Kevyn Adams GM thread

[slip]

This franchise does not operate like a professional hockey team. It’s like they are going out of business.

 

[GellMann]

I thought he had a great day. He improved the depth like many wanted. IMO none of the guys available today are worth the money they got.

I feel many here wanted Adams to get some big name for the sake of getting some big name.

The big name is for the gaping hole in the top 6, not for the sake of anything

 

[Jage]

People praising Adams for going out and doing the absolute minimum of fielding an actual NHL 4th line.

Whos praising him other than being glad he didn't do some crazy shit? Most sensible fans are bringing reasoning into the crowd running outside with pitchforks.

 

[schpaff]

I’m out for this place..the door hit me in the ass as I left.. unbearable.

 

[debaser66]

Keep believing that. There was no need to trade him for something you did not need creating a need in his place. It was a financial decision.

I dont believe it was financial, for some reason he thought this was a good move to add more youth and jetison experience.
He doesnt seem to value a strong center spine as much and overvalue TT & Cozens.
Its an unecessary gamble to trade Mitts and lose all flexibility should injuries occur.
Now there is no one who can play in the top6 should they struggle or get injured.
Krebs hasnt even proven he can do anything, they botched his path and potential so far, he should have been in the AHL.
Now he is supposed to be the 3C?
Bryam isnt even anything this team needed.
Another puck moving D not physical, maybe injury prone.
The D was not the problem it was the forwards he gambled on and he traded the only one who showed up.

 

[TehDoak]

what players would have made a difference in terms of cup vs no cup?

this team has not been close to 'we just need a big name to push us over the top' in that entire timespan.

so fine, call my point dumb. but your point is equally as dumb (if not more dumb) when you take 5 seconds to think about how what you wanted to happen in fantasy would have actually played out in reality

Move the goalposts much?

The GMs job is to improve the team. Adams has not gone out and added a single significant (i.e. a top six forward, starting goalie, or top 4 d-man) player via trade without giving up a significant player in return since trading for Eric Staal in 2020. In 4+ years.

You can sit here an say "well who do you want them to go get", well, the answer, at this point, is literally something. Anything. Show that you have the ability to do it.

The idea that "well no player he could get would have been the difference between cup/no cup" is just silly. Adams going out and adding a starting goalie would have easily been the difference between playoffs and no playoffs in 22-23.

 

[Fjordy]

(i.e. a top six forward, starting goalie, or top 4 d-man)

I would also say that he created a hole in the center by trading Mitts and hasn't filled it yet.

 

[Jim Bob]

Move the goalposts much?

The GMs job is to improve the team. Adams has not gone out and added a single significant (i.e. a top six forward, starting goalie, or top 4 d-man) player via trade without giving up a significant player in return since trading for Eric Staal in 2020. In 4+ years.

You can sit here an say "well who do you want them to go get", well, the answer, at this point, is literally something. Anything. Show that you have the ability to do it.

The idea that "well no player he could get would have been the difference between cup/no cup" is just silly. Adams going out and adding a starting goalie would have easily been the difference between playoffs and no playoffs in 22-23.

Even the Staal trade saw MoJo heading to Minnesota.

Staal played in 32 games as a Sabre and had 10 points.

MoJo played 36 games for the Wild and had 14 points.

That is more of a vet for vet change of scenery deal and not a futures for a quality NHLer like we all want now.

The biggest futures for an NHLer trade Adams has made is the Greenway deal.

Here is the list of future(s) for NHLers that Kevyn Adams has made in 4 years as the Sabres GM:

6/29/2024 – 2024 2nd (#43) for Beck Malenstyn

3/3/2023 – 2023 2nd & 2024 5th for Jordan Greenway

2/27/2023 – Josh Bloom for Riley Stillman

That's it.

 

[sabremike]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808102784413171724

This Xitter thread is quite a damning indictment of Kevyn's competency as a GM.

 

[Sabre Dance]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808102784413171724

This Xitter thread is quite a damning indictment of Kevyn's competency as a GM.

To judge competency we must know the objective.

 

[OkimLom]

For curious cases, I kind of would like to see the numbers, of people that were fans of the movie Moneyball, and how many of those, are completely fine with how Kevyn has handled his tenure here.

 

[SabresFan26]

To judge competency we must know the objective.

So bad.

 

[TehDoak]

To judge competency we must know the objective.

I can't believe it's time for this conversation, but I'll let coach here take care of it for me

 

[TageGod]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808102784413171724

This Xitter thread is quite a damning indictment of Kevyn's competency as a GM.

To be fair Byram is a legit acquisition as was Greenway.

 

[PunchImlach is Alive]

To be fair Byram is a legit acquisition as was Greenway.

They were, by definition, acquisitions. But not ones that move the needle for a playoff spot.

 

[Fjordy]

For curious cases, I kind of would like to see the numbers, of people that were fans of the movie Moneyball, and how many of those, are completely fine with how Kevyn has handled his tenure here.

I'm a big fan of the movie Moneyball, but it wasn't Kevyn who starred there, it was Bill Zito. He even did better than Brad Pitt because Zito ended up winning the cup. I think that GM seems to be Cleveland, who was more like Kevyn in the movie. I remember he didn't want to trade anyone then.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Whos praising him other than being glad he didn't do some crazy shit? Most sensible fans are bringing reasoning into the crowd running outside with pitchforks.

GMKA is mostly a lackey who has to operate in certain parameters. This becomes more clear every day. The Sabres bought out Skinner for no apparent reason other than to save money. They will be well under the cap for a 5th straight year on top of the fact the team is in a high tax jurisdiction and ownership will not use loopholes in cap that allow more front-loaded contracts and bonuses to be paid.

There may be a GM who has enough credibility to overcome some of this, but blaming GMKA, who has little experience, for the general state of the franchise just seems unfair. What he has done on drafting is decent but some of his other work so so. Like most GMs in Buffalo, his hands are tied.

To be honest, we don't even know realistically if he wanted Ruff. Peters/Rivet have reported NJD are paying part of Ruff's contract which makes sense since he was under contract with them. How much? Who knows? But it likely factored in.

What's next? The GMKA has been some talent into roster through picks, something that should happen when you keep missing playoffs. And Ruff is still Ruff whatever reasons for his hire so he might be successful.

I get the abuse of Adams but it's mostly unfair. He took a job he wasn't qualified for but who can blame him? There are 32 GM slots, he grabbed one to advance his career

 

[Sabre Dance]

I can't believe it's time for this conversation, but I'll let coach here take care of it for me

Exactly. If you take 2020 as the starting point, when Adams became GM, wouldn’t you say they’re on the right path in terms of building a successful organization?

The last 2 year stretch is the best 2 year stretch since 2011-2012, and that was a veteran hockey team. This is a young hockey team with a stable of good prospects.

I hate defending Adams but the franchise is in great shape today. They’re going to be good, it just might be another year or two before these young players start to reach potential. Even Dahlin hasn’t peaked yet.

 

[TageGod]

They were, by definition, acquisitions. But not ones that move the needle for a playoff spot.

A potential top 4D wouldn't move the needle? 3rd line winger doesn't move the needle? If you ever actually thought the Buffalo Sabre's would acquire Stamkos or a top end player with an NMC....this is life for a small market franchise that can't win.

 

[Fjordy]

Even Dahlin hasn’t peaked yet.

I hope he doesn't ask for a trade if they don't make the playoffs again.

 

[Montag DP]

Exactly. If you take 2020 as the starting point, when Adams became GM, wouldn’t you say they’re on the right path in terms of building a successful organization?

The last 2 year stretch is the best 2 year stretch since 2011-2012, and that was a veteran hockey team. This is a young hockey team with a stable of good prospects.

I hate defending Adams but the franchise is in great shape today. They’re going to be good, it just might be another year or two before these young players start to reach potential. Even Dahlin hasn’t peaked yet.

This team is always a year or two from making the playoffs. We're just following the same old script that hasn't worked for the last decade. At some point you need to build out the team and try to win, not perpetually sell off everything and get more draft picks.

 

[PunchImlach is Alive]

A potential top 4D wouldn't move the needle? 3rd line winger doesn't move the needle? If you ever actually thought the Buffalo Sabre's would acquire Stamkos or a top end player with an NMC....this is life for a small market franchise that can't win.

I mean those are nice additions but you need a lot more than 1 potential top 4 D. Right now we have 2 legit top 4. As for 3rd line wing, great, but it's not nearly enough. Those are great moves for a team heading to the playoffs but it's not enough for a team trying to even get inside the wild card race. They're not difference makers when there are still so many holes on the roster. I don't expect Buffalo to grab someone with a NMC but trading for talent without one is still an option, even if it's an overpayment.

 

[Dubi Doo]

i'm probably gonna get roasted for saying this, but i like what GMKA has done so far. the team doesn't need top 6 talent. it's already here. an actual competitive nhl bottom 6 will do wonders–we're making the playoffs next year if that bunch is even marginally above average.

no denying that the verdict is still out, but nonetheless.......

If he can get a better C than Krebs, I'll be ecstatic with this offseason. We have two potential shutdown lines in the bottom-6. I don't doubt Krebs will be able to compliment Greenway and Benson well (I assume those are his linemates). That line should be able to go against top-6 lines, and tilt the ice in the Sabres favor. I just fear Krebs wont produce, and we need scoring depth.

 

[TehDoak]

Exactly. If you take 2020 as the starting point, when Adams became GM, wouldn’t you say they’re on the right path in terms of building a successful organization?

The last 2 year stretch is the best 2 year stretch since 2011-2012, and that was a veteran hockey team. This is a young hockey team with a stable of good prospects.

I hate defending Adams but the franchise is in great shape today. They’re going to be good, it just might be another year or two before these young players start to reach potential. Even Dahlin hasn’t peaked yet.

In 2020 Adams had a .500 team with a:

Franchise Center (Eichel)
Top Line Winger (reinhart)
1st overall pick d-man in development (Dahlin)
A starting goalie (Ullmark)

He had Cozens, Mittelstadt as former top 10 picks in the pipeline. Tage Thompson was coming off a major injury and really wasn't much of a consideration. And you had the Skinner contract looking like a big fat failure as well. You had Samuelsson, Jokijarhu, and Ryan Johnson in the defensive pipeline.

Thats the skeleton for a good team that a skilled professional GM with a budget could have built around and had success.

Unfortunately, we hired a loyalist with no experience and gave him no resources and no support.

His offseason moves, combined with bad coaching and injury luck, drove the team to a last place finish.

While the prospect pipeline is certainly stronger now that it was when he took over, the roster isn't in a significantly better place, at least in terms of results.

The management blew up what was a 7 year rebuild at the time and hit the reset button. Because the players weren't good? No, the cornerstone pieces other than Ristolainen have gone on and had great success since leaving. And even then, by all accounts, Ristolainen has done well in Philly. Because, they labeled the players as malcontents that "didn't want to be here". The angry players were the problem. But the reality was they simply wanted to be in a well run organization that knew how to win. It had nothing to do with the city of Buffalo and had everything to do with how bad of a job the Pegulas and the management they hired did in running the team.

So no, Adams has not done a good job since 2020. He dismanted a the skeleton of a good team, gathered assets, and his greatest success was missing the playoffs by a point....in a league where 50% of the teams make the playoffs. And that only happened because Tage Thompson came off the scrap heap to become a top line center, something he had no control over. Adams has constantly squandered dollars on bad players, left cap space assets ununused, and consistently failed to address obvious needs of the team.

The teams drafting has been, at least on paper, good since taking over, however, that has yet to translate to any tangible success on the ice.

The goal is to win games. In the NHL. To make the playoffs. And win the cup. Not amass prospects. And yes, having a good prospect pool can lead to great things. But, you need to be able to construct a legit NHL roster that can make the playoffs for that to matter. If all you are doing in developing prospects to the point they get sick of losing in the NHL and want to leave, you are just a developmental team for the rest of the NHL.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

This team is always a year or two from making the playoffs. We're just following the same old script that hasn't worked for the last decade. At some point you need to build out the team and try to win, not perpetually sell off everything and get more draft picks.

This