Is Adams Serious About Winning?

[GASabresIUFAN]

It is a legitimate question at this point.  He says he wants to win.  He said this season is about making the playoffs, but actions speak louder than words.

Proof that he isn’t serious

1.  He has yet to bring in a legit No.1 goalie since Ullmark walked.  In fact, he left the goaltending in the hands of 3 players with a total of 100 NHL games between them.  Not surprisingly this strategy has failed.

2. Save Tuch, KA has yet to acquire a top 4 D or a top 6 forward in trade or through free agency who actually improved the team. The Tuch acquisition only came through trading away our no. 1 center.   

Compare KA’s track record so far to Regiers’.  Darcy acquire Briere, Drury, Teppo, Connolly, Lydman, Hecht and Grier to supplement his drafted core of Vanek, Roy, Miller, Max, Kotalik, Tallinder, Campbell and Kalinin (plus 4 other drafted regulars). When he let McKee go, he replaced him with another top 4 D in Spacek.  Other than Greenway, what moves of similar quality has Adams made?  Also remember, while Miller was a rookie, he already had a year in the A under his belt and the Sabres had a proven vet in Marty Biron (246 games) already on the roster.

The argument that KA has tried to get the right pieces doesn’t work.  This is a success oriented business and Adams has failed time and again to get the right pieces in.  Other GM’s manage to get goaltending and complete trades for needed help, why can’t Adams?

3. He hasn’t supplemented his roster in season in a meaningful way despite massive injuries the last two seasons except at the deadline.  Even then his best acquisition was a bottom 6 forward in Greenway.  His in-season moves have been garbage depth players like Robinson, Subban, and Jost.  Admittedly, in-season trades are harder to make, but they happen every year.  So far guys like Tatar, Zadorov, and Beauvillier have all changed teams.  Beauvillier specifically would have been a very welcome addition to our depleted forward group.

 

Edited December 27, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[Stoner]

He's not. Well he might be, but everyone has a boss. My best guess is this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for him to keep the owner happy and have a job he never deserved and keep it for a very long time. He's not going to blow it.

Like Rick when he got the job in Buffalo, when KA got this job, he hit the jackpot.

[nucci]

Maybe he's just a bad GM

[Doohicksie]

Maybe we should rehash this topic AGAIN!

[SDS]

Why do we have the question his motivation? Can people just disagree without assuming the worst in them?

The GM isn’t serious about winning. The players don’t care about Buffalo. The players don’t care about the fans. 

it’s all just projecting a negative attribute on them to give ourselves permission to go off on them. Because if you’re not serious about winning, or you don’t care about us, then I have every right to rip into you.

[GASabresIUFAN]

3 minutes ago, SDS said:

Why do we have the question his motivation? Can people just disagree without assuming the worst in them?

The GM isn’t serious about winning. The players don’t care about Buffalo. The players don’t care about the fans. 

it’s all just projecting a negative attribute on them to give ourselves permission to go off on them. Because if you’re not serious about winning, or you don’t care about us, then I have every right to rip into you.

No one said the players don’t care about Buffalo or the fans.  There is ample evidence they do care,  

Questioning KA’s commitment to winning is a legit question given how he has constructed the team.  The thread asks a question and posters are welcome to argue either side.  I believe that the organization isn’t committed to winning, but it’s certainly possible, as someone posted above, is that KA is simply incompetent and doesn’t know how to move the team forward.  If you believe that KA and the team is committed to winning, you are welcome to say so and bring any evidence you have to support that contention to the discussion.  Maybe the argument is that he is committed but his timetable is longer than the media and fans want.

 

[LGR4GM]

How many times are we gonna start the same thread with the same arguments? Adams hasn't done enough /thread

[SDS]

23 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

No one said the players don’t care about Buffalo or the fans. 

You may want to take a look at past topics.

[sabresouth]

Not really

[Hank]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

No one said the players don’t care about Buffalo or the fans.  There is ample evidence they do care,  

Questioning KA’s commitment to winning is a legit question given how he has constructed the team.  The thread asks a question and posters are welcome to argue either side.  I believe that the organization isn’t committed to winning, but it’s certainly possible, as someone posted above, is that KA is simply incompetent and doesn’t know how to move the team forward.  If you believe that KA and the team is committed to winning, you are welcome to say so and bring any evidence you have to support that contention to the discussion.  Maybe the argument is that he is committed but his timetable is longer than the media and fans want.

 

I think it's this. I think when Levi, Savoie, Kulich, Rosen, Östlund and Power are entering their prime is when KAs boss will evaluate whether KAs rebuild is a success based on standings/playoffs. 

 

[HOUSE]

I would close this thread at 300 pages. 

[7+6=13]

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

No one said the players don’t care about Buffalo or the fans.  There is ample evidence they do care,  

Questioning KA’s commitment to winning is a legit question given how he has constructed the team.  The thread asks a question and posters are welcome to argue either side.  I believe that the organization isn’t committed to winning, but it’s certainly possible, as someone posted above, is that KA is simply incompetent and doesn’t know how to move the team forward.  If you believe that KA and the team is committed to winning, you are welcome to say so and bring any evidence you have to support that contention to the discussion.  Maybe the argument is that he is committed but his timetable is longer than the media and fans want.

 

No it isn't a legit question. You saying it is,  doesn't make it so.  

[JoeSchmoe]

Let's get a guy who's serious about success. 

 

 

[Pimlach]

This thread says a lot about the state of Sabre Space today. 

We are tired of waiting for good hockey. 

@GASabresIUFAN is 100% correct to believe that Adams may not be that serious about improving the club - at least not improving it at a pace most of us would like to see and that the rest of the league typically works too.  He could be backed up tonight when we watch Bruins vs Sabres on TNT.  The TNT guys railed on the sabres last game.   The national TV guys in the US and in Canada all rightfully question what is going on in Buffalo regarding this team.  If the Sabres play another bad game, and especially of the crowd gets unhappy, there will be more comments.  

@PASabreFan is 100 % correct in stating this all depends on his boss. If Pegula is ok with falling short of a stated goal, then Adams did enough to keep going.   Pegula is going to give Adams a lot of leeway because he is following plans and orders on the slow rebuild from within.  No big signings except for players "that want to be here".  It could take years to fill the roster with good players and of course, you risk ruining the core that you started with.  

@LGR4GM is 100% correct in stating we covered this a lot, in a lot of ways, in a lot of threads.  

@nucci might be correct by simply stating that maybe he is not that good?  Adams has said several times that bigger deals have not come to fruition.   We all know there are obstacles.  

 

 

 

 

[Pimlach]

35 minutes ago, seer775 said:

Trading away our franchise center and a 500pt winger for pucks, AND loosing our 1A goalie (without replacing him) would make it pretty obvious that he (in fact) is not at all committed to the success of this team.

Or he really has no idea how hockey works. Take your pick. R

Or, he was carrying out his bosses wishes regarding Eichel , who didn't want to stay.  The injury was a convenient way to part.  Reinhart didn't want to stay  either.  

[Indabuff]

I'm convinced GMKA sucks 

[Goldseatsaud]

They are not!!! It’s very obvious. 

[GoPuckYourself]

6 hours ago, Hank said:

I think it's this. I think when Levi, Savoie, Kulich, Rosen, Östlund and Power are entering their prime is when KAs boss will evaluate whether KAs rebuild is a success based on standings/playoffs. 

 

If we wait until then, there will not be a team in Buffalo any longer because no fan is going to sit through this imo.

[7+6=13]

5 hours ago, seer775 said:

Trading away our franchise center and a 500pt winger for pucks, AND loosing our 1A goalie (without replacing him) would make it pretty obvious that he (in fact) is not at all committed to the success of this team.

Or he really has no idea how hockey works. Take your pick. 

Haha, trading for pucks.  That's so funny and I've never heard that before.   Do you post by yourself or is there a team behind you?

[PerreaultForever]

I think it's a very legitimate and interesting question. 

I think he is serious about winning, all GMs are, but I do NOT think he is serious about winning right now.

As fans we are all feeling it's overdue, and one point away has to mean playoffs or bust the next season right? But not to him. The "plan" they believe in is that they will build a long term contender no matter how long that takes but they will not deviate from that "plan". 

I think they firmly believe that top players can be developed playing in the NHL, rather than the AHL as a whole, and the timeline for them is in line with where Power, Levi, Benson etc, would be given normal/usual development paths. Hence, I think their timeline for actual "winning" is still 2-3 years away. They can't say that, because fans don't want to hear that, but BIG moves, BIG additions, nothing like that will happen for the next 2 years still. 

After that, MAYBE if they feel they have holes they will try to fill them, but otherwise I truly believe he will just keep plugging along with the same "plan" preaching patience and growth/learning experiences. 

It is imo complete and total b$$%%hit and destined to fail by perpetuating another cycle of loser culture. 

[Mango]

4 hours ago, Pimlach said:

This thread says a lot about the state of Sabre Space today. 

We are tired of waiting for good hockey. 

@GASabresIUFAN is 100% correct to believe that Adams may not be that serious about improving the club - at least not improving it at a pace most of us would like to see and that the rest of the league typically works too.  He could be backed up tonight when we watch Bruins vs Sabres on TNT.  The TNT guys railed on the sabres last game.   The national TV guys in the US and in Canada all rightfully question what is going on in Buffalo regarding this team.  If the Sabres play another bad game, and especially of the crowd gets unhappy, there will be more comments.  

@PASabreFan is 100 % correct in stating this all depends on his boss. If Pegula is ok with falling short of a stated goal, then Adams did enough to keep going.   Pegula is going to give Adams a lot of leeway because he is following plans and orders on the slow rebuild from within.  No big signings except for players "that want to be here".  It could take years to fill the roster with good players and of course, you risk ruining the core that you started with.  

@LGR4GM is 100% correct in stating we covered this a lot, in a lot of ways, in a lot of threads.  

@nucci might be correct by simply stating that maybe he is not that good?  Adams has said several times that bigger deals have not come to fruition.   We all know there are obstacles.  

 

 

 

 

I’ve defended Buffalo as a meaningful hockey market for the league. But this is just getting crazy. 
 

The Utah rumors got bumped again on Reddit today. 

For the first time after reading about it for forever I thought “oh Buffalo could end up there”.

[OverPowerYou]

Who is the model NHL franchise right now who has built their team from the ground up and I’ll root for them. (Anyone but Boston) 

[Pimlach]

16 minutes ago, Mango said:

I’ve defended Buffalo as a meaningful hockey market for the league. But this is just getting crazy. 
 

The Utah rumors got bumped again on Reddit today. 

For the first time after reading about it for forever I thought “oh Buffalo could end up there”.

Again.  It’s not the market.  The market would embrace good hockey, it’s proven.  
 

The owner is clueless and he has hired one bad GM after another.  All first time GMs, all young, all willing to listen to and put up with his crap.  

10 minutes ago, OverPowerYou said:

Who is the model NHL franchise right now who has built their team from the ground up and I’ll root for them. (Anyone but Boston) 

Vegas has done ok. 

[Mango]

7 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Again.  It’s not the market.  The market would embrace good hockey, it’s proven.  
 

The owner is clueless and he has hired one bad GM after another.  All first time GMs, all young, all willing to listen to and put up with his crap.  

Vegas has done ok. 

Right. I’m not blaming Buffalo. I’m blaming Pegula. What I mean to say is that I thought having a hockey team in Buffalo because it is a quality hockey market was important to the league. 

But since Terry has purchased the team they’ve been the worst franchise in the history of the sport. Literally. And instead of averaging 99.99% attendance nightly. They average something like 72%. And likely much lower this year.

I’m starting to think that the league would prefer a team in Utah not run by Pegula if it means removing a team from Buffalo. 

I agree that Buffalo can be a good hockey market. But it’s not now for the Sabres. And in a league with 84 games per season I’m not sure how long it would take to get this city back on board.

I don’t think we can overstate how bad Pegula has hurt the Sabres fan base. 

 

 

[Scottysabres]

Serious? Yes

Successful to date? No