The Buffalo Sabres and Sabres GM Kevyn Adams have to be under as much pressure as any team and GM in the league. While Adams already has made some moves in this off-season -- including the trading of up-and-coming winger J.J. Peterka and the dealing of rugged defenseman Connor Clifton in a cost-cutting move -- there's an overriding sense that bigger moves have to be on the way for the Sabres.
To be sure, Buffalo has to keep up with the Joneses in the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division. And that means the Sabres can't afford to be reactive rather than proactive. Adams can't sit back and wait for NHL-level talent to fall into his lap. Instead, he needs to be as aggressive as any GM in the league, and get ahead of the game while other GMs play catch-up.
Veteran observers of the NHL's annual free-agent frenzy know how quickly talent is snapped up every July 1. Free-agent deals are agreed to in short order once the first day of free agency arrives, and if you're a GM who hesitates at all when it comes to signing or trading for new players, you're usually left holding the bag.
That's what's at stake for Adams in the next couple of days. If July 2 rolls around and Buffalo's lineup looks very much the same as it does right now, we'll have to consider Adams' work a failure. Nothing short of a significant number of changes via free agency or trades will keep Adams in anywhere close to a positive light.
That probably means Adams needs to accept a good degree of risk. He may have no choice but to gamble on a veteran or two, but the alternative -- sticking with the status quo -- cannot be acceptable. Sabres fans already are pessimistic enough about Buffalo's chances at making the playoffs next season, but giving them the same roster for 2025-26 will only enrage Sabres fans. And you certainly can't blame them for that rage.
As Division Rivals Make Big Moves, Sabres Are Still Making Minor Moves
The Buffalo Sabres made a notable trade this week with <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/sabres-blockbuster-trade-with-utah-sends-disgruntled-winger-to-mammoth-for-defensive-depth-son-of-nhl-icon">the trading of winger J.J. Peterka</a>. But the return on the deal for Peterka -- defenseman Michael Kesselring and winger Josh Doan -- isn't exactly earth-shattering. The Sabres also made news Friday afternoon with <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/sabres-sign-quinn-to-two-year-extension">the re-signing of center Jack Quinn to a two-year, $6.75-million contract extension</a>; but Quinn isn't yet a top-six forward at this stage in his NHL career, so news of his contract extension didn't garner a lot of headlines.
However, if Adams can pull off some major moves -- including, but not limited to the dealing of defenseman Bowen Byram -- Sabres fans will have something to look forward to next season. The current group couldn't get the job done by ending what is now Buffalo's 14-year streak without Stanley Cup playoff hockey, and that's why Sabres fans are demanding that considerable roster change has to happen.
That means Adams has to come up with at least one UFA signing of note, and probably at least two significant trades. We're taking for granted that Byram has one foot out the door, but he shouldn't be the only one who is dealt in the next little while.
Who else should be moved? We've suggested winger Alex Tuch should be a trade candidate, but it doesn't have to necessarily be him that is dealt. However, we're also not saying there are many untouchables on Buffalo's roster. Star defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power are keepers, as is star forward Tage Thompson. Veterans Jason Zucker and Josh Norris also aren't likely to be moved, and neither is newly-signed winger Jack Quinn. But after that, Adams should be listening to offers for just about anyone.
After Blockbuster Trade With Utah, Sabres Should Be Pushing Byram Out The Door Next
The Buffalo Sabres pulled off a major move early Thursday morning with a <a href="http://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/sabres-blockbuster-trade-with-utah-sends-disgruntled-winger-to-mammoth-for-defensive-depth-son-of-nhl-icon">blockbuster deal that sent winger J.J. Peterka to the Utah Mammoth</a> in exchange for young winger Josh Doan and defenseman Michael Kesserling. And now, Sabres fans are wondering who will be next to be moved.
When you don't have any degree of sustained success as a team, you shouldn't have too many players you won't consider moving. And that's where Adams should be with much of his roster. He has to be listening to any and all offers that come his way, and be ready to part ways with players if the offers are anywhere close to palatable.
In the end, Adams has to be extremely active in remaking his group. Just about every GM in the league should be in the same position, but the Sabres in particular have run out of room for excuses. Buffalo supporters have grown accustomed to excuse after excuse as to why things haven't improved in Western New York, and at this stage, they're mostly exhausted by it all. And that's not a place any team should want their paying customers to be in.
If at this time next week we're writing about the same collection of Sabres players, Adams should be rightfully ripped. But there's still time for Adams & Co. to be on the right side of history in Buffalo. It's going to take guts, and it's going to take a gambler's mindset, but if the Sabres can change the mix to a notable degree, Buffalo may yet surprise us all and get back into the playoff picture.