While fans more than approve of Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams, they could be at odds with him on a few offseason issues.
Kevyn Adams has given Buffalo Sabres fans everywhere hope that he can turn this team into an NHL powerhouse sooner than later. But there are a few key issues where Adams and the fanbase may not see eye-to-eye.
Adams will undoubtedly want to keep finding ways for the Sabres to put their homegrown prospects in the best position to play and ultimately succeed. And that means passing on a few key veterans fans may otherwise want him to pursue.
Not that he wouldn’t go after one, especially on defense. But don’t expect him to sign them to any monster contracts or anything of the sort. So which issues will the fans and Adams find themselves at odds with? Keep reading.
Buffalo Sabres, fans, won’t agree on these issues
1 – Adding a veteran goaltender
As it stands, the Buffalo Sabres will likely roll with Devon Levi while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Eric Comrie battle it out for the second spot, whether as a backup or a 1B. Most likely, the homegrown Luukkonen wins the job while Comrie goes through waivers.
Per The Athletic, 85% of fans in a sample size of 1,202 want neither Luukkonen nor Comrie to back up Levi. But given the fact Luukkonen was drafted and had grown through the system, the likeliest scenario here is that he will open the season as the 1B. However, if Luukkonen plays the way he did last year, don’t be surprised if Adams eventually does something by the trade deadline.
2 – Number of new players (prospects/signees) on the roster
In The Athletic’s survey, 15% wanted at least four, while most wanted three new players to open the season with the Buffalo Sabres. There could be just enough space if Adams were to retain Tyson Jost and Zemgus Girgensons. If that were the case, then the lineup would likely look like this:
- Skinner – Tage – Tuch
- Quinn – Cozens – Peterka
- Jost – Mittelstadt – Kulich (projected)
- Girgensons – Krebs – Greenway
- Okposo – Murray (projected)
- Dahlin – Samuelsson
- Power – Veteran D-Man
- Stillman – Lyubushkin
- Jokiharju
- Levi – Luukkonen
This wouldn’t be possible if Adams doesn’t move Victor Olofsson, so you can swap him out for Brett Murray, who I also have slated to return. The reality is, there would be such few roster spots, it wouldn’t be the easiest thing to pull off.
We already established it would be tough to see him bringing in a veteran goaltender, and you can also see how close he’d be cutting it in bringing in even three new names, one of which is an extra. That said, if you want three new faces on the roster next year, then you better hope Adams moves Olofsson.
3 – Owen Power’s contract extension
Clearly, myself and fans everywhere want to see Owen Power get a long-term contract extension as soon as possible. And of the 1,202 fans The Athletic surveyed, that number sits at 83% wanting the same. Power did more than enough to warrant such a deal, but is Adams willing to lock him in for the next five to seven seasons after just one year in the NHL?
There is a chance Adams could instead sign a deal similar to the one Rasmus Dahlin signed that went into effect in 2021-22 and will expire at the end of the 2023-24 season. Obviously, such a deal wouldn’t satisfy most fans, but given the fact the same thing happened with Dahlin a few years back, it’s something we can’t rule Adams doing.
Source: Sabres fan survey results: Casey Mittelstadt’s future, Devon Levi’s workload and more by Matthew Fairburn, TheAthletic.com