The Buffalo Sabres front office, led by general manager Kevyn Adams, was tasked with finding a way to upgrade a roster that missed the playoffs by 12 points last season. Now, after a modest set of moves, the question is: Did the organization do enough this summer?
Adams, who's entering his sixth season in the GM chair in 2025-26, has remained steadfast in his belief the Sabres must remain heavily focused on the draft and development. A lack of internal improvement has been a major reason the franchise has failed to end its 14-year playoff drought in recent seasons, though.
So, let's take a look back at all of the offseason's notable changes, from the blockbuster JJ Peterka trade to the Justin Danforth signing in free agency, and give Adams a final grade for his performance.
All contract data is courtesy of PuckPedia unless otherwise noted.
Component No. 1: Trades
- JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth for Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring
- Connor Clifton and a second-round draft pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Conor Timmins and Isaac Belliveau
- Sam Lafferty to the Chicago Blackhawks for a sixth-round draft pick
Making any type of definitive statement about the Peterka trade is incredibly difficult. Giving up on a player who's already scored 67 NHL goals at the age of 23, including 55 over the past two seasons combined, comes with ample downside risk. Pure scorers like that are tough to find.
Yet, both of the players Buffalo received can become instant-impact pieces. Doan possesses intriguing two-way potential and Kesselring is the team's latest (and best) attempt to find a consistent partner for Owen Power, whose on-ice growth has stalled in large part because of the team's poor defensive depth.
It creates a scenario where Sabres can win the trade despite giving up the best player in it, which is typically pretty rare across the sports spectrum.
Beyond that, the swap from Clifton to Timmins was necessary as Buffalo sought a better puck-moving option next to Mattias Samuelsson on the third pair and the Lafferty deal was mostly a salary dump to create an extra roster spot.
Component No. 2: UFA signings
- Justin Danforth (two years, $3.6 million)
- Alex Lyon (two years, $3 million)
- Zac Jones (one year, $900,000)
Terrible. The Sabres entered free agency with a clear void in the top six following the Peterka trade. There were two potential avenues to fill the spot: a high-profile free-agent signing or a multi-player Bowen Byram trade.
Instead, Adams essentially did nothing in free agency. Danforth will compete with Beck Malenstyn for the last spot in the lineup on a nightly basis and Jones is set to battle Jacob Bryson in training camp for the No. 7 defenseman role.
Lyon is fine as a backup goalie but his career .902 save percentage, which dipped a bit following his lackluster .896 mark with the Detroit Red Wings last season, suggests he's not a dependable starting option should starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen struggle again this season.
Buffalo eventually needs to start doing at least some meaningful business on the free-agent market if it wants to seriously compete, especially in the loaded Atlantic Division.
Component No. 3: RFA signings
- Ryan McLeod (four years, $20 million)
- Bowen Byram (two years, $12.5 million)
- Jack Quinn (two years, $6.75 million)
- Devon Levi (two years, $1.63 million)
Adams did some good work here. McLeod is essentially the perfect No. 3 NHL center, and there may still be enough offensive growth ahead to believe he could eventually handle the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. His contract should age tremendously for Buffalo.
Getting Byram signed to a two-year extension, which gives him the opportunity to hit unrestricted free agency at the end of the deal, made a ton of sense. It gives the front office another season to see if he's part of the franchise's future. If not, he'll still carry trade value next summer.
Quinn is facing a crucial season after injuries derailed a promising start to his career. Although this feels like a slight overpay on the surface, it's a worthwhile gamble with hope he can still deliver on the 30-goal potential he showcased a few years ago.
Levi will start this season with the AHL's Rochester Americans but it's still worth mentioning his new contract because he could see NHL time this year if UPL falters. The Sabres' uncertainty in the crease puts continued pressure on his development.
One other note here: non-tendering Jacob Bernard-Docker after acquiring him in the Dylan Cozens trade was a head-scratching decision. He played well down the stretch last season.
Sabres' other factors
Nothing is more frustrating for Sabres fans than looking at what's likely the team's Opening Night roster and seeing there's $5.2 million in unused salary-cap space. Not spending to the cap has become a troublesome trend for the organization in the post-COVID world.
Yes, it's always possible Adams uses that money for a marquee trade before the deadline if Buffalo is still firmly in the playoff race. Why not go all-in from the beginning, though? Give the roster as much help as possible to end the extended playoff drought.
Adams has refused to throw team owner Terry Pegula under the bus, consistently saying the front office is given all the resources to compete, but the numbers say otherwise. The Sabres act like an organization that's pinching pennies and it's hurting their chances.
On the flip side, it's fair to say Buffalo's front office likely struggles to convince players to join a team that hasn't made the playoffs since 2011 and resides in a high-tax state. Those are realities of the NHL, and they aren't working in Adams' favor.
Final Grade: C-
If the Sabres do anything else before the season-opening clash with the New York Rangers on Oct. 9, it'll likely be re-signing some impending 2026 free agents. The most obvious options are a pair of core pieces on the wing, Alex Tuch and Zach Benson.
Adams should be doing everything in his power to get those deals done ASAP. Tuch is a jack-of-all-trades weapon. He can play in any situation who's from nearby Syracuse, New York. Benson is on a trajectory to become one of the NHL's best two-way players.
If Buffalo gets both players signed to fair-market or team-friendly contracts, it could push this grade closer to the high-C or low-B range. It's hard to see any other moves on the horizon that would impact the overall offseason outlook, though.
The bottom line remains much the same. The Sabres missed the postseason by a dozen points last season and spent the summer acting like a team that only needed a minor tweak or two. It's a lack of urgency that often leaves the roster short on talent, particularly once injuries begin to arise.
All told, if Buffalo falls short of the playoffs for a 15th straight year, it'll be time to start looking for somebody else to lead the front office in 2026.