Kevyn Adams GM thread

[elchud]

Imagine the pressure to make the playoffs if we were a cap team

 

[K8fool]

Sure, they Quinn and Peterka MIGHT be legit top line forwards.

You don't evaluate a team on hopes and dreams, you look at who they are.

Right now, their production is what you see on a secondary scoring winger. Could they grow and develop? Sure. Will they? That is far from a certainty.

Thompson had two seasons where the coach told him 'go go go', he scored 162 pts in 166 games.

When they pulled the reins of that system in a bit....he scored 56 pts in 71 games. Now, injuries take a toll there. And so did the power play dropping.

But to say that his upside is the average production he got on his two seasons as the unquestioned #1 center on a shackle free system isn't really a stretch. He's a very good center. He's just not an elite center (i.e. top 10)



I'm assuming you mean UPL. Goalie stats are hugely team dependent, but GSAA he was 16th. If you take out goalies with less than 30 starts, he was 12th

Slightly above average? Not elite, but good.



It's not. We have 5 top six forwards. (Thompson, Tuch, Cozens, Peterka, Quinn)

We have 1 top pair d-man. (Dahlin)

We have depth behind them in the bottom six and bottom 4. We have probably 3 2nd pair d-men (Depending on how you feel about Samuelsson). Maybe Power takes a step this year and is a top pair guy. Maybe Byram does

We have alot of great prospects coming who COULD become top six forwards. But...none of those are here yet. Maybe Kulich is...maybe he's not. Maybe Benson becomes one.

Maybe Maybe Maybe.

We have a potentially high talent group. But, as is...its right in the mediocre category. Not elite, not terrible. Just right in the mushy middle, probably on the lower end given the volume of youth.




Describe it another way...maybe...lack of elite talent? Players who can score in tight checking, high pressure games?



It didn't though. That's the problem. We are still square in it. And to be fair, I don't see a path to be legit contenders. Path to be a playoff team, sure. But elite legit cup contenders?

We'd have to hit on nearly every prospect and have masterful management of balancing development of players and winning expectations as well as a keen eye for properly building out teams so roles are filled.

Has Adams demonstrated the ability to do any of that entering his 5th year as GM?

Wow. Thompson not close to top ten
One top pair defense and upl. Didn't read too much more to absorb the theme.
We blow.

That is an opinion. It took massive injuries and weird coaching moments , a new nhl edge puck fun etc

Ill be living on the street somewhere, ( as I'm finished w society and waiting on one last thing stolen to be given a chance to returned) during the season to check this dour post, but I'll make the effort.

Look at the bills roster. Coaching matters. We'll see if lindy is well enough to do what he clearly is capable of. The talent is fine. If they do well expect a big add as well if needed)

 

[TehDoak]

Imagine the pressure to make the playoffs if we were a cap team

I mean, its damned if you do, damned if you don't.

If we are capped out and the team fails, the GM is going to get nailed for poor use of resources

If we are 7M under the cap and we don't win, the GM is going to get nailed for not using his resources.

The only real way out for Adams is for the team to win and break the playoff streak. If not, everything and anything he does will be heavily criticized.

 

[TehDoak]

Wow. Thompson not close to top ten
One top pair defense and upl. Didn't read too much more to absorb the theme.
We blow.

That is an opinion. It took massive injuries and weird coaching moments , a new nhl edge puck fun etc

Ill be living on the street somewhere, ( as I'm finished w society and waiting on one last thing stolen to be given a chance to returned) during the season to check this dour post, but I'll make the effort.

Look at the bills roster. Coaching matters. We'll see if lindy is well enough to do what he clearly is capable of. The talent is fine. If they do well expect a big add as well if needed)

I didn't say we blow, I said we're mediocre. 1/3 of the playoff teams every year are mediocre though, so its not some massive insult.

We're in the mushy middle of non elite, not terrible teams.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

Another format -

Good to see Kevin talk about the Savoie/McLeod deal 2.5 months after he made it.

 

[May Day 10]

Are we still freaking out how we are going to pay Myers, McNabb, McCabe, Luke Adam, and Pysyk in a few years?

 

[MOGlLNY]

It definitely feels like Terry is kicking the financial can down the road until the new stadium is built. You don’t need to even pay Peterka or Quinn until that new stadium is built anyways.

While hoping the Sabres get playoff revenue with young and cheaper talent to offset being in the red for so many years.

 

[buffalowing88]

I didn't say we blow, I said we're mediocre. 1/3 of the playoff teams every year are mediocre though, so its not some massive insult.

We're in the mushy middle of non elite, not terrible teams.

Maybe you should just return his things to him, man.

 

[BFLO]

I am assuming that Pegula has bought into the slow draft and develop approach to the build and has been in lock step with the approach to the off season each and every year of Adams's time as GM.

You assume that winning now has been the expectation of Adams by Pegula since his hire. I do not believe that is the case.

Adding trade chips by paying UFAs to come here and then trading them away at the deadline, or taking on cap dumps should fall under the "slow draft and develop approach" right? But those kind of moves cost $ and we didn't make any.

Signing UFAs and taking on cap dumps would also have meant that our draft picks would have developed in lower leagues where they belonged instead of being rushed into the nhl before they were ready. But again, that costs more money than we spent.

If we're on the "slow draft and develop approach", why the rush to get our prospects into the NHL? Why be the youngest team in the league for 4 years in a row? Because it's cheaper.

 

[OkimLom]

I mean, its damned if you do, damned if you don't.

If we are capped out and the team fails, the GM is going to get nailed for poor use of resources

If we are 7M under the cap and we don't win, the GM is going to get nailed for not using his resources.

The only real way out for Adams is for the team to win and break the playoff streak. If not, everything and anything he does will be heavily criticized.

Well, to be fair, I'd say he's been pretty bad with the resources he had to use, and we weren't a cap strapped team.

Are we still freaking out how we are going to pay Myers, McNabb, McCabe, Luke Adam, and Pysyk in a few years?

That's a question for Kevyn to answer, not the fans.

 

[sabremike]

Looks like we have the eventual replacement for KA:

 

[Willgamesh]

Looks like we have the eventual replacement for KA:
View attachment 907829

I think Terry asked the dog who the head coach should be.

 

[Fjordy]

Looks like we have the eventual replacement for KA:
View attachment 907829

This photo makes it look more like Kevin Devine is the owner of the team, and like he came from hot Florida to cold Buffalo.

 

[Jim Bob]

Adding trade chips by paying UFAs to come here and then trading them away at the deadline, or taking on cap dumps should fall under the "slow draft and develop approach" right? But those kind of moves cost $ and we didn't make any.

Signing UFAs and taking on cap dumps would also have meant that our draft picks would have developed in lower leagues where they belonged instead of being rushed into the nhl before they were ready. But again, that costs more money than we spent.

If we're on the "slow draft and develop approach", why the rush to get our prospects into the NHL? Why be the youngest team in the league for 4 years in a row? Because it's cheaper.

They haven't really rushed that many prospects. They have been the youngest team in the league because they have had so many guys on ELCs and 2nd contracts on the roster because of the nature of the approach to the rebuild.

Benson is the only player that Adams has drafted that played over 10 games in the NHL in their D+1 season.

Quinn didn't stick until his D+3 season. The same with JJP.

Power went back to Michigan for his D+1 season and got 8 games at the end of the year. That isn't rushing a 1OV pick.

Rosen has 7 NHL GP in his 3 post-draft seasons.

Savoie, Ostlund, and Kulich have a combined 2 NHL GPs in their 2 post-draft seasons.

Cozens playing 41 NHL games in his D+2 season isn't really rushing a top 10 pick.

And it took until his D+5 season for Ryan Johnson to play 41 NHL games. They certainly did not rush RyJo to the NHL.

Levi was rushed a little bit last year after that solid small sample size of 7 games at the end of his D+3 season.

Overall, they are either letting guys slow cook a relatively long time (RyJo, Rosen, Ostlund, & Kulich), letting guys cook about average (Power & Cozens), and the microwave approach has really only been with Benson.

 

[TehDoak]

Looks like we have the eventual replacement for KA:
View attachment 907829

I mean, he'd add the same amount of top six forwards in the summer and in most years he'd just use all his draft picks and let the scouts run the draft.

Wait a second....

 

[HOOats]

I think Terry asked the dog who the head coach should be.

10/10

 

[BFLO]

They haven't really rushed that many prospects. They have been the youngest team in the league because they have had so many guys on ELCs and 2nd contracts on the roster because of the nature of the approach to the rebuild.

Benson is the only player that Adams has drafted that played over 10 games in the NHL in their D+1 season.

Quinn didn't stick until his D+3 season. The same with JJP.

Power went back to Michigan for his D+1 season and got 8 games at the end of the year. That isn't rushing a 1OV pick.

Rosen has 7 NHL GP in his 3 post-draft seasons.

Savoie, Ostlund, and Kulich have a combined 2 NHL GPs in their 2 post-draft seasons.

Cozens playing 41 NHL games in his D+2 season isn't really rushing a top 10 pick.

And it took until his D+5 season for Ryan Johnson to play 41 NHL games. They certainly did not rush RyJo to the NHL.

Levi was rushed a little bit last year after that solid small sample size of 7 games at the end of his D+3 season.

Overall, they are either letting guys slow cook a relatively long time (RyJo, Rosen, Ostlund, & Kulich), letting guys cook about average (Power & Cozens), and the microwave approach has really only been with Benson.

Cozens played 41 out of 56 games that season. It's not like he got called up halfway through the year, he was on the sabres from game 1. I'll be honest that I don't remember his deployment much from his d+2 season as I've tried to erase the entire 2020-21 season from my memory (kreuger, 18 game win less streak, pain), but I know by d+3 he was the 2C and he was not ready for it. Rushing your recent top 10 pick to be the 2c is the same crap Botterill did to Mitts.

Ryjo chose the NCAA route.

UPL was also rushed. They tried to make him the starter back when he was 22 years old, but he got injured and went on IR after only 9 games, and then 33 games the following season at age 23, while dealing with injuries.

What about Krebs? Why has he been on the NHL squad the past 3 seasons?

I also notice you haven't really addressed the lack of UFAs or cap dumps at all. The margin between teams is razor thin in the NHL, so it's a game of maximizing every competitive advantage you have, no matter how small the %. I wonder what the % advantage lost is on ~$60 million in cumulative unused cap over the last 4 seasons? That's a lot of trade/draft capital we could have bought, especially when cap dollars were at an all time premium during the flat cap pandemic years. And this isn't even getting into how spending more $ could have improved the roster and record.

 

[MOGlLNY]

Delete

 

[Jim Bob]

Cozens played 41 out of 56 games that season. It's not like he got called up halfway through the year, he was on the sabres from game 1. I'll be honest that I don't remember his deployment much from his d+2 season as I've tried to erase the entire 2020-21 season from my memory (kreuger, 18 game win less streak, pain), but I know by d+3 he was the 2C and he was not ready for it. Rushing your recent top 10 pick to be the 2c is the same crap Botterill did to Mitts.

Ryjo chose the NCAA route.

UPL was also rushed. They tried to make him the starter back when he was 22 years old, but he got injured and went on IR after only 9 games, and then 33 games the following season at age 23, while dealing with injuries.

What about Krebs? Why has he been on the NHL squad the past 3 seasons?

I also notice you haven't really addressed the lack of UFAs or cap dumps at all. The margin between teams is razor thin in the NHL, so it's a game of maximizing every competitive advantage you have, no matter how small the %. I wonder what the % advantage lost is on ~$60 million in cumulative unused cap over the last 4 seasons? That's a lot of trade/draft capital we could have bought, especially when cap dollars were at an all time premium during the flat cap pandemic years. And this isn't even getting into how spending more $ could have improved the roster and record.

I did not talk about that topic because I have ranted about that enough that I thought it would be redundant.

I have said repeatedly that they are too young and inexperienced to really compete. I have said repeatedly that it is a problem that they have let so much cap space expire without using it to add assets or improve the roster.

I'll give you Krebs, but they did not try and rush UPL. That 9 game season for UPL was in his D+5 season after he got 4 games in his D+4 season. And he had a .917 Save% in those 9 games and was their 2nd best of the 6 goalies they used that year to the 2 game heater that the House Cat had.

Overall, you have like two or three cases of guys getting rushed to the NHL with the vast majority either arriving on an average to patient timeline.

It's just that they have had so many young draft and develop guys and a really young core with relatively few UFA age players that has led them to being the youngest team in the league.

 

[SabresFan26]

I think Terry asked the dog who the head coach should be.

Post of the year candidate.

 

[SabresFan26]

Hopefully Cozens watched Youngblood this summer and trained at home in the farm this offseason.

 

[joshjull]

It definitely feels like Terry is kicking the financial can down the road until the new stadium is built. You don’t need to even pay Peterka or Quinn until that new stadium is built anyways.

While hoping the Sabres get playoff revenue with young and cheaper talent to offset being in the red for so many years.

The Bills stadium has nothing to do with the Sabres. The stadium’s final cost will likely fall between 1.5 and 2 billion dollars. Pegula is getting 850mil in tax paying dollars and selling 25% of the Bills to cover his costs. That sale should net him at least 1 billion, probably more. So thats a stadium fund of around 2 billion, possibly more. That doesn’t included PSLs which could net him another 65mil.

The money involved with the stadium dwarfs anything NHL team related. As taxpayers, we alone gave the Bills almost 10X the upper payroll limit of an entire NHL team. If Quinn/Peterka both signed 7-8mil AAV deals. Even combined, that amount would still be less than 1% of the stadium project. I also don’t know why you think the Sabres are in the black.

Pegula will also never make back the money he lost on the Sabres since he initially bought them. The Sabres as a stand alone entity have probably lost over 100mil during his ownership. The Covid season alone was a big chunk of that.

The Sabres have only broken even/made a little money in the two years post full season lockout. That was with an enormous season ticket base that had a big waiting list that drove a ton of sellouts and they had 3 rounds of playoff revenue. Do you envision any of that happening any time soon with this team? They’re not making money now and aren’t likely to do so any time soon. Paying or not paying Quinn/Peterka right now means nothing in the big picture of the numbers involved. Not paying them means losing less money not making money.


Our roster spending habits are entirely due to Adams and the plan he wanted to pursue.

 

[Gabrielor]

I wish the off-season they just had was a year earlier.

 

[Dubi Doo]

I wish the off-season they just had was a year earlier.

Don't we all. Thankfully, Ruff was brought in, and I'm assuming was in his ear on what this team needs.

 

[Irie]

The Bills stadium has nothing to do with the Sabres. The stadium’s final cost will likely fall between 1.5 and 2 billion dollars. Pegula is getting 850mil in tax paying dollars and selling 25% of the Bills to cover his costs. That sale should net him at least 1 billion, probably more. So thats a stadium fund of around 2 billion, possibly more. That doesn’t included PSLs which could net him another 65mil.

The money involved with the stadium dwarfs anything NHL team related. As taxpayers, we alone gave the Bills almost 10X the upper payroll limit of an entire NHL team. If Quinn/Peterka both signed 7-8mil AAV deals. Even combined, that amount would still be less than 1% of the stadium project. I also don’t know why you think the Sabres are in the black.

Pegula will also never make back the money he lost on the Sabres since he initially bought them. The Sabres as a stand alone entity have probably lost over 100mil during his ownership. The Covid season alone was a big chunk of that.

The Sabres have only broken even/made a little money in the two years post full season lockout. That was with an enormous season ticket base that had a big waiting list that drove a ton of sellouts and they had 3 rounds of playoff revenue. Do you envision any of that happening any time soon with this team? They’re not making money now and aren’t likely to do so any time soon. Paying or not paying Quinn/Peterka right now means nothing in the big picture of the numbers involved. Not paying them means losing less money not making money.


Our roster spending habits are entirely due to Adams and the plan he wanted to pursue.

I don't think we can say that there is no correlation between the amount of money Terry sinks.into the Sabres to what he sinks.into the Bills year to year. The two franchises were even run under the same company up until last season

I think he is definitely monitoring spending on both franchises and his overall financial situation. Like most billionaires, he is looking for ways to get others to pay for his expenses - government help and outside investors, but at the end of the day, he is going to have to spend some of his own personal wealth on these projects, and it feels like he is limiting that bleeding each year -thus the correlation.

I also am not sure what you meant when you said pegula will never get back the money he has lost since he.bought the team. He bought for under 200 million and could probably sell for 700+ million now, so he will.absolutely see the money he has lost again *if* he ever decides to sell. In the grand scheme of things, his absolute personal wealth has not taken a hit from owning the Sabres, and it is actually quite the opposite, despite the teams financial woes.

As GM of the Sabres, part of Adams duties have been reining in costs. Decipher his actions during his tenure, not his GM-speak at press conferences.