Sabres GM Adams’ Presser Gets Defensive, ‘We Don’t Have Palm Trees’

“We’re not a destination city right now.”

Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams admitted the grim truth during his press conference on Friday. The Sabres have lost five straight games, plummeting from third in the Atlantic Division to six points back of third-place Boston. Buffalo’s roster is full of inconsistency, question marks, and uncertainty going forward.

Adams also delivered the line to decry his inability to attract top free agents, “we dont have palm trees, we have taxes in New York.”

Not being able to acquire the players that management desires is undoubtedly a hindrance to the Sabres and their playoff hopes. Adams expressed confidence in his young roster, although they have stumbled.

“We should be a team that is competing and in the playoffs,” Adams said. “I’ve said that since the summer. I truly believe that.”

Adams went on to describe some of the trouble that the team is running into.

“When you have a young roster, you’re going to have mistakes and we have a new coach that’s putting in certain types of intricacies into the system. I’m not happy with where we’re at, but we’re not going to panic.”

Lindy Ruff’s Impact

“I think there’s been a huge impact,” Kevyn Adams said of his new head coach, Lindy Ruff.

Adams pointed to the buzzword of accountability, citing subtle meetings, experience, and late-night phone calls involving Ruff and his players. Accountability was the term the players used over and over in their exit meetings last season. The Sabres believe that Ruff brings that in troves.

As far as in-game impact, Adams believes Ruff knows what it takes to win in the NHL.

“You have to be defensively sound. You have to play with structure. You have to be able to play and find ways to get points when you maybe don’t have your energy, or, you know, your ‘A’ game…those are all of the things I think Lindy has done a really good job of.”

More Ruff: How Ruff is Matching Up Sabres Lines

Do the Sabres Have a Playoff Roster?

One quality that is important for a general manager to have is the ability to not overreact from game-to-game. It’s a big picture job, although the minute details could be escalated. Kevyn Adams displayed this in his answers on Owen Power, Jack Quinn, and the overall outlook of player development.

That doesn’t attribute to the win-now attitude the Sabres organization has imposed on themselves, with the playoffs in mind.

“We need to get better,” Adams conceded. “But, you know, you look at even-strength expected goals-for, goals-against, we’re right where you want to be – a playoff team.”

Adams cited the New Jersey Devils, Dallas Stars, and possibly the Los Angeles Kings as teams they’re surrounded by in those statistical measurements.

Per Evolving-Hockey, here are the ranks of the four teams in expected goals-for per 60 minutes at even strength:

• New Jersey Devils, 2.93 (2nd in the NHL)
• Dallas Stars, 2.73 (7th)
• Los Angeles Kings, 2.69 (9th)
• Buffalo Sabres, 2.35 (24th)

As for expected goals-against at even strength, here are how the four rank per 60 minutes:

• Los Angeles Kings, 1.97 (1st in the NHL)
• New Jersey Devils, 2.32 (7th)
• Dallas Stars, 2.48 (14th)
• Buffalo Sabres 2.53 (17th)

The Stats Speak for Themselves

Every indication is that the Sabres are not on the level of the teams sitting comfortably in a playoff spot that Adams mentioned. The caveat, of course, is that public data is event-based only, meaning a shot triggers the measurement of shot quality. Any pass attempt near the goalmouth, whiffed shot attempt, or dangerous rush without a shot fails to register as a quality chance.

Still, the Sabres being that far off from those four teams could mean Adams is referencing aged data, misremembering, or just wrong in his assessment.

Sure-fire playoff teams have generally strong expected goals-for percentages, and Buffalo is 20th in the league at 48.1% per the model. That is not an indication that better days are on the horizon, pending any drastic change with performance or the roster.

Salary Cap

The subject of what ownership provides Adams and the Sabres comes up in every press conference as the team still looks to break a 13-year playoff drought. When asked about Buffalo’s cap space and if he feels a greater sense of urgency to use it, Adams used a definite with an explainer.

“Yes,” Adams responded. “Except, like, it’s not in a vaccuum though. You have to look at past this year when you’re putting your roster together.”

Adams and the Sabres have a bunch of expiring contracts this season, including pending restricted free agents JJ Peterka, Jack Quinn, and Bowen Byram due for raises.

“If you go add an $8 million player that’s got five years left on his contract,” Adams said, “What does that do for the next round of guys? That’s what my job is – to make sure we’re positioning ourselves, not only today, but into the future.”

Potential Moves: Report: Sabres GM Has Been “Active” in Trade Market

Organizational Resources

Kevyn Adams was also pressed on the construction of his staff and the organization, citing a relatively small pro scouting staff and development staff.

“Terry [Pegula] has done everything he can to provide us every possible resource to win hockey games,” Adams reiterated. “How many pro scouts we have versus what other teams have isn’t really something I overly get concerned about.”

Adams pointed to divvying up resources to different areas, including pro scouting and the analytics department.

“I don’t think I’ve had one agent, since we kind of rebuilt the staff, ever call me and say that one of our prospects wasn’t getting attention or wasn’t getting feedback. They’ve done an incredible job representing the organization.”

As for Terry Pegula and where he’s at with the Sabres, Adams was adamant.

“Terry’s all in and I talk to him every day. He wants this as bad as any of us, trust me, and he wants to be part of the solution.”

Revisiting the Offseason: 3 Major Takeaways From Adams and Forton Presser