Is there an Aggressive GM developing inside Adams?

[Mango]

1 hour ago, nfreeman said:

I need to see a new coach before I can agree that KA has adopted a take-no-prisoners approach to icing a winning team.

I no longer trust Adams to make any more meaningful roster moves. I don't trust his vision for this team. 

[nucci]

No

[nfreeman]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

Not gonna happen Rico.  You might see a few assistants move, maybe a power play guy brought in.  

Enjoy the scoreboard and the roof.   That is the extent of real attention Terry is going to pay on this team. 

Thankfully, the new COO will have to run those projects.  Between the new stadium and scoreboard/roof that guy will be busy.  

I think you're right, which is why I can't agree with the OP.

I will say though that at some point KA will start to feel some heat, and I kinda expect it to be next season if they stink again.  Nothing lasts forever.

[Thorner]

59 minutes ago, msw2112 said:

At this point, I don't think you can blow it up and start over.  I think they make some roster tweaks in the offseason and roll it back with Granato next season.  Part with a prospect or 2 and bring in some physical, gritty forwards who finish their checks.  They also MUST address the Power Play this offseason, the way they addressed the Penalty Kill last offseason.  If the team isn't comfortably in playoff position by Thanksgiving, Granato has to go.  I realize that's giving him more time than he may deserve, but 1) regardless of what I think, that's likely to happen; and 2) they've invested in this "process" for so long, it's best to let it play out.  Outside of last night's debacle, they've had very good NHL-level goaltending since January 1.  If they can have that for an entire season, they might be on to something.

Something often neglected on this board - the team is not terrible.  They are mediocre and inconsistent.  They're hovering in the .500 range.  They win a fair number of games.  I think the disappointment comes in that they are playing below expectations.  They are a young team and have dealt with a lot of injuries (Samuelsson, Power, Quinn, Thompson, Skinner, Cozens and others have all missed a lot of time this season), so it's a little more difficult to assess than a fully healthy team.  Yes, all teams have injuries.  Many teams are very young.  The Sabres have had both going on at the same time - youth and injuries.  So, bottom line, I'll be patient through about Thanksgiving, and if they haven't gotten in right by then, I will join the crowd demanding a coaching change.  I'm not overly optimistic, but I am willing to allow a little more runway to let it play out.

As a side note, I've seen on this board that Mittelstadt made some comments about how different the environment is in Colorado.  I have not seen those and couldn't find them via a couple of Google searches.  I'd be very interested to see what he said.  Maybe it will alter my level of patience....

The disappointment comes from finishing 31st, 24th, 20th, and currently 25th during Adams tenure. Expectations could not be lower. They are unjustly low, to the fans. There is absolutely no rule you need to roster the youngest teams in hockey in year 4 of your plan. That’s a crazy plan. How do we know? Because it hasn’t delivered league relative results in a reasonable league-relative time frame 

Edited March 22 by Thorny

[Carmel Corn]

10 minutes ago, Thorny said:

The disappointment comes from finishing 31st, 24th, 20th, and currently 25th during Adams tenure. Expectations could not be lower. They are unjustly low, to the fans. There is absolutely no rule you need to roster the youngest teams in hockey in year 4 of your plan. That’s a crazy plan. How do we know? Because it hasn’t delivered league results in a league-relative reasonable time frame 

Darcy Regier now looks like a loose-cannon, shoot-from-the-hip gunslinger vs. GMKA.  Once upon a time I thought Darcy was too slow and conservative, but fast forward to today, I'd welcome him back over GMKA.  I remember the 2013 draft where Darcy was talking to the head of scouting (Kevin Devine?) and agreed that he wanted the Sabres to be harder to play against.....and so they drafted Risto and Zadorov.

Edited March 22 by Carmel Corn

[pi2000]

1 hour ago, Mango said:

I no longer trust Adams to make any more meaningful roster moves. I don't trust his vision for this team. 

He who does not trust enough, will not be trusted.

[PerreaultForever]

3 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Guts?   According to Mitts they never talked about an extension.   
 

I say the Mitts for Bryam trade only works if he replaces Mitts with an equal or better player in another deal.  
 

Get ready for an extended Krebs/Savoie/ Rosen tryout for 3C next year.  It’s going to happen just like the great goalie tryout of 2023.  

Yup, there was nothing aggressive or bold about it. He simply decided he wasn't going to pay Mitts what Mitts would want, Mitts was not part of his plan and so he sold high for the best available option. (Byram's a good player in certain areas, but not really what we need.)

To your last line I fear that is likely the "plan". I think if anything, KA will feel more confident with his plan because of lucking out with UPL. and let's face it, he lucked out on that. He was all in on Levi being the wunderkind and UPL saved him from that embarrassment and nobody expected that to happen. He will now hope another guy will do the same for him at center. He will believe his own rhetoric about patience and staying the course. 

In many ways UPL having a great season may be our long term undoing, especially if he has a drop back next year as young goalies often do.  

[Scottysabres]

Is there an Aggressive GM developing inside Adams?

He appears to be gripping the stick a little right. How calloused is his hand?

Edited March 22 by Scottysabres

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, Pimlach said:

The Knox's ran this franchise the right way.   They hired good leaders, the teams were good and fun to watch.  Imlach, Bowman, Meehan, and Muckler all knew what to do.  

Rigas and Golisano both had some success mixed with some poor periods.  Golisano inexplicably took apart a great team for no reason other than underfunding his payroll.  

Pegula has been a complete disaster.  His words at those opening press conferences turned out to be lies. 

 Example:  “I wanna run the team to win the Stanley Cup. If I want to make some money I’ll go build a gas well.”

 

Ain't that the truth! Those were the days.

The next 2 had some financial issues and thus Pegula seemed like a godsend, but his failure to just sit back and enjoy while turning it over to good hockey people to run is our undoing. Pegula doesn't get hockey at all. I don't follow football closely any more but it seems to me the Bills are actually underachieving despite having a stud quarterback which in today's NFL is pretty much the cornerstone you need for any franchise. So maybe that'll end up a fail as well.

Looking back we maybe all should have seen the future when Pat walked out the door. 

[Believer]

3 hours ago, Goldseatsaud said:

Adams is like a son to Pegula. Adams probably has the owner snowed under with all these promises 

Adams operates on charm. He has charmed Pegula.

[R_Dudley]

In answer to the question, no I don't see it. Definition of aggressive. Making an all-out effort to win or succeed; competitive.  

I see a move that was made before losing getting anything for someone he knew he wasn't going to keep.

I don't consider that being aggressive based on the definition. I say in this case it was slightly above his normal passive wait for it to happen approach.

[DarthEbriate]

GM Sheevyn tossing prospects and draft picks into trades?

...Nay. Into the Sabres lineup.

[...]

3 hours ago, nfreeman said:

I think you're right, which is why I can't agree with the OP.

I will say though that at some point KA will start to feel some heat, and I kinda expect it to be next season if they stink again.  Nothing lasts forever.

As they say, it's unsustainable.

The team will hemorrhage money and/or the team will embarrass the league and/or the players will gripe to the union/demand to be traded/etc. where, privately - because ownership is still an old boy's club - Bettman might intervene and light a fire under the organization to do something. Bettman has gone to bat for the Sabres several times over the last many decades so I think he would rather see the team succeed than not.

2 hours ago, Believer said:

Adams operates on charm. He has charmed Pegula.

This is Adams' charm.

[nfreeman]

28 minutes ago, ... said:

As they say, it's unsustainable.

The team will hemorrhage money and/or the team will embarrass the league and/or the players will gripe to the union/demand to be traded/etc. where, privately - because ownership is still an old boy's club - Bettman might intervene and light a fire under the organization to do something. Bettman has gone to bat for the Sabres several times over the last many decades so I think he would rather see the team succeed than not.

Those external factors might play a role, but I kinda think at some point it'll be TP realizing that yet another GM hire hasn't worked and he'll pull the trigger, just as he's done 3 times previously.

[Gatorman0519]

Year 4 and we went backwards. Should be replaced immediately. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

2 minutes ago, Gatorman0519 said:

Year 4 and we went backwards. Should be replaced immediately. 

I don't disagree, but since that's not happening, we have to hope that Adams gets a clue and instead of bringing the failed team back in it's entirety, he actually becomes more aggressive and fixes the roster issues.

Here are the assets that KA should consider moving to fix the roster issues.

Forwards - Benson, Skinner, and Krebs

Defense - Power, Samuelsson, Johnson

Prospects - 2 of Kulich, Savoie, Rosen & Östlund

Draft picks - 1st rd pick in 2024

The Sabres should be win now mode and prospect development needs to start taking a back seat.

The Sabres need toughness upfront and on defense.  The Sabres need playmakers.  The Sabres also need to be better defensively.  We need 3rd and 4th line centers.

Also time to move on from Girgensons.

So why are Benson, Power and Johnson on my list?  Well you need to give to get.  IMHO Byram might make Power and his huge contract expendable.  We'd garner a significant return.  If Ott offers Brady Tkachuk to us for Power would you say no?  I wouldn't.   Benson is also expendable for a team in win now mode.  He'll need another 2-3 before he is starts reaching his peek.  Can we afford to wait? if the answer is yes, then package Savoie in a deal to legit center help.  Maybe someone like Boone Jenner.  

Johnson vs Mule.  Right now, one of these 2 are our 7th D (assuming Power isn't traded).  Both should have good trade value.  

Skinner and Krebs.  Krebs is not a center in the NHL, certainly not one for a playoff team.  Could he someday grow into a useful NHL player? Maybe, but that day isn't today.  To bad really, he was supposed to be a gifted playmaker.  Skinner just eats a ton of cap, and we need the roster spot and the cap.  

  

[Thorner]

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I don't disagree, but since that's not happening, we have to hope that Adams gets a clue and instead of bringing the failed team back in it's entirety, he actually becomes more aggressive and fixes the roster issues.

Here are the assets that KA should consider moving to fix the roster issues.

Forwards - Benson, Skinner, and Krebs

Defense - Power, Samuelsson, Johnson

Prospects - 2 of Kulich, Savoie, Rosen & Östlund

Draft picks - 1st rd pick in 2024

The Sabres should be win now mode and prospect development needs to start taking a back seat.

The Sabres need toughness upfront and on defense.  The Sabres need playmakers.  The Sabres also need to be better defensively.  We need 3rd and 4th line centers.

Also time to move on from Girgensons.

So why are Benson, Power and Johnson on my list?  Well you need to give to get.  IMHO Byram might make Power and his huge contract expendable.  We'd garner a significant return.  If Ott offers Brady Tkachuk to us for Power would you say no?  I wouldn't.   Benson is also expendable for a team in win now mode.  He'll need another 2-3 before he is starts reaching his peek.  Can we afford to wait? if the answer is yes, then package Savoie in a deal to legit center help.  Maybe someone like Boone Jenner.  

Johnson vs Mule.  Right now, one of these 2 are our 7th D (assuming Power isn't traded).  Both should have good trade value.  

Skinner and Krebs.  Krebs is not a center in the NHL, certainly not one for a playoff team.  Could he someday grow into a useful NHL player? Maybe, but that day isn't today.  To bad really, he was supposed to be a gifted playmaker.  Skinner just eats a ton of cap, and we need the roster spot and the cap.  

  

What do you do in goal? Levi backup? 

[GASabresIUFAN]

2 minutes ago, Thorny said:

What do you do in goal? Levi backup? 

My preference is to leave Levi in Rochester, but budget may prevent the addition of an outside goalie.  

[Thorner]

19 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

My preference is to leave Levi in Rochester, but budget may prevent the addition of an outside goalie.  

I think they’d need to prioritize some budget for that area if the roster dictates it’s a need 

[Sabres73]

IMO there's no way Levi is in Rochester next year, he's our number two. Goaltending has become the least of our problems.

[Demoted]

13 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

The Mitts trade took guts and gives me some hope that Adams might be willing to be more aggressive in solving his roster issues.

We have seen growth from Adams in this area.  Over the last 3 failed seasons he has ratcheted up the price tag of his free agents.  One 1, since the old care sell off, he signed $1 million guys on 1 year deals like Pysyk.  Year 2 were $1.5 to $2 mill guys with 2 year deals in Lyubushkin and Comrie.  Year 3 were $3 million guys and Clifton received a 3 year deal.  

He was also seems a fraction more aggressive on the trade front. Last season he moved a 2nd for Greenway at the deadline.  This season he made a huge hockey trade of his leading scorer and top utility forward for a young top 4 D.  So far both teams a getting what they wanted out of the deal.

Could the Mitts trade signal that Adams is finally serious about doing what must be done to remake his roster? 

 

Desperate...

[GASabresIUFAN]

3 minutes ago, Demoted said:

Desperate...

Are you saying that the Mitts trade was born out of desperation?  If so, there is some truth to that.  In fact, KA seems to do his best work (and so does his team) when they become desperate.  

[TheAud]

13 hours ago, Thorny said:

We need Gandalf the White, who I believe in this case is Scotty Bowman, to come to Buffalo to break the Saruman's spell (Darcy Regier, in a distant tower) so that a freed Pegula of Rohan can see things clearly again and lead the team to Hockey Helmet's Deep. 

[spndnchz]

Um what?

[Rasmus_]

Adams is a motivator. He has no credibility even after year four.  The only thing that has improved is the drafting and overall development.  There is never a sense of urgency and he is a yes man.