Kevyn Adams GM thread

[Ace]

We are in late stage Tom Donahoe territory with this GM.

 

[Sabresbyswords104]

Sabres should Know now they are no playoff team . So should be intresting see what Adams do . NeXT gm hire need to be someone that have Done it before

 

[toddkaz]

Sabres should Know now they are no playoff team . So should be intresting see what Adams do . NeXT gm hire need to be someone that have Done it before

I only wish that would be the case. Pegula wont hire someone experienced.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Kevin Adams makes Big Sabres Move!!!!!

Bans Palm Trees from Arena!

Man, imagine if he felt upset about the 13-year no playoff streak as he does about inflatable palm trees. The team might actually not suck ass.

 

[Fjordy]

 

[Ace]

Anyone who brings a palm tree and is told they can’t have it…just tell them you have a no palm tree movement clause you are unwilling to waive. Adams will give up on solving this altogether.

 

[Fjordy]

Here's how fans should talk to Adams.

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[OkimLom]

Anyone who brings a palm tree and is told they can’t have it…just tell them you have a no palm tree movement clause you are unwilling to waive. Adams will give up on solving this altogether.

“It’s my Emotional Support Palm Tree”.

Sabres should Know now they are no playoff team . So should be intresting see what Adams do . NeXT gm hire need to be someone that have Done it before

Be careful about the vagueness of that request. There’s plenty of people out there that have “done it before” that may not have succeeded

 

[ForsbergMoDo21]

Awesome UPL liked the post. Not a good sign for Adams when he is being mocked.

I made a snarky comment about the team/Peterka yesterday and saw Sam Lafferty liked it.

The discord is mounting.


It’s kind of hilarious that Adams said he can’t get good UFAs literally while Zucker is outplaying 9/10 of the team.

 

[Jimmybarndoor2]

This is Adam’s team. He decided the roster. He decided not to make changes. This is on him

He is the one responsible. There is accountability on him. This is awful

 

[truthbluth]

How is this MFer not fired?

 

[Jim Bob]

How is this MFer not fired?

He is listening to the owner.

Not listening to Terry and doing what he wanted is what got Murray and Botterill fired and not the team's win/loss record.

 

[1point21Gigawatts]

How is this MFer not fired?

Kevyn Adams' hire is the closest thing to nepotism without actually being related. He is Tpegs super yesman and i don't see that changing.

 

[Fjordy]

Kevyn Adams' hire is the closest thing to nepotism without actually being related. He is Tpegs super yesman and i don't see that changing.

I hope Terry's relatives clear his head sooner rather than later.

 

[MHO]

Hawks fan here. I saw the press conference and saw a defeated man who wants to do good but doesn't know how to handle the media, relate to fans, and say what he wants to say without angering his boss.

I went to London last year and by coincidence, it was the same week as when the Bills were there. I interacted with a ton of Bills fans and Buffalo people are some of the best people/fans I have ever come across and you guys deserve so much better. I heard a lot about Pegula and the only reason why his teams have any success is luck and the Bills finally lucked into Josh Allen.

It makes me so sad to say this but unless the Sabres somehow luck into the next true generational talent, this hamster wheel will continue to be a hamster wheel. The top 10 picks of the last 15 years have been ok to pretty good but to build a team, you need to either hit on hall of famers at the top of the draft or be able to find NHL players in the later rounds. Outside of Peterka, the Sabres have found absolutely nothing past the first round. To me, combined with the fact that Buffalo players have found success with other teams later in their careers, this screams that the player development department there is terrible and the Eichel situation will not help in attracting free agents.

I know I'm not telling you guys anything you don't already know but maybe this opinion from an outsider will convince Pegula to sell the team? Unfortunately, I don't think that firing Adams will do much and again, you guys deserve so much better...

 

[Fjordy]

I don't think that firing Adams will do much and again, you guys deserve so much better...

There could be changes if Pegula appoints an experienced person to lead the team or if Pegula simply steps down and his daughter does the same. Let Terry take care of the household and his sick wife, which makes life miserable for Sabres fans, sometimes you have to stop.

 

[BFLO]

I feel like Terry isn't going to fire Adams until Terry has decided to change course and try something different with the next GM.

Otherwise he'll just keep Adams.


Terry hasn't soured on "The Plan" yet.

 

[TehDoak]

We are in late stage Tom Donahoe territory with this GM.

I'm very curious about the reports that security is asking people to deflate and put away palm trees. Is that ACTUALLY happening or are people just being stupid on the internet.

If so, its probably time to go. If you can't handle MILD criticism by the fans when you've f***ed up, you aren't long for this league, especially as a GM. At least those people are still showing up to the games. If you don't like them razzing the front office, be better.

 

[Sabresbyswords104]

If Adams couldn't make the Sabres a playoff team with what he's done so far, he won't be able to do it moving forward either. We have decent players, but we're lacking a superstar. That's what we should have had earlier in our rebuild during the Eichel and Reinhart years.

 

[Jim Bob]

I feel like Terry isn't going to fire Adams until Terry has decided to change course and try something different with the next GM.

Otherwise he'll just keep Adams.


Terry hasn't soured on "The Plan" yet.

What Terry Pegula had to say about firing Sabres coach, GM (transcript)

The owner discusses what led to firing Tim Murray and Dan Bylsma.

www.newyorkupstate.com

Terry after firing Murray & Bylsma:

Q: Can you be more specific on maybe some of the decisions that you've made that ended up going in the wrong direction to get you to this point?

Pegula: Well, I can tell you that I was not involved in the last GM/coach search to a large extent and I regret that move. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

Q: Terry, I know you want to restrict this to Sabres questions and I understand that, but one of the questions I've been asked, in making the decision to fire Tim Murray, why Murray and not when you made the decision with Sean McDermott and the Bills did you not fire Doug Whaley?

Pegula: Well, we're not talking about football here, but again, our organization needs more discipline, structure and communication. This is how you win. We need to get better at that in the future.

And then after moving on from Botts:

Sabres fire GM Botterill in series of cost-cutting moves

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula reversed course by firing general manager Jason Botterill on Tuesday as part of a drastic cost-cutting purge of front-office staff and scouts on a team preparing to sit idle for what could be the remainder of the calendar year.

apnews.com

Buffalo Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula reversed course by firing general manager Jason Botterill on Tuesday as part of a drastic cost-cutting purge of front-office staff and scouts on a team preparing to sit idle for what could be the remainder of the calendar year.

The Pegulas cited a lack of communication and philosophical differences in announcing the decision to fire Botterill, three weeks after saying the GM would be retained.

What also became clear during a Zoom conference call with the owners was their sudden focus on keeping costs in line, with Terry Pegula twice mentioning a need to have an effectively, efficiently and economically run franchise, while adding: “We’re going to get leaner.”

Communication is a common theme between those two decisions. Since Adams has said that he talks to Terry every day, it seems like the communication is there...

 

[Sabresbyswords104]

Adams needs to make the kind of bold moves that Florida's GM did. The Panthers' GM has been aggressive in adding key pieces through trades, like acquiring Matthew Tkachuk, which completely changed the team’s dynamic and helped them compete at a higher level. Adams should look to make similar high-impact trades that can accelerate the Sabres' rebuild and bring in players who can immediately contribute to pushing the team towards a playoff spot.

Adams can't be afraid to trade players, but when he does, the return has to be for a game-changing player. To take the Sabres to the next level, he needs to make bold moves that bring in a true superstar or top-tier talent—someone who can immediately elevate the team and help drive them into playoff contention. Without that kind of impact return, the trades won’t do enough to push the rebuild forward.

 

[May Day 10]

I'm very curious about the reports that security is asking people to deflate and put away palm trees. Is that ACTUALLY happening or are people just being stupid on the internet.

If so, its probably time to go. If you can't handle MILD criticism by the fans when you've f***ed up, you aren't long for this league, especially as a GM. At least those people are still showing up to the games. If you don't like them razzing the front office, be better.

I was there and saw 2 inflatable palm trees taken away by ushers/security, and also a paper bag that someone in a tropical shirt was using as a mask. That was just in the immediate 3-4 sections I was in/near.

At this point, Pegula is 73 years old, and has been doing this "his way" to some degree (with 2 months of LaFontaine/Patrick) for 14 years now. I don't see him changing his stripes at this point.

Even if they are forced to change, it is going to be a "job title shuffle" that the Bills mastered during the depths of their drought. That will result in another 3-year minimum before everyone unanimously agrees its not working again and they are forced to make some other half-measure change.

 

[BFLO]

Adams needs to make the kind of bold moves that Florida's GM did. The Panthers' GM has been aggressive in adding key pieces through trades, like acquiring Matthew Tkachuk, which completely changed the team’s dynamic and helped them compete at a higher level. Adams should look to make similar high-impact trades that can accelerate the Sabres' rebuild and bring in players who can immediately contribute to pushing the team towards a playoff spot.

Adams can't be afraid to trade players, but when he does, the return has to be for a game-changing player. To take the Sabres to the next level, he needs to make bold moves that bring in a true superstar or top-tier talent—someone who can immediately elevate the team and help drive them into playoff contention. Without that kind of impact return, the trades won’t do enough to push the rebuild forward.

I think Adams needs to go back a bit further and look at the 2015-16 Florida Panthers.

Florida had finished 2nd last in the league 2 seasons prior and won the lottery for Ekblad. They had been drafting high for a decade. And had a number of good young players in Ekblad, Barkov, Huberdeau, Reily Smith, Trochek, Kulikov, Gudbranson.

But they surrounded those young guys with grizzled veteran winners. Like JAROMIR JAGR, Jussi Jokinen, Brian Campbell and Roberto Lunongo in net. And they won the Atlantic with 103 points.

Teaching those young guys how to win at a young age payed dividends 8 years later. Also making a bunch of good trades like you alluded to helped get them over the top.

 

[joshjull]

Spotrac has the Sabres cash spend on the NHL roster as 18th in the NHL in that 2021 COVID year. So, what you label as near the upper limit, Spotrac has in the bottom half of the league. And they have been in the bottom 6 in the four years since.

I’m talking about what they spent relative to the cap. You’re talking about what they spent relative to the rest of the league. Those are two different things. One doesn’t refute the other and they can both be true. A team can be ranked in the teens and still be spending at, near or even above the upper limit.

I cannot believe that is all on the GM.

Thats fine. But for me, it’s about Adams overrating of his own guys and not seeing the same roster needs we do.

The blatantly obvious example of overrating a player is his handling of Levi. The past two seasons have been about making the playoffs. Yet Adams, at the start of both, tried to force Levi into the starting goalie battle. He didn’t do it for budgetary reasons but because he thought it was best for Levi and the team. It was a bad assessment of the player and the situation.

I have a little trouble believing Adams is making similar bad assessments with other players at other positions on the team. So he doesn’t address needs we see.

Especially given that they have been under resourced in so many other areas of the hockey side of things. And that is not even getting into the failure to do proper upkeep to the arena until this year.

There is way more evidence that budgets with the Sabres have been slashed across the board. Something as simple as the season ticket holder "gift" this year is allowing STHs to purchase a Lindy Ruff bobblehead points to things not being the GM truly being given every resource possible to build a winner.

And the biggest piece of evidence is hiring a rookie GM with zero NHL front office experience and thinking he can get the job done without an experienced GM around to mentor him.

I think you misunderstood me. I wasn’t asking if you thought there was a budget. It’s been pretty obvious you think there is.

I was asking what the budget is based on. When Golisnao/Quinn owned/ran the team they had a budget. They had a rough idea what the organization could spend and still break even/make a little starting in the 05-06 season. That budget focus impacted every roster decision and ultimately gutted those post lockout teams.
Examples being……
-they wouldn’t pay RFAs until they had to. Usually they just gave them QOs. Which frequently led to arbitration hearings and losing players.
-They had a dollar in/dollar out approach. Which made it very difficult to add players once the roster was set. Essentially if Regier wanted to add a 3mil player he had to move out 3mil to accommodate them.

I don’t see anything like that with the current team. Maybe because they can’t make money regardless of what they spend.