Takeaways from Kevyn Adams’ Press Conference

Before day one of training camp, Buffalo Sabres’ General Manager Kevyn Adams held a press conference where he addressed a myriad of questions about the team. Adams is going into his fifth season as general manager as the Sabres. Since the team hasn’t made the playoffs under his tenure and is now under their third head coach since 2021, it’s a make-or-break year for Adams.

Kulich Progressing into NHL Talent

Adams praised Jiri Kulich, a Sabres prospect who was taken with the 28th pick in 2022’s draft. “I thought he dominated,” said Adams. “I thought he was the best player on the ice. I’ve been telling you for two years, I think this kid’s going to be a special player in the NHL.” Kulich scored five goals and racked up seven points in the three-game tournament. The 20-year-old played center in the tournament as well as last season for the Rochester Americans, where he scored a team-leading 27 goals and 45 points in 57 games. Adams also commended Kulich’s ability to listen to feedback and adapt his game. “Besides the goals, the puck battles and the getting to the net and getting under guys’ sticks… that’s the stuff that he put a lot of work and a lot of thought into.” The Czechian forward will be on the radar to make the roster when it comes time to make that decision.

Cozens Needs to Elevate His Game

Unfortunately, Dylan Cozens took a huge step back in offensive production, going from 31 goals and 68 points in 2022-23 to just 18 goals and 47 points last year. The Whitehorse, Yukon-native also got worse faceoff-wise, posting a 45.5 faceoff win-percentage in 1,146 draws; the worst in the league with at least 1,100 faceoffs. Cozens is a top-six forward on this team that plays on the power-play and penalty kill units; he simply has to play better, and Adams agrees. “He’s a key guy on our team,” said Adams. “He has the ability to play that true 200-foot game, he can be hard to play against other teams’ top lines, he can score, he can play on the penalty kill, power-play, we need him to improve his faceoffs and just become that player.” Cozens is going into his fifth NHL season and looks to improve his game as the second-line center on the team.

Malenstyn Trade Addresses Toughness

A big complaint over the past few seasons has been that the team hasn’t been tough to play against. The Sabres addressed that complaint by trading the 43rd-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft for Beck Malenstyn. Malenstyn recorded career-highs all around with 81 games played, six goals scored and 21 points. Obviously, not amazing offensive numbers, but where he made his worth was on the defensive end. The six-foot-three inch, 200-pound left-winger led the team in hits with 241 and put up 93 blocked shots, which ranked second among all NHL forwards.

“We felt we needed to be harder to play against,” said Adams. “We needed more physicality. He [Malenstyn] fit exactly what we were looking for.” Adams traded for the checking-line forward on June 29 and subsequently extended his contract on July 23. He signed a two-year, $2.7 million contract, locking the 26-year-old in the blue and gold until he becomes a restricted free agent in 2026.

Adams Saving Cap Space for Future Extensions, Trade Deadline

Another concern has been the lack of spending in free agency. The Sabres’ biggest signing was Jason Zucker, inking the 32-year-old forward in Buffalo for one year worth $5 million. With about $7 million still left in cap space, fans wanted the team to spend more money to secure a top-six forward, which Adams addressed. “As you put your roster together, you can’t just look at it as today, you’re predicting what future contracts look like,” said Adams. “It really wasn’t the dollars because we could’ve spent more dollars, it was the term… for me, it’s been about putting a roster together that we believe can win. It could be in October, it could be in training camp, it could be at the trade deadline, if we think there’s a deal out there that will help us get better, we’re going to attack it.” The 49-year-old executive left the door open for a trade or an extension with the money available.

Lindy Ruff Hire Aims to Take Sabres to “Next Step”

When asked about new head coach Lindy Ruff, Adams had nothing but good things to say. “Lindy Ruff is a phenomenal coach,” said Adams, who worked with Ruff for four years on the Sabres. Adams worked as a development coach for Buffalo from 2009-11 and then as an assistant coach from 2011-13. Also, Adams showed appreciation for Don Granato, Ruff’s predecessor. “Donny Granato did an excellent job with our group, but I felt that we needed this next step in our maturity of our group in the process of being pushed and challenged a certain way,” said Adams. Granato brought the team to a 42-33-7 record in 2022-23, just two points out of a playoff spot, but couldn’t push the team to the next level, posting a 39-37-6 record last season, leading to his termination. The hope is that Ruff, who finished as the runner-up for the Jack Adams Award two seasons ago, can push this team of talented players into the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.

Skinner Buyout Gives Spotlight for Young Players to Shine

A controversial move that Adams made over the summer was the decision to buyout Jeff Skinner’s contract. His offensive production can’t be understated, scoring 153 goals and putting up 291 points since he came to Buffalo in 2018. Replacing Skinner’s 24 goals last season was a tall task, and signing Zucker was the team’s best attempt at it; leaving fans wanting more of a solidified top-six forward. However, Skinner’s defense was lacking and caused him to be a complete liability and borderline unplayable in three-on-three overtime and the penalty kill especially. “I have a lot of respect for Jeff,” said Adams. “We made a really tough decision because we thought we could be in a position to win more hockey games.” JJ Peterka is projected to replace Skinner on Buffalo’s top line with Tage Thompson at center and Alex Tuch at right wing. Peterka scored 28 goals and posted 50 points in his second full season and will now step into a key role at 22 years old for the Sabres.