What would you grade Adams this off season (so far)?

[WhereAreTheCookies]

McLeod was, again, scratched exactly one time in the playoffs. A game they lost. He scored the next game and helped them shut down the Stars the rest of the way. That was the *checks notes* conference finals. He then played all seven games of the *checks notes* Stanley Cup finals, scoring three goals.

If you don’t like 24 year olds for getting scratched once in the playoffs. I can’t imagine why you’d be upset about a 9th overall pick who wasn’t going to make the NHL here in his draft plus three season. Where he was drafted stopped mattering a long time ago. When he got passed by guys. When he got hurt twice. When he bombed at WJC. When he wasn’t as good as Benson or Firkus on his juniors teams. If none of that matters he was scratched in the ahl playoffs once. That I know you must care about.

Can't forget that a player getting scratched in the playoffs is meaningless if your team doesn't even make them. As long as he performs in the regular season, we can worry about playoff performances later.

 

[Moncton man]

Honest questions in evaluating things. If Buffalo had moved back three spots in the draft and still got the guy they coveted would it have stung less mentally if they got Malenstyn or equivalent guy to move down rather than a second which was then traded for him?

For Savoie, if we didn’t know where he was drafted but merely compared him to the others that were not moved would that sting a little less?

And for those clamouring for a top six player you do realize a) they will over pay in any deal or b) over pay in free agency because Buffalo? Both the lack of playoffs and the fact it isn’t a team in a tax free state or a big city. So either the player is negligible compared to what they have or it’s another Skinner contract

Don’t think they are finished but I just don’t see big addition coming

Overall a B or B-

 

[Jacob582]

Adams is most improved GM.

Deciding between a C+ or a B-

 

[elchud]

All depends on whether or not we make the playoffs.

If we make the playoffs he gets a B. If we don't he gets a F (fired)

 

[Jim Bob]

As a team overall, we're a slow team. Yes, he acquired a couple of quicker skaters, mostly for the 4th line, but in terms of upgrading the overall team speed, he really didn't do anything to address it, especially in the top 9.

Their forward group is mostly guys who had above average top speeds last season. And from Tage Thompson on up, they are all 80th+ percentile.

4 out of their top 6 forwards next season are above average.

Adams added more than a couple of quicker skaters. 4 out of his 5 forward adds were 90th+ percentile in top speed.

Plus, the coaching change could have the team playing faster, as well.

All depends on whether or not we make the playoffs.

If we make the playoffs he gets a B. If we don't he gets a F (fired)

People are going to be really disappointed when they miss the playoffs and he is back as the GM because he listens to Terry,

 

[Fjordy]

People are going to be really disappointed when they miss the playoffs and he is back as the GM because he listens to Terry,

They will have no excuse for bringing him back. It's playoffs or bust for Adams.

 

[Jim Bob]

They will have no excuse for bringing him back. It's playoffs or bust for Adams.

Terry Pegula hired him because he had a long working relationship with him and he wanted a GM that would include him in the decision-making process.

As long as Adams keeps Pegula included in the decision-making process, follows orders (unlike Botterill) and keeps the culture healthy (unlike Murray), I think Pegula keeps him around as the GM at least through Ruff's two year deal.

 

[Fjordy]

Terry Pegula hired him because he had a long working relationship with him and he wanted a GM that would include him in the decision-making process.

As long as Adams keeps Pegula included in the decision-making process, follows orders (unlike Botterill) and keeps the culture healthy (unlike Murray), I think Pegula keeps him around as the GM at least through Ruff's two year deal.

Possibly, but I hope not (unless they make the playoffs).

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

Matt Savoie for McLeod, a high 2nd for Malenstyn, no dman acquisition, no top 6 vet. Aside from drafting Helenius, which is a good choice imo and could come into the league and take McLeods spot as 3C sooner than people expect, I think Adams has had a horrible offseason so far. Adams just keeps proving to me year over year that he's fairly good at amateur scouting and seems to have done fairly well at drafting, especially in the 1st, but continues to show that his pro scouting and trading skills leave a lot to be desired.

I know that some people think that McLeod and Malenstyn do address needs that the team had at 3C and the 4th line, but the cost acquisition of these two players is horrid. Even with Savoie's injuries, I can't see a world where a 9th overall pick from only 2 drafts ago that could still be a genuine Top 6 scorer is only worth a 3C that was scratched multiple times by his own team in the playoffs. Nor do I think Malenstyn, a one year breakout 4th line grinder, is worth a high 2nd round pick which the Sabres could've used to get Cole Hutson just as an example.

Good GMs address their needs without paying through the nose for just bottom 6 players. These kind of trades, especially the McLeod one, are done by teams who are already contending and are willing to pay a premium for that one small upgrade to try and get over the hump, not by a team that hasn't made the playoffs in over a dozen years and hasn't played a single game yet with their head coach. If you don't have the talent or skill as a GM to make improvements to this team through Free Agency or by making smarter trades, then I don't see why I should consider Adams to be anything more than a terrible GM who has been above average at drafting and tearing down a team but seems out of his league when it comes to actually improving and building that team.

This summer has been a bunch of costly make-up moves, patching holes that were opened up by KA or left festering.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Terry Pegula hired him because he had a long working relationship with him and he wanted a GM that would include him in the decision-making process.

As long as Adams keeps Pegula included in the decision-making process, follows orders (unlike Botterill) and keeps the culture healthy (unlike Murray), I think Pegula keeps him around as the GM at least through Ruff's two year deal.

Terry is involved in the operation on a daily basis, and Adams has said exactly that. So you are rating Adams on his moves or on what was accomplished within a relationship where "he talks to Terry every day" and we have zero idea on limitations put on him. This is my problem with rating GMKA. I give him an incomplete.

 

[Jim Bob]

Terry is involved in the operation on a daily basis, and Adams has said exactly that. So you are rating Adams on his moves or on what was accomplished within a relationship where "he talks to Terry every day" and we have zero idea on limitations put on him. This is my problem with rating GMKA. I give him an incomplete.

I am not commenting on grading Adams. I am commenting that I do not believe that Pegula is putting "make the playoffs in 2024-25 or you are fired" pressure on Adams like many in the media and in the fanbase seem to be expecting.

When Adams was hired, Pegula talked about how the hire was not about listening to outside voices about the best possible candidate and it was about hiring a person they had worked with and trusted. Given how Terry has been seen with Adams before, during, and after the draft, it appears to me that Adams is doing what his boss wants. And when you do what your boss wants, it rarely means that you are on the hot seat.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

I am not commenting on grading Adams. I am commenting that I do not believe that Pegula is putting "make the playoffs in 2024-25 or you are fired" pressure on Adams like many in the media and in the fanbase seem to be expecting.

When Adams was hired, Pegula talked about how the hire was not about listening to outside voices about the best possible candidate and it was about hiring a person they had worked with and trusted. Given how Terry has been seen with Adams before, during, and after the draft, it appears to me that Adams is doing what his boss wants. And when you do what your boss wants, it rarely means that you are on the hot seat.

True, but there is an overlap. Sometimes you are a company yes man and results suck and you still walk the plank. In this case, I would suspect Kevyn gets himself shuffled somewhere else if they miss playoffs. I rate his chances of getting a GM job elsewhere as slim to none and I think he would be hard-pressed to get an AGM job, although he likely has the contacts for that.

 

[Sabre the Win]

People are going to be really disappointed when they miss the playoffs and he is back as the GM because he listens to Terry,

I wonder what speaks louder to Terry, less money in his pockets because the fans have had enough or loyalty because Adams includes him into his decision making.

 

[DapperCam]

I give him a solid B, but he did so poorly the previous semesters that it might not be enough to bring his GPA up to a passing grade.

If he did the following he would have gotten an A from me.

- Canned Granato in December when the Sabres still had a chance to make a run, instead of the end of the season.
- Brought in a better Skinner replacement than Zucker
- Gotten better value for Savoie. To get an A, you need to both win trades by value and address team needs.
- Done something with the defense so it makes more sense and has more balance. Too many left handed PMD at the moment. Clifton and Joki are the only true RD, and it would be best if they were on the bottom pair together.

 

[Jim Bob]

I wonder what speaks louder to Terry, less money in his pockets because the fans have had enough or loyalty because Adams includes him into his decision making.

I will be surprised if there will be significantly less money in his pockets in 2024-25 compared to the past few seasons.

True, but there is an overlap. Sometimes you are a company yes man and results suck and you still walk the plank. In this case, I would suspect Kevyn gets himself shuffled somewhere else if they miss playoffs. I rate his chances of getting a GM job elsewhere as slim to none and I think he would be hard-pressed to get an AGM job, although he likely has the contacts for that.

My guess is that when he is no longer the Sabres GM, he gets shuffled somewhere else in the Sabres/HarborCentre/AoH.

 

[joshjull]

Can't forget that a player getting scratched in the playoffs is meaningless if your team doesn't even make them. As long as he performs in the regular season, we can worry about playoff performances later.

Not to mention he only sat 1 of 25 playoffs games. Some posters mentioning him sitting are acting like he hardly played in the playoffs. Its ridiculous.

 

[Tatanka]

Possibly, but I hope not (unless they make the playoffs).

You are not reading what @Jim Bob wrote. You and most fans value playoffs and a championship chance. Terry evaluates his managers not on whether they achieve thos expectations, but rather on if said manager keeps him in the loop and avoids negative pr. I believe Adams could retire as GM if he continues to do the latter and Terry owns the team.

 

[Tsyolin]

Dom from the Athletic ranked every teams offseason thus far

I personally give them a B, it's his best free agency to date, and the McLeod trade is a risk but it does make the team better day 1. Only thing that would bump it higher is trading for a top 6 winger.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

I will be surprised if there will be significantly less money in his pockets in 2024-25 compared to the past few seasons.


My guess is that when he is no longer the Sabres GM, he gets shuffled somewhere else in the Sabres/HarborCentre/AoH.

That's what I think

 

[Gabrielor]

Remember...they opened up 7.5 million in cap when they let Skinner go, they will pay a penalty the first several years for that, and so far, they spend that on nothing.

Factoring in UPL/Malenstyn/Krebs deals, they'll still be 7-8 million under.

Terry Cheapgula.

 

[joshjull]

Terry Pegula hired him because he had a long working relationship with him and he wanted a GM that would include him in the decision-making process.

As long as Adams keeps Pegula included in the decision-making process, follows orders (unlike Botterill) and keeps the culture healthy (unlike Murray), I think Pegula keeps him around as the GM at least through Ruff's two year deal.

This has always been such a silly talking point. The only time I can think of where he directly involved himself in the running of hockey ops was after Botts got fired. Thats when he set up the flat management structure where Krueger and Adams both answered directly to the Pegulas. It was similar to the Bills. Its also the management structure he abandoned the quickest since the start of the tank.

It’s kind of amazing to me that people don’t see Pegula for what he is….the dorky superfan who just wants to be there when things are discussed and who is easily talked into things by people he either admires, trusts or is a fanboy of. It doesn’t matter how bad, impulsive or reckless they are. He is usually the one getting manipulated or more generously talked into things. Btw I don’t think this is remotely better than the bolded. It’s still a complete mess but for different reasons.

The list of examples
1) Impulsively hiring Patty L after a dinner/meeting. Which leads to the firing of Regier/Rolston and hiring Nolan. Then allowed Patty to do a GM search. Which comical ends up with Patty hiring Murray and they quickly end up butting heads over tanking. It took less than 2 months.
2) Pegula has to step in and sides with Murray over tanking hard which contributes to Patty leaving. Essentially Murray won the argument of talked him into it.

All the chaos above happened over only about 4-5 months.

3) After Murray is fired Pegula goes to the NHL front offices for guidance on up and coming GMs. Which leads to hiring Botts. Who talks Pegula into beefing up the front office/scouting. So we end up with one of the bigger front offices in the league but still no success. Pegula fires him and guts front office.

Botts being GM for 3yrs is also one of those things that undermines the idea that Pegulas is an owner that wnats gms to follow orders. Botts wouldn’t have lasted 3 years if he was.

4) We move to the Krueger/Adams front office. Where Pegula feels he’s found his McDermott for the Sabres in Krueger and gives him similar power. Pegula also felt burned by advice from Patty L and the NHL front offices. So he hires Adams as GM, someone he knows and trusts but with zero relevant experience for the job. So we have two complete noobs running hockey ops.

5) Adams gains full control of the front office. A testament to how f***ed up the “flat management” structure was, Adams couldn’t just fire Krueger. He wasn’t above him in on the org chart. Only rthe Peguals were. So he has to go to Florida during the 18gm losing streak to meet with the Pegulas. He has to sell over that weekend on firing Krueger, going back to a normal management structure and what his plans are for the team going forward. He pulls off convincing them due in part to how much they trust him.

 

[Jim Bob]

This has always been such a silly talking point. The only time I can think of where he directly involved himself in the running of hockey ops was after Botts got fired. Thats when he set up the flat management structure where Krueger and Adams both answered directly to the Pegulas. It was similar to the Bills. Its also the management structure he abandoned the quickest since the start of the tank.

It’s kind of amazing to me that people don’t see Pegula for what he is….the dorky superfan who just wants to be there when things are discussed and who is easily talked into things by people he either admires, trusts or is a fanboy of. It doesn’t matter how bad, impulsive or reckless they are. He is usually the one getting manipulated or more generously talked into things. Btw I don’t think this is remotely better than the bolded. It’s still a complete mess but for different reasons.

The list of examples
1) Impulsively hiring Patty L after a dinner/meeting. Which leads to the firing of Regier/Rolston and hiring Nolan. Then allowed Patty to do a GM search. Which comical ends up with Patty hiring Murray and they quickly end up butting heads over tanking. It took less than 2 months.
2) Pegula has to step in and sides with Murray over tanking hard which contributes to Patty leaving. Essentially Murray won the argument of talked him into it.

All the chaos above happened over only about 4-5 months.

3) After Murray is fired Pegula goes to the NHL front offices for guidance on up and coming GMs. Which leads to hiring Botts. Who talks Pegula into beefing up the front office/scouting. So we end up with one of the bigger front offices in the league but still no success. Pegula fires him and guts front office.

Botts being GM for 3yrs is also one of those things that undermines the idea that Pegulas is an owner that wnats gms to follow orders. Botts wouldn’t have lasted 3 years if he was.

4) We move to the Krueger/Adams front office. Where Pegula feels he’s found his McDermott for the Sabres in Krueger and gives him similar power. Pegula also felt burned by advice from Patty L and the NHL front offices. So he hires Adams as GM, someone he knows and trusts but with zero relevant experience for the job. So we have two complete noobs running hockey ops.

5) Adams gains full control of the front office. A testament to how f***ed up the “flat management” structure was, Adams couldn’t just fire Krueger. He wasn’t above him in on the org chart. Only rthe Peguals were. So he has to go to Florida during the 18gm losing streak to meet with the Pegulas. He has to sell over that weekend on firing Krueger, going back to a normal management structure and what his plans are for the team going forward. He pulls off convincing them due in part to how much they trust him.

Botterill was fired because he refused to carry out the COVID driven layoffs that Kevyn Adams took care of on day one as Sabres GM.

That has been widely reported and Adams talked about it during his introductory press conference.

That was why Botterill was fired just a few weeks after Kim Pegula gave him a vote of confidence and said he would be back as GM.

 

[HOOats]

Remember...they opened up 7.5 million in cap when they let Skinner go, they will pay a penalty the first several years for that, and so far, they spend that on nothing.

Factoring in UPL/Malenstyn/Krebs deals, they'll still be 7-8 million under.

Terry Cheapgula.

Shortsighted. That cap space doesn't disappear for a good while still.

Sure Adams could have pissed it away to lure a middling UFA who didn't want to be here to come here for one year. But it makes more sense to have a top quality player salary slot open as a team...

...still looking at futures for key core player trades.

... that may be in contention and looking to add rentals without requiring retention.

 

[Gabrielor]

Shortsighted. That cap space doesn't disappear for a good while still.

Sure Adams could have pissed it away to lure a middling UFA who didn't want to be here to come here for one year. But it makes more sense to have a top quality player salary slot open as a team...

...still looking at futures for key core player trades.

... that may be in contention and looking to add rentals with requiring retention.

That dream has all-but been spent.

He's made no trade for a NHL roster player where he didn't have to overpay for it.

 

[HOOats]

That dream has all-but been spent.

He's made no trade for a NHL roster player where he didn't have to overpay for it.

The dream remains.

1. Despite much of this board's insistence, the past does not necessarily predict the future.
2. Plus, who says he won't just overpay again to get us said core roster piece, if as you insist that's all he can do? Fans will have to deal with it and hope the new player works out.

As long as we have the cap slot for a key player, that move can happen at any time before or during the season.