Buffalo’s Draft Record Under Former GM Kevyn Adams Was Spotty At Best
The Buffalo Sabres had a remarkable season under veteran head coach Lindy Ruff, making the postseason for the first time in 15 years and winning the Atlantic Division by three points over the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens, but in spite of those feats and being nominated for the Jack Adams Award, Ruff did not win the award given out annually for coach of the year. Two-time Stanley Cup winner Jon Cooper, who led the Lightning to a 50-26-6 record, despite a slew of injuries, won the award over Ruff and Pittsburgh’s Dan Muse.
Other Sabres Stories
It has to be considered a bit of revisionist history to say that the Buffalo Sabres drafting under former GM Kevyn Adams was excellent, since the club during his five seasons at the helm selected the likes of Owen Power, Matthew Savoie (traded to Edmonton), Jiri Kulich, Zach Benson, and Konsta Helenius in the first round. While it is too early to judge how 2025 top pick Radim Mrtka or any of the other selections made last June will do in the NHL, Adams record at this point outside of the first round is spotty at best.
2024 third-rounder Brodie Ziemer appears to be a promising young forward and scored 23 goals as a sophomore for the University of Minnesota, fourth rounder Luke Osburn impressed as a freshman for Wisconsin and made Team USA’s World Junior squad, and defenders Mrtka, Maxim Strbak, and Adam Kleber may have a chance of making the NHL down the road, but currently, through five drafts only 2021 seventh-rounder Tyson Kozak is the only prospect drafted outside of the first round to play one NHL game.
Buffalo late last month signed 2022 sixth-rounder Jake Richard to an two-year entry-level deal before he returned to the University of Connecticut for his senior season, but earlier this week they lost the rights to a number of their late-round draft picks. 2022 sixth-rounder Gustav Karlsson, and seventh-rounders Joel Ratkovic-Berndtsson and Linus Sjodin, all playing at various levels in Sweden, were not signed before the June 1 signing deadline.
Another seventh-rounder, 2024 selection Ryerson Leenders, was not signed or did not declare to an NCAA club prior to Monday’s deadline. The 20-year-old goalie had a 2.69 GAA in 39 games for the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs. Another prospect, 2021 third-rounder Stiven Sardarian completed his senior season at Michigan Tech and according to Puckpedia, the Sabres have until August 15th before they lose their exclusive rights to the 23-year-old Russian winger.
Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo
THN.com/Free