Buffalo Sabres: Were Kevyn Adams’ priorities correct?

Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams reportedly wanted to “keep the Sabres in a position to succeed over their last 19 games” at the NHL Trade Deadline.

The Buffalo Sabres were supposed to sell veteran talent at the NHL Trade Deadline. Instead, they only shipped off defenseman Robert Hagg.

Throughout the latter half of February and toward the trade deadline, Adams fielded calls for defensemen Colin Miller, Hagg, Mark Pysyk, and Will Butcher. He also had several players like Cody Eakin and Craig Anderson in the final (or only) year of their contracts.

Yet Adams “prioritized keeping his young core in a position to compete over their final 19 games.” Compete for what, exactly? Adams saw what this team can do with the seasoned veterans mentioned above. Amass a grand total of 52 points.

Did the Buffalo Sabres general manager have his priorities straight?

Here is what Adams had to say during a presser:

"“At the end of the day for me it was always about what was best for this group moving forward. What was the best thing for the development of this group? And really wanted to be mindful of putting these players in a position to keep getting better.” – via NHL.com."

Okay, it’s great that Adams believes in this team and that they can win more over these final 19 games. The Sabres proved it so far in March that they can beat anyone. They blew out the Maple Leafs twice, shutout the Calgary Flames, and scored a revenge win against the Vegas Golden Knights.

But the 2021-22 season was all about getting younger and building for the future. If the Sabres were in serious contention for a Wild Card, it’s easy to agree with Adams’ mentality. But with just 52 points, the Sabres would literally need to run the table to even hope for a Wild Card. Stranger things have happened, but such a miracle run rarely occurs.

Adams needed to get rid of as many of the veterans as possible regardless of the cost. The team already had nine draft picks before he traded Hagg. He needed to prioritize freeing as much cap space as possible. Adams did neither. And now, it’s probable the Sabres will let their veterans walk at the end of the season for nothing.