Sabres GM Kevyn Adams gives his thoughts on winning draft lottery
The Buffalo Sabres got a big win on Wednesday night- Not on the ice in the NHL playoffs they had hoped to be a part of at the start of the 2021 season, but off the ice following an adverse year of challenges.
The team won the draft lottery and the No. 1 overall pick, the top selection awarded under Sabres GM Kevyn Adams’ leadership. The GM was nothing short of excited and energized when thinking what it could mean for the franchise and the city of Buffalo.
“I don’t think I was nervous- My heart was racing a little bit, there was a lot going through my mind, I want this to somehow fall our way, what kind of adversity we faced this past year, some of the challenges we went through,” Adams said via video conference. “In that short timeframe, I was thinking about Terry and Kim, and the organization, this city, and this would be a great thing for them, I just love this place so much and it deserves this franchise to be great, to me this was an exciting night.”
GM Kevyn Adams addresses the media after the Sabres won the 2021 #NHLDraft Lottery. https://t.co/GfClB4wrcK
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) June 3, 2021
Winning the top selection was a much-needed breath of fresh air after a tough season, complete with a coaching change, COVID outbreak, injuries, and numerous close game losses throughout the year. Needless to say, the season didn’t go as planned for a franchise that had playoff aspirations following 2020 free agency and the draft. Now the goal will be to identify who the team selects.
“There’s a lot of good players in this draft, so we’re excited about it,” continued Adams. “It’s a big step in the right direction of where we’re headed.”
This go-around, the GM once more has made it clear it will be both a thorough and collaborative effort between his staff and the scouting department to identify the best player available regardless of whether they are NHL-ready or in need of development.
“We’re really not going to focus on position, just going to pick the best player available.”
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In addition to the NHL draft, the GM will be continuing his evaluations to identify the team’s next head coach while continuing to prepare for the expansion draft and free agency to help put the team back on track.