is Adams third (!) season and so far he has:
Downgraded Ullmark to Anderson
Been slow to upgrade from Hutton to Comrie

Long term he has made good goalie moves but seriously this is his third season with predictably bad goaltending. We're talking impossible to make the playoffs bad and before his first year Hutton single handedly cost us a playoff spot.

His only good short term move regarding goaltending is Anderson and I credit him for that.

You said vets. And our top 4 is fine and Boosh is hurt. He also brought back Pilut who had a decent run before being Botts'd off the roster. Plus Bryson looked better at the end of last season than he does now.

It would have been nice to get another vet D but again the goalie thing has been done to death on here. I'll post the same question though - who would you have brought in or traded for besides Comrie?

 

[Jacob582]

I do wish he'd be a little more frivolous regarding upgrading the roster with vets.

Power and Sammy are upgrades over Colin Miller, Robert Hagg and Mark Pysyk. But losing those players was a downgrade over Fitzgerald, Pilut and Bryson (the way he is playing this season).

I'm glad KA pushed Fitzgerald to at least 7th. But I feel that he could have added a Hinostroza-like player on defense to be 7th instead.

The question is whether another UFA was willing to accept the role.

Example:
Pysyk - pay him $1M instead of the $850K he got from Detroit (hindsight now says that would have been the wrong move because of injury).

Stecher - pay him $1.5M instead of the $1.25M he got from Arizona.

I think even Hagg I would have wanted as 7th over what Fitzgerald or Pilut is showing us. Other names I wonder if they would have been better options than those two: Braun, Stralman

 

[HaNotsri]

You said vets. And our top 4 is fine and Boosh is hurt. He also brought back Pilut who had a decent run before being Botts'd off the roster. Plus Bryson looked better at the end of last season than he does now.

It would have been nice to get another vet D but again the goalie thing has been done to death on here. I'll post the same question though - who would you have brought in or traded for besides Comrie?

Easy option would be Ullmark extension. This year I wanted Samsonov and Vanecek. Go look at their stats.

I'm not going to look back on every single season and goalie trade that ocurres while Adams has been in charge but we're talking year 3 and it is still a freakshow.

I would also like to add that my post about Adams was really positive and you decided to get stuck on the goaltending part.