Adams Reflects On The Difficulties Of Bringing Players To Buffalo

Sabres struggling to stay in the playoff race after losing their fifth in a row to Winnipeg

Long stretches without making the postseason are nothing new to the city of Buffalo. The NFL Bills went 17 years without making the playoffs and the Sabres are on year #13 of their playoff drought. GM Kevyn Adams met with the media on Friday, and he stated his belief in head coach Lindy Ruff, owner Terry Pegula, and the direction of the club, but also said the challenges of getting the club over the hump are difficult.

“Philosophically, how you set out to build this franchise is you have to draft and you have to develop well, and we're in that process. And when developing, sometimes that means some rough times,” Adams said after the Sabres fifth straight loss to Winnipeg on Thursday. “I truly believe if you draft well, you develop well, work through some of the growing pains, and you can get a team in a good spot with the people that you've brought through your system. It gives you an advantage, and then you round it out."

The Sabres are in their second rebuild in a decade with a core consisting of 2018 top overall pick Rasmus Dahlin, 2019 first-rounder Dylan Cozens, and 2021 top overall pick Owen Power, and forwards Tage Thompson, and Alex Tuch, but the formula of filling out of the roster with young prospects, and role players acquired in trades and free agency has not been able to get the club into the playoffs. Adams admitted on Friday that part of the problem has been getting players to sign in Buffalo or block trades with no-trade clauses.

"This is not the time. We're not a destination city right now, where we're going to be able to go out and get UFA’s that are the guys, and I just don't think that's the way to go with this team." Adams said. “We don't have palm trees. We have taxes in New York. Those things are real and that you deal with. There are a lot of players in this league that we're on their (no trade)list, so we need to earn their respect, and it starts with getting over the hump and getting in the playoffs."

Canadian clubs (Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary, Ottawa), along with some smaller US markets (Columbus, Buffalo, Utah) have difficulty getting players to sign with them, or to get them to waive their no-move or limited no-trade restrictions. Players are more open to going to larger markets like Toronto, New York, and Los Angeles, or warmer climates or in no-tax states like Florida, Tampa Bay, Dallas and Nashville. Often teams in higher tax or colder locales have to overpay players to get them to sign on the dotted line.

Adams is not saying something untruthful, but it is a reality that fans of one of the best hockey markets in the NHL do not want to hear.

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