Grading the Buffalo Sabres 2022 offseason (so far)

The Verdict

Overall, Adams had a game plan coming into the NHL Draft and free agency, and it was to find more high-end prospects while protecting current prospects. Some in the Buffalo Sabres faithful will castigate him for refusing to spend top-dollar for high-end free agents or trading draft picks for stars like Alex DeBrincat (who ended up in Ottawa).

But the fact of the matter remains that adding superstar potential to a budding nucleus that the Sabres have can stagnate development. The Sabres made big moves in the past decade, and few of them have worked. Further, they didn’t shift the team from its losing ways.

Instead, Adams wanted to keep the nucleus intact, which would allow them to continue to build chemistry over the next two to four seasons. With that chemistry comes a team that is already used to one another. And in the long-run, it gives the Sabres a huge advantage over the likes of the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings, both of whom threw star players together in hopes that they will mesh.

It is a problem the playoff-starved Sabres don’t need. And for that, Adams gets an A- for the 2022 offseason so far. Yes, the 2022 NHL Draft could have been better in my eyes. But I was glad to see Adams add to the prospect pool, especially at forward.

And it was refreshing to see that he did not go crazy in spending money on elite talent, instead opting to keep developing his own talent to reach the elite level. Something that will come with another season of experience.