Kevyn Adams GM thread

[Ace]

At this point the only thing that is going to win back any favor would be a press conference announcing Adams and Granato are out…and a respected proven GM and Coach are in. Sweeping full philosophical change. Doesn’t mean it will work. God knows Terry Pegula could f*** up anything. But it is the only path to even a remote sense of hope.

Experienced people capable and willing to do their jobs.

We do not have those here.

 

[Ace]

People love to say things like “oh you think you could do a better job than…” when sports teams fail.

I don’t think I could do worse at any job than Kevyn Adams has done through his inaction.

Seriously. I’ll perform a surgery tomorrow with better results. Need me to put a rocket into space? I’ll get working on those calculations and get a hell of a lot closer than Adams has to building a team in four years,

 

[Franchise32of32]

New to the forum. High all. For what it's worth, I've wanted Kevyn Adams gone since about this point:

Oct. 25th 2020 ... Sabres sign Linus Ullmark. One year. $2.6 million.

Oct. 25th 2020 ... Sabres sign Sam Reinhart. One year. $5.2 million

Oct. 10th 2020 ... Sabres sign Brandon Montour. One year. $3.85 million.


Nov. 4th 2020 ... Sabres sign goaltender Dustin Tokarski. Two years. $725,000 per.

Oct. 29th 2020 ... Sabres sign Victor Olofsson. Two years. $3.05 million per.

Oct. 10th 2020 ... Sabres sign Cody Eakin. Two years. $2.25 million per.

Oct. 8th 2020 ... Sabres sign Zemgus Girgensons. Three years. $2.2 million per.

This two month period reeked of amateur hour then and it still stinks now. Since then, 48-months to finally get a goalie who can play respectable - we hope - in UPL, and we still don't have the balls to put Levi in Rochester for the duration of the season where he belongs. Not to mention the fact Levi needs to be the starter in Rochester next season as well, which has zero chance of happening under amateur hour Adams.

Year 14 will happen next season if the amateur hour staff remains. Adams, Ventura, Karamanos, Nightingale, Granato, Ellis, Wolford all need to go. I'm so sick of hearing about how great the analytics people are. Their work product for the Buffalo Sabres is trash. Their drafts have been trash because the optimal move was to trade picks for competent NHL talent. Owen Power's contract looks awful. I'd say Dahlin's does too, but I think he's just seen the standings too many times and has checked out for this season. I fully expect him to be great again next season. Sammy's contract looks awful. Cozens, who is a career 7% shooter got a mega deal off a 14% shooting season. Great analytics work there. The only good deal he's signed is Tage, and it only looks good now rather than great.

Let me add this as well. The Sabres prospects - who we've been assured are so awesome - all got passed by 18-year old Zach Benson who has made exactly zero impact upon the Buffalo Sabres' season. He has a whopping 4 goals in 37 games. He passed every single Sabre forward prospect. A no impact player. Let that sink in.

I don't know how y'all do things around here, but if anyone still backs Adams or his staff that person has no brain in my opinion.

 

[May Day 10]

I'm sure losing to Anaheim was a big one for growth opportunities, learning, and searching for their identity

 

[Dubi Doo]

This dummy let the season flush down the drain because he doesn't have the balls to fire a coach in over his head. Whatever would firing Granato do to the good vibes?!

Coaching changes have righted in season in the past. It may not have worked, but now the stench is strong from this franchise.

 

[slip]

This dummy let the season flush down the drain because he doesn't have the balls to fire a coach in over his head. Whatever would firing Granato do to the good vibes?!

Coaching changes have righted in season in the past. It may not have worked, but now the stench is strong from this franchise.

The real joke was extending Granato for two more years when he was literally under contract for two more years. Why? Was he in high demand? Because he took an awful team and made them slightly less so? Because he moved Tage to center?

Adams can’t fire Granato because he basically bet the ranch on him and shit canning him mid season would be tantamount to admiring he sucks at his job. I mean we all know it, but the Boca Clown Brigade has yet to catch on.

 

[Ehran]

shit canning him mid season would be tantamount to admiring he sucks at his job. I mean we all know it, but the Boca Clown Brigade has yet to catch on.

Adams is absolutely fantastic at his job.

Of course, his job is listening to Terry, not doing anything that might cause a ruckus, and generally being very bland. Processing paperwork for transactions that Terry approves, etc.

He gets a HIGHLY PROFICIENT EOY review each and every year.

 

[Tijuana Donkey Show]

The real joke was extending Granato for two more years when he was literally under contract for two more years. Why? Was he in high demand? Because he took an awful team and made them slightly less so? Because he moved Tage to center?

Adams can’t fire Granato because he basically bet the ranch on him and shit canning him mid season would be tantamount to admiring he sucks at his job. I mean we all know it, but the Boca Clown Brigade has yet to catch on.

I am hoping that the reason Adams hasn’t worked on an extension with Mitts or fired Granato is because his hands are tied and his firing is immanent at season end.

Why allow Adams to fire and hire a new coach that will just be replaced by the next GM.

Same with Mitts. At the moment the Cozens contract doesn’t have value (yet?). Why allow the same guy that forced that one force another in Mitts. Let the new guy do it.


To add onto my pipe dream maybe Pegs finally hires a competent hockey guy and agrees to the rumored no meddling clause we have heard about.

 

[slip]

Adams is absolutely fantastic at his job.

Of course, his job is listening to Terry, not doing anything that might cause a ruckus, and generally being very bland. Processing paperwork for transactions that Terry approves, etc.

He gets a HIGHLY PROFICIENT EOY review each and every year.

 

[Fearnot]

New to the forum. High all. For what it's worth, I've wanted Kevyn Adams gone since about this point:

Oct. 25th 2020 ... Sabres sign Linus Ullmark. One year. $2.6 million.

Oct. 25th 2020 ... Sabres sign Sam Reinhart. One year. $5.2 million

Oct. 10th 2020 ... Sabres sign Brandon Montour. One year. $3.85 million.


Nov. 4th 2020 ... Sabres sign goaltender Dustin Tokarski. Two years. $725,000 per.

Oct. 29th 2020 ... Sabres sign Victor Olofsson. Two years. $3.05 million per.

Oct. 10th 2020 ... Sabres sign Cody Eakin. Two years. $2.25 million per.

Oct. 8th 2020 ... Sabres sign Zemgus Girgensons. Three years. $2.2 million per.

This two month period reeked of amateur hour then and it still stinks now. Since then, 48-months to finally get a goalie who can play respectable - we hope - in UPL, and we still don't have the balls to put Levi in Rochester for the duration of the season where he belongs. Not to mention the fact Levi needs to be the starter in Rochester next season as well, which has zero chance of happening under amateur hour Adams.

Year 14 will happen next season if the amateur hour staff remains. Adams, Ventura, Karamanos, Nightingale, Granato, Ellis, Wolford all need to go. I'm so sick of hearing about how great the analytics people are. Their work product for the Buffalo Sabres is trash. Their drafts have been trash because the optimal move was to trade picks for competent NHL talent. Owen Power's contract looks awful. I'd say Dahlin's does too, but I think he's just seen the standings too many times and has checked out for this season. I fully expect him to be great again next season. Sammy's contract looks awful. Cozens, who is a career 7% shooter got a mega deal off a 14% shooting season. Great analytics work there. The only good deal he's signed is Tage, and it only looks good now rather than great.

Let me add this as well. The Sabres prospects - who we've been assured are so awesome - all got passed by 18-year old Zach Benson who has made exactly zero impact upon the Buffalo Sabres' season. He has a whopping 4 goals in 37 games. He passed every single Sabre forward prospect. A no impact player. Let that sink in.

I don't know how y'all do things around here, but if anyone still backs Adams or his staff that person has no brain in my opinion.

Thanks for the outside voice hopefully most of the points will resonate here. This forum does think Benson has been having a great year and earns his spot without production by back check, fore check and being a puck hound who does the little things right.

 

[KeyserSoze81]

Thanks for the outside voice hopefully most of the points will resonate here. This forum does think Benson has been having a great year and earns his spot without production by back check, fore check and being a puck hound who does the little things right.

"A man lost in the the desert must take such water as he is offered, no matter who it comes from."

I don't think that Benson should be in the NHL, but we are starved for competence in forechecking, backchecking, and defensive awareness.

 

[Tatanka]

"A man lost in the the desert must take such water as he is offered, no matter who it comes from."

I don't think that Benson should be in the NHL, but we are starved for competence in forechecking, backchecking, and defensive awareness.

I agree. I also don't get the narrative that KA has strong development track record. The Amerks got hot last year. Great. But it is not like they are piling up hatdware and ships. I am a believer that you learn professionalism by taking on greater responibility as you demonstrate proficiency. The Sabres gift high draftees roster spots and everyone else gets the gulag treatment. Why don't all spend time there? And yes if Benson can't go there for whatever reason send him back to junior. Learn pro habits. Compete. Let those that follow those rules get looks. If they don't look like a viable solution, next.

But requiring all propects to go through the same process should help in evaluating who stays lt.

But I am getting tired of it all..so who cares.

 

[5 Minute Major]

They’re all worthless.

Bunch of f***ing posers. From the owner on down ,

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

This dummy let the season flush down the drain because he doesn't have the balls to fire a coach in over his head. Whatever would firing Granato do to the good vibes?!

Coaching changes have righted in season in the past. It may not have worked, but now the stench is strong from this franchise.

He’s a dummy because he didn’t try something that “might not have worked?” How does that math work?

He might be a dummy, but it’s not just because he didn’t fire the coach. The other posts here do a much better job at assessing his performance.

New to the forum. High all. For what it's worth, I've wanted Kevyn Adams gone since about this point:

Oct. 25th 2020 ... Sabres sign Linus Ullmark. One year. $2.6 million.

Oct. 25th 2020 ... Sabres sign Sam Reinhart. One year. $5.2 million

Oct. 10th 2020 ... Sabres sign Brandon Montour. One year. $3.85 million.


Nov. 4th 2020 ... Sabres sign goaltender Dustin Tokarski. Two years. $725,000 per.

Oct. 29th 2020 ... Sabres sign Victor Olofsson. Two years. $3.05 million per.

Oct. 10th 2020 ... Sabres sign Cody Eakin. Two years. $2.25 million per.

Oct. 8th 2020 ... Sabres sign Zemgus Girgensons. Three years. $2.2 million per.

This two month period reeked of amateur hour then and it still stinks now. Since then, 48-months to finally get a goalie who can play respectable - we hope - in UPL, and we still don't have the balls to put Levi in Rochester for the duration of the season where he belongs. Not to mention the fact Levi needs to be the starter in Rochester next season as well, which has zero chance of happening under amateur hour Adams.

Year 14 will happen next season if the amateur hour staff remains. Adams, Ventura, Karamanos, Nightingale, Granato, Ellis, Wolford all need to go. I'm so sick of hearing about how great the analytics people are. Their work product for the Buffalo Sabres is trash. Their drafts have been trash because the optimal move was to trade picks for competent NHL talent. Owen Power's contract looks awful. I'd say Dahlin's does too, but I think he's just seen the standings too many times and has checked out for this season. I fully expect him to be great again next season. Sammy's contract looks awful. Cozens, who is a career 7% shooter got a mega deal off a 14% shooting season. Great analytics work there. The only good deal he's signed is Tage, and it only looks good now rather than great.

Let me add this as well. The Sabres prospects - who we've been assured are so awesome - all got passed by 18-year old Zach Benson who has made exactly zero impact upon the Buffalo Sabres' season. He has a whopping 4 goals in 37 games. He passed every single Sabre forward prospect. A no impact player. Let that sink in.

I don't know how y'all do things around here, but if anyone still backs Adams or his staff that person has no brain in my opinion.

Best first post of all time lol

 

[Irie]

I don't know how y'all do things around here, but if anyone still backs Adams or his staff that person has no brain in my opinion.

I'll play.

I have come out against 75% of Adam's moves and draft picks in his tenure as GM. He's proven that making big decisions are not in his repertoire. He does not seem to have the ability to see the reality of the situation, or he is unwilling to admit the truth.

So why do I defend him so often on these boards?

Because

1.) despite the current state of the team, with an actual NHL caliber coach, I see the true potential of this roster. A good coach and a few bottom six moves and this team is absolutely a playoff team

2.) Terry Pegula has zero understanding of what it takes to create a wining team and he is the President and is calling the shots. It is my strong belief that Adams' presence is keeping Terry from making REALLY bad personnel decisions - like Karlsson or Duchene or Yashin level of bad moves.

3.) I evaluate the Coaching and GM moves separately and look at the potential moving forward,

With the exception of Skinner (Thanks Botts), There is not a another contract on this team next season that can't be moved for a positive value return. That is a huge plus.

If I were team president, replacing Adams would be my first order of business, but I trust my decisions and I do not trust Terry Pegula to make a wise hire that won't destroy the foundation that is currently here.

With a new coaching staff, I think this roster starts to shine, and Adams' "overly patient" and "GM by committee approach" on his decision making is likely better than whatever Terry has in store for this team post Adams.

We can complain about the bad two year "kick-the-can-down-the-road" UFA signings, but he has added zero boat anchor contracts and stockpiled a ton of assets, so I have chosen to look at the silver lining and focus on the positives and hope a coaching change is coming soon, or if Adams is relieved of his duties along with Granato, that Pegula finally comes to his senses and hires a legitimate hockey mind to oversee the new GM and coach hires (long shot I am afraid).

 

[OkimLom]

I'll play.

I have come out against 75% of Adam's moves and draft picks in his tenure as GM. He's proven that making big decisions are not in his repertoire. He does not seem to have the ability to see the reality of the situation, or he is unwilling to admit the truth.

So why do I defend him so often on these boards?

Because

1.) despite the current state of the team, with an actual NHL caliber coach, I see the true potential of this roster. A good coach and a few bottom six moves and this team is absolutely a playoff team

2.) Terry Pegula has zero understanding of what it takes to create a wining team and he is the President and is calling the shots. It is my strong belief that Adams' presence is keeping Terry from making REALLY bad personnel decisions - like Karlsson or Duchene or Yashin level of bad moves.

3.) I evaluate the Coaching and GM moves separately and look at the potential moving forward,

With the exception of Skinner (Thanks Botts), There is not a another contract on this team next season that can't be moved for a positive value return. That is a huge plus.

If I were team president, replacing Adams would be my first order of business, but I trust my decisions and I do not trust Terry Pegula to make a wise hire that won't destroy the foundation that is currently here.

With a new coaching staff, I think this roster starts to shine, and Adams' "overly patient" and "GM by committee approach" on his decision making is likely better than whatever Terry has in store for this team post Adams.

We can complain about the bad two year "kick-the-can-down-the-road" UFA signings, but he has added zero boat anchor contracts and stockpiled a ton of assets, so I have chosen to look at the silver lining and focus on the positives and hope a coaching change is coming soon, or if Adams is relieved of his duties along with Granato, that Pegula finally comes to his senses and hires a legitimate hockey mind to oversee the new GM and coach hires (long shot I am afraid).

I'm not buying the idea that Adams is being the guy blocking Terry from making terrible personnel decisions. If Terry wanted to make any decisions, Adams would do his bidding. The reasons for Murray, Botterill being fired, the reasons for Krueger being fired all point to that more than the thought that Adams is somehow the voice of reason to Terry, when Terry fired Adams' predecessors because Terry didn't have a louder voice in the room when they were around.

A Competent General Manager would understand the advantage of having a quality and quantity of a scouting team for competitive purposes. Meanwhile, Adams has a spreadsheet, and a guy that can explain analytics to him.

The more likely scenario of why Adams is still employed, it's that he's a yes man for Terry, and he showed an ability to run something on a shoe-string budget. Adams main purpose is to run the team on a budget with the secondary goal of being competitive. Adams has a budget to work with, and he will maintain that status until Terry says otherwise.

The problem is, and will remain to be Terry, and nothing will change until he does. Adams is just the guy Terry selected to run his budget. If it wasn't going to be Adams, it would be someone else. Adams is nothing special. He's just a guy in a chair.

 

[Irie]

I'm not buying the idea that Adams is being the guy blocking Terry from making terrible personnel decisions. If Terry wanted to make any decisions, Adams would do his bidding. The reasons for Murray, Botterill being fired, the reasons for Krueger being fired all point to that more than the thought that Adams is somehow the voice of reason to Terry, when Terry fired Adams' predecessors because Terry didn't have a louder voice in the room when they were around.

A Competent General Manager would understand the advantage of having a quality and quantity of a scouting team for competitive purposes. Meanwhile, Adams has a spreadsheet, and a guy that can explain analytics to him.

The more likely scenario of why Adams is still employed, it's that he's a yes man for Terry, and he showed an ability to run something on a shoe-string budget. Adams main purpose is to run the team on a budget with the secondary goal of being competitive. Adams has a budget to work with, and he will maintain that status until Terry says otherwise.

The problem is, and will remain to be Terry, and nothing will change until he does. Adams is just the guy Terry selected to run his budget. If it wasn't going to be Adams, it would be someone else. Adams is nothing special. He's just a guy in a chair.

Oh, I completely agree that Adams primary function has been reducing costs for Terry, and unfortunately that is likely part of the job description for any potential replacement candidate, which severely limits the candidate pool (Huge problem, but it is what it is). That said, I don't think we can look at the direction of the farm, team assets, and pace of building the team under Murray and Botts and then pretend Adams is of the same ilk.

Adams is GMing by committee, of this we know. His management style(or lack thereof) is actually a good thing in this particular scenario imo. He is likely taking everyone's positions to Terry on roster decisions and presenting a united front of what the "front office" deems as the best course of action. I think Terry is much more likely to go along with "the committee's" recommendation than one new sycophant GM who was hired to lick Terry's boots.

 

[Dubi Doo]

He’s a dummy because he didn’t try something that “might not have worked?” How does that math work?

He might be a dummy, but it’s not just because he didn’t fire the coach. The other posts here do a much better job at assessing his performance.


Best first post of all time lol

Dont care. Granato is ass. Im going to vent about it.

 

[Ace]

I'm not buying the idea that Adams is being the guy blocking Terry from making terrible personnel decisions. If Terry wanted to make any decisions, Adams would do his bidding. The reasons for Murray, Botterill being fired, the reasons for Krueger being fired all point to that more than the thought that Adams is somehow the voice of reason to Terry, when Terry fired Adams' predecessors because Terry didn't have a louder voice in the room when they were around.

A Competent General Manager would understand the advantage of having a quality and quantity of a scouting team for competitive purposes. Meanwhile, Adams has a spreadsheet, and a guy that can explain analytics to him.

The more likely scenario of why Adams is still employed, it's that he's a yes man for Terry, and he showed an ability to run something on a shoe-string budget. Adams main purpose is to run the team on a budget with the secondary goal of being competitive. Adams has a budget to work with, and he will maintain that status until Terry says otherwise.

The problem is, and will remain to be Terry, and nothing will change until he does. Adams is just the guy Terry selected to run his budget. If it wasn't going to be Adams, it would be someone else. Adams is nothing special. He's just a guy in a chair.

The biggest issue at this point is that a real GM would need to operate in a manner they can explain at their next interview. They’d either act…or quit with cause.

Adams will never be hired for this position anywhere else. Doing what he’s told is the only job he has.

 

[Franchise32of32]

If reporting is to be believed it was Terry Pegula and not Kevyn Adams who insisted upon Tage Thompson as a part of the ROR rethrn. Again, if reporting is to be believed, Kevyn Adams tried to unload Tage for a 5th round pick and was unable to do so.

If reporting is to be believed Terry Pegula insisted upon Alex Tuch in the Jack Eichle trade while Kevyn Adams and his staff were falling all over themselves calling Payton Krebs the jewel of that return.

As bad as Adams is, he looks tons worse if these things are true. Is there reason to believe these things are not true?

 

[OkimLom]

Oh, I completely agree that Adams primary function has been reducing costs for Terry, and unfortunately that is likely part of the job description for any potential replacement candidate, which severely limits the candidate pool (Huge problem, but it is what it is). That said, I don't think we can look at the direction of the farm, team assets, and pace of building the team under Murray and Botts and then pretend Adams is of the same ilk.

Adams is GMing by committee, of this we know. His management style(or lack thereof) is actually a good thing in this particular scenario imo. He is likely taking everyone's positions to Terry on roster decisions and presenting a united front of what the "front office" deems as the best course of action. I think Terry is much more likely to go along with "the committee's" recommendation than one new sycophant GM who was hired to lick Terry's boots.

I didn’t say anything of them being of the same ilk. Just pointing out the motivation of them being fired from a Terry POV.

If reporting is to be believed it was Terry Pegula and not Kevyn Adams who insisted upon Tage Thompson as a part of the ROR rethrn. Again, if reporting is to be believed, Kevyn Adams tried to unload Tage for a 5th round pick and was unable to do so.

If reporting is to be believed Terry Pegula insisted upon Alex Tuch in the Jack Eichle trade while Kevyn Adams and his staff were falling all over themselves calling Payton Krebs the jewel of that return.

As bad as Adams is, he looks tons worse if these things are true. Is there reason to believe these things are not true?

Well I can confirm objectively, Adams had no say in the return on the ROR deal.

 

[MOGlLNY]

If reporting is to be believed it was Terry Pegula and not Kevyn Adams who insisted upon Tage Thompson as a part of the ROR rethrn. Again, if reporting is to be believed, Kevyn Adams tried to unload Tage for a 5th round pick and was unable to do so.

If reporting is to be believed Terry Pegula insisted upon Alex Tuch in the Jack Eichle trade while Kevyn Adams and his staff were falling all over themselves calling Payton Krebs the jewel of that return.

As bad as Adams is, he looks tons worse if these things are true. Is there reason to believe these things are not true?

Ya like the fact that he wasn’t the GM when ROR was traded

 

[Ace]

Ya like the fact that he wasn’t the GM when ROR was traded

To be fair he was probably driving the limo at the time of the conversation.

 

[ForsbergMoDo21]

The other, dumber reasons aside that other posters addressed; Terry has repeatedly demonstrated that he's completely clueless and unaware of anything related to hockey. We're supposed to believe he'd be aware of a western conference team's B prospects?

 

[OkimLom]

To be fair he was probably driving the limo at the time of the conversation.

Nah, he was hosting a class at the Academy of Hockey with fellow teacher Matt Ellis. Probably focused on PP strategy and Prospect Development Solutions that day.