Kevyn Adams post trade deadline press conference

[LGR4GM]

 

 

I just... roll my eyes whenever he talks. He's so self defeating and excuse filled. 

[Pimlach]

He just doesn’t do it for me.   Talking about team toughness and 5 man pack mentality, they need to fight at times, and yet he trades Gilbert and tosses in a #2.

He tries to sound accountable and promises to be better and more “self aware”.   Yet every off season he never does enough.  Every off season is a fail.  The team gets worse every year, it’s not getting better.  I just can’t believe the guy.  

He said he asks  “Do you want to be here and why?” in his conversations with a player.  How about “what are you working on to improve your game and how?”  

 

 

[LGR4GM]

32 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

He just doesn’t do it for me.   Talking about team toughness and 5 man pack mentality, they need to fight at times, and yet he trades Gilbert and tosses in a #2.

He tries to sound accountable and promises to be better and more “self aware”.   Yet every off season he never does enough.  Every off season is a fail.  The team gets worse every year, it’s not getting better.  I just can’t believe the guy.  

He said he asks  “Do you want to be here and why?” in his conversations with a player.  How about “what are you working on to improve your game and how?”  

 

 

Adams is focused on do you want to be here instead of are you good and how will you get better. At least to us through public comments. Dude just needs to lead and frankly, he doesn't. 

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

 

 

I just... roll my eyes whenever he talks. He's so self defeating and excuse filled. 

He sounded even more shaky than usual. 

[JoeSchmoe]

All in all I thought it was a pretty good press conference.

His comments about Cozens being really emotional about leaving and Zucker falling in love with the being a Buffalo Sabre tells me it's not all doom and gloom as most of us like to believe.

[Cranky old man]

Having to face the cameras while knowing in his heart, his vision is a failure, his theories bankrupt; he can only whisper as he walks by the graveyard. 

[Flashsabre]

4 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

 

 

I just... roll my eyes whenever he talks. He's so self defeating and excuse filled. 

Go back to when he was hired. He basically told everyone he isn’t qualified and asks everyone questions and writes in his book because he knows nothing about being a GM.

What gets me is his go to “I’m from Buffalo no one is more qualified to talk about the team and city and fans then me” He has continually built a team that flies in the face over everything the city and fanbase embraces.

Edited Saturday at 04:45 PM by Flashsabre

[7+6=13]

I disagree with his approach as a GM.  He mentioned it being emotional with Cozens.  While I appreciate that on a human level, I find it almost inappropriate.  He said it's hard, you've got brothers that you go to war with everyday.

No, you're their boss not their brother.  I fully understand sports has shifted and it's not the iron fist anymore and it shouldn't be, but this is nuts IMO.  

[Big Guava]

19 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

All in all I thought it was a pretty good press conference.

His comments about Cozens being really emotional about leaving and Zucker falling in love with the being a Buffalo Sabre tells me it's not all doom and gloom as most of us like to believe.

It's not...this team clearly has a lot of talented players but when do they start playing like a real hockey team that can play all facets of the game properly?

It's like they are still in junior hockey where all too often they have to focus really hard on one thing to clean up in their game at the expense of everything else.

This shouldn't happen at the NHL level...these players should be able to play better defense while not completely disintegrating their ability to play offense and vice versa.

It's just so maddening because you can tell they have the ability to play very well but they can't put it together for an entire game far too often and they can't play a normal game properly where the strategy shifts during the game and you have to be able to adapt based on what's going on in the game. It's like they only have one way to play and if they are forced out of that they get completely discombobulated and it shouldn't be like that at the NHL level.

[7+6=13]

This interview aggravated me more than I thought it would and maybe he's just a showman.  I do sympathize with the challenges of being the GM of the Sabres.  

I think he's misinterpreting what his job is and what the City (fans) want.  He said no one can say I don't love Buffalo.  Well no one is saying that because no one cares.  I don't care if my GM thinks it's a terrible place to live.  It's odd how much he brings that up and alarming that it's his barometer for most decisions.

I don't mind him having a personal relationship with the players but I do mind that he can't say, I like Dylan Cozens but it wasn't good enough.  There's a lot of players that I like but if they don't play good enough, I'll trade them too.  

His ultimate job is to remove emotion and he inserts it. That's not a leader. 

 

 

Edited Saturday at 05:14 PM by 7+6=13

[Believer]

Adams doesn’t own the soon-to-be 14 yr playoff drought. Pegula does. Adams only owns 5 seasons worth.

No one likes to kick a guy when he’s down.

Still, his press conference did not project the kind of leadership this team needs today, imo.

Nice Guy. Cares deeply.

Words don’t match behavior. His body language is defeatist.

13 game losing streak. No moves. No consequences. No explanation, really.

Listening to him, he sounds like combination Country Club President and a HS Principal at a failing school.

Shocked he hasn’t been replaced yet.

It’s a business after all.

 

 

[Taro T]

A few items Adams said that caught this kid's attention.

Mentioned they need to find a partner for Power.  

Also mentioned the shake up of the D was to see if Samuelsson could regain his 'top 4 level of play' or something to that effect.

He projects the roster will be close to the cap next year 1 way or another.

Adams was very noncommittal as to whether Byram would be back.

Personally expect this is because if Samuelsson can be effective as Dahlin's partner over the final 20 or so games (or however long they keep the experiment going before giving up on it once again) then Byram is going to get traded this off-season either for a piece to improve the top 6F's and a package will go out for that guy to play with Owen or he'll be directly traded for that partner for Power.

If Samuelsson CAN'T get back to what he was about 3 years ago, expecting they do re-sign Byram to give Dahlin a partner he's comfortable with and they either try again in FA to find that 4D or they get one in a package. 

Wouldn't be at all surprised to see Peterka part of that package trying to fix the D (too much smoke yesterday to believe there weren't some embers there).

And am not expecting much of any other moves in the off-season as raises to guys coming off ELCs and bridges up the overall spend.  Would really like to see at least 1 more good vet F come in, but haven't looked at how the rest is going to have them situated against the cap.

(And with that said, likely will see people again sometime in April.)

[JoeSchmoe]

29 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Adams was very noncommittal as to whether Byram would be back

His lack of certainty on the topic spoke to me that he's not part of the plan. Personally, I think he's the most overrated guy on the team (including Power), and his a total liability unless Dahlin is making him look good. Hopefully we can give him a cheap bridge deal and move him to a team who's still buying the hype and not looking at the actual on ice play.

[Indabuff]

"...how can we improve our team."

Well, let's start with you firing yourself.

[Pimlach]

5 hours ago, JoeSchmoe said:

All in all I thought it was a pretty good press conference.

His comments about Cozens being really emotional about leaving and Zucker falling in love with the being a Buffalo Sabre tells me it's not all doom and gloom as most of us like to believe.

[JohninMinn.]

The only thing this team needs is more testosterone. Sabres are bullied every single game. The whole league knows it.

[bunomatic]

5 minutes ago, JohninMinn. said:

The only thing this team needs is more testosterone. Sabres are bullied every single game. The whole league knows it.

Subtract a couple kids, add a couple grizzled vets in their prime would go a long way.

[thewookie1]

5 hours ago, 7+6=13 said:

This interview aggravated me more than I thought it would and maybe he's just a showman.  I do sympathize with the challenges of being the GM of the Sabres.  

I think he's misinterpreting what his job is and what the City (fans) want.  He said no one can say I don't love Buffalo.  Well no one is saying that because no one cares.  I don't care if my GM thinks it's a terrible place to live.  It's odd how much he brings that up and alarming that it's his barometer for most decisions.

I don't mind him having a personal relationship with the players but I do mind that he can't say, I like Dylan Cozens but it wasn't good enough.  There's a lot of players that I like but if they don't play good enough, I'll trade them too.  

His ultimate job is to remove emotion and he inserts it. That's not a leader. 

 

 

I disagree with the notion that the GM shouldnt want to love his city of employment or have emotional attachments to his players. Leadership requires the ability to both work and interact with your team. More so now than in the past.
 

Where Adams fails is he can’t separate his emotional and business side. 

Edited Saturday at 10:26 PM by thewookie1

[Cityo'Rasmii]

4 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

I disagree with the notion that the GM should want to love his city of employment or have emotional attachments to his players.
 

Where Adams fails is he can’t separate his emotional and business side. 

there's really not much of a business side to him

Edited Saturday at 10:28 PM by Cityo'Rasmii

[7+6=13]

2 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

I disagree with the notion that the GM should want to love his city of employment or have emotional attachments to his players.
 

Where Adams fails is he can’t separate his emotional and business side. 

I just think it doesn't matter if the GM loves the city.  He's presenting it as It's most important, so the fans should not question that about him.  I haven't seen that matter to one fan, it's about doing the job. I also said I don't mind him having a personal relationship. But when you think you're brothers with the players, that's an issue.

 

[thewookie1]

1 minute ago, 7+6=13 said:

I just think it doesn't matter if the GM loves the city.  He's presenting it as It's most important, so the fans should not question that about him.  I haven't seen that matter to one fan, it's about doing the job. I also said I don't mind him having a personal relationship. But when you think you're brothers with the players, that's an issue.

 

Ok, it shouldn’t be the most important factor and I agree the GM shouldn’t see the players as his brothers. 

[JohninMinn.]

Only 1-0 way to go boys. I'll take a 3-0 loss. At least there's no embarrassment.  (typical Sabre fan.)

[Pimlach]

14 hours ago, 7+6=13 said:

I just think it doesn't matter if the GM loves the city.  He's presenting it as It's most important, so the fans should not question that about him.  I haven't seen that matter to one fan, it's about doing the job. I also said I don't mind him having a personal relationship. But when you think you're brothers with the players, that's an issue.

 

Imlach, Bowman, Meehan, Muckler, and Regier -  none were brothers of the players.  That was a ridiculous statement and a bad concept for any sports organization who’s goal is to win.   The big boss just cannot be one of the boys.   Adams acts childish.  

A GM should have no trouble calling out a player to the coach, or trading a player.  Personal feelings and having favorites will negatively impact the team.  Visits the GMs office seem weird to me.  

Today are the players are different? Sure. But the relationship between them and the coach and the GM has  to have some boundaries.  

Edited 18 hours ago by Pimlach

[Georgia Blizzard]

I can't wait for his post-firing press conference !!!

[thewookie1]

4 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Imlach, Bowman, Meehan, Muckler, and Regier -  none were brothers of the players.  That was a ridiculous statement and a bad concept for any sports organization who’s goal is to win.   The big boss just cannot be one of the boys.   Adams acts childish.  

A GM should have no trouble calling out a player to the coach, or trading a player.  Personal feelings and having favorites will negatively impact the team.  Visits the GMs office seem weird to me.  

Today are the players are different? Sure. But the relationship between them and the coach and the GM has  to have some boundaries.  

Effectively old school GMing doesn’t fly with younger players. A GM needs to be available and personable enough to interact with the team and acquire knowledge on personalities and cliques in the room. Meanwhile he can’t be a brother or comrade in arms with the players. He needs to be a “Father,” not necessarily an old 1800’s farmer Dad but more akin to a “cool Dad” who can hang around with the players to some degree but is always their “father.”

A good hypothetical would be Kevyn Adams shouldn’t go partying with the players or garner friendships amongst the players but he can play table tennis in the team tournie or join the team with a beer in the locker room after a playoff berth. You must be a leader but that doesn’t mean you must be cold and cloistered to your office space.