Buffalo Sabers GM Kevyn Adams Should Be On Hot Seat – Hockey Writers – Buffalo Sabers

The Buffalo Sabers have faced years of disappointment and frustration, and with each passing season, the heat is getting hotter on general manager (GM) Kevyn Adams. Since taking over in 2020, Adams has overseen a franchise that has struggled to escape the NHL’s basement. But as expectations grow and the team continues to show signs of stalling, is Adams feeling the heat, (perhaps Lindy Ruff’s hiring indicated?) the Sabers’ fortunes all around?

Current Status of the Sabers

In the 2024-25 NHL season, the Sabers find themselves in familiar territory—fighting for relevancy but still lacking the consistency needed to challenge for a playoff spot. Despite flashes of promise from young stars like Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin, the Sabers remain stuck in a cycle of mediocrity. Consensus never existed. One game, the Sabers looked like a legitimate team that could make some noise, then the next game they forgot how to play hockey. Surely, you can blame most of that on the players and coaching staff? Of course you can, but that doesn’t mean Adams isn’t wrong either. He builds the list the way he wants, and as of now, it’s no longer working and a change is needed… again.

Related: 4 Keys to Buffalo Sabers Ending Their Playoff Drought

Buffalo is plagued by a drought that began in 2011, the longest streak in the NHL. Although the Sabers have shown improvement under Adams, their performance has not lived up to expectations that have come with a talented team and a promising pipeline of young players. Pressure is mounting to end the playoff drought. They haven’t been that close to making the playoffs except for the 2022-2023 season where they finished one point behind the Florida Panthers (who grabbed the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference) and finally won. Stanley Cup Finals. Except for the 2022-2023 season, they finished 12th in the league most every season under Adams.

Why Adams Is in the Hot Seat

Adams has made a number of moves that have confused many observers, one of his most recent actions being a notable example: sending the second round of 2024 to the Washington Capitals to replace the grinder Beck Malenstyn, many believe. is more than worth a fifth round pick. When Adams took over the team in 2020, it was in a state of uncertainty, facing the saga of Jack Eichel while Sam Reinhart entered the final year of his contract without an extension, leaving his future in question. The coaching situation has been problematic, as Ralph Krueger, a European football coach, has not coached an NHL team since he took charge of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2012-2013 season. Since Adams’ arrival, the team seems to have found its way, but it often seems to be lagging as it gains momentum. For example, after showing promise in the 2022-2023 season, the team regressed in 2023-2024 and seemed to have completely lost their identity.

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Adams has been an underdog on the trade market to say the least. Let’s review these two trades that he might reconsider if he were to go back.

The Sabers get:

• Alex Tuch
• Peyton Krebs
• 2022 First-Round Pick (Noah Ostlund)
• 2023 Second Round Pick (Riley Heidt)

Golden Knights Get

• Jack Eichel
• 2023 Third Round Pick (Mathieu Cataford)

Many people may know that Adams’ hand was very much forced in trading. Eichel injured his neck earlier that season and wanted a procedure done to treat the injury, but the team would not allow him because it was in his contract that the team could tell him if he could complete certain procedures or not. . Then what happened to it? Eichel requested a trade and forced his way out of Buffalo; won the Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights not long ago.

The trade doesn’t seem as bad as the O’s might make it seem, but Eichel is now playing the best hockey of his career, won a Stanley Cup, and some would argue (like me) that he should have won the Conn Smythe. Trophy during the Vegas’ Cup run in 2022.

Alex Tuch, who was the main piece the Sabers got in the deal, was an unproven young player, just trying to find his footing in the NHL. However, he has been one of the best scorers for the Sabers as he has given up 194 points since his arrival. Overall, I think the Sabers could have gotten a better return for Eichel’s caliber, but he was also forced to trade Adams for a (at the time) young star.

The Sabers Find Out

• Devon Levy
• 2022 First Round Pick (Jiri Kulich)

Panthers Get

At the same time, Adams ran away from the deal. Again, it was the same situation with the Eichel deal as his hand was forced to trade Reinhart as he would not re-sign with the Sabres. At the time, this trade seemed like a big deal for both parties. The Sabers traded Reinhart after a breakout year and sold him for one of the top goaltending prospects in the league at the time; further, they finally got a steal in the first round by drafting Jiri Kulich. If only they knew what would come with Reinhart.

The Panthers found a young stud who looked set to continue his growth and he did. Throughout his first two seasons with the Panthers, he scored 30-plus goals. Then came 2023-24, when Reinhart scored a career-high 57 goals and helped the Panthers to an Atlantic Division start and a Stanley Cup victory in those playoffs. This season he already has 14 goals, tied for second in the NHL, and is on pace for a 60-goal season.

This trade can’t be too bad for the Sabers as Devon Levi has bounced back and forth between the NHL and the minors, and Kulich has yet to find his footing in the NHL as he was only called up to the team due to injury issues. they came later. Maybe it’s too early to judge this trade, but then again… the Panthers got a Stanley Cup and a 50-goal scorer in it.

The Pressure Is On

Overall, Adams has done a better job of giving the team a sense of direction than other former GMs like Jason Botterill and Tim Murray but still has nothing to show for it. If Adams wants to keep his job, I think the team needs to make the playoffs. The roster has too much talent to be just an “average” team, and with Ruff in his first season as a head coach and his track record, they may stick with him for more than one season unless it’s a guy like him. the recently fired Jim Montgomery is available.