The Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs have traveled rapidly in divergent directions this season, but the Atlantic Division rivalry may soon be reignited.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported Monday on the 32 Thoughts Podcast a new name is starting to swirl as the Leafs search for a new general manager, and it's one familiar to Sabres fans.
"I also wonder about Kevyn Adams for this job," Friedman said. "Because the more I've heard about him and what [Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment president Keith] Pelley said, I think there's a lot of similarity. You know, one of the things someone said to me was, they signed Mattias Samuelsson to a big contract kinda out of nowhere and they made an analytic bet on that one. It didn't start out great, but boy it looks really good now."
The NHL insider conceded Buffalo's painfully slow turnaround time under Adams is a concern, though.
"It took a lot longer than I think anybody wanted or hoped but hey, this is a results-oriented business and it looks that way now, so I could see [Adams to Toronto]," Friedman said.
Adams was in his sixth season leading the Sabres' front office when he was fired in mid-December, which is around the same time Buffalo began its unexpected rise up the Eastern Conference standings en route to ending the franchise's 14-year playoff drought.
The 51-year-old former NHL player, who won a Stanley Cup title with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006, had a tenure marred by repeated mistakes, inaction at key moments and an endless stream of excuses that became eye-roll worthy by the end of his run with the Sabres.
Kevyn Adams taking over as Toronto Maple Leafs GM would be an early Christmas present for Buffalo Sabres fans
Adams has received a lot of pats on the back in recent months, including some discussion about whether he belongs in the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award conversation given the Sabres' success after his departure.
It's ridiculous.
What the past four months have shown is the importance of the message from the top. Adams was the master of lame excuses (lowlighted by the palm trees press conference) to explain why the organization remained a laughingstock for over a decade, and his players often followed suit with those cop-outs.
Jarmo Kekalainen instantly changed the environment after taking over the role. His first meeting with the players wasn't a gentle get-to-know-you interaction. He made it clear a new standard was being set.
"You are all pretty much all expendable, and no one is safe," Sabres superstar Tage Thompson recalled Kekalainen saying. "We are going to start working, and if you don't want to work, you're not gonna be on the team."
Adams was far too soft on a group of players whose complete level always fell short.
It's no mistake the GM change led to Kekalainen and head coach Lindy Ruff finally getting the roster to buy in to a more competitive approach on a nightly basis. The subsequent results, including a 33-6-2 record over a 41-game span, speak for themselves.
Meanwhile, a quick glance at the roster shows Adams did little to significantly change the franchise's fortunes.
Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson were already in place when he arrived, and a large portion of the roster, including emerging players like Zach Benson and Noah Ostlund, was the benefit of constantly picking high in the lottery. His other draft picks have failed to make an impact.
Signing Jason Zucker and trading for Ryan McLeod were solid moves, but the Dylan Cozens for Josh Norris swap is aging poorly, Owen Power has yet to fully live up to his lucrative contract extension and giving Jordan Greenway $4 million per year on a new deal was laughable.
Adams didn't save the Sabres. He had five-plus years to turn things around and he failed. What's happened since he left doesn't magically make him a great general manager.
That said, Buffalo fans won't mind if Toronto wants to buy the post-firing hype.
The Leafs still have a solid foundation and can turn their fortunes around quite quickly if they pick the right GM, who's able to make some savvy moves right away this summer. They could jump right back into the Atlantic Division race next season if that's the case.
Adams has never showcased the ability to operate effectively with a sense of urgency, though. He was always a step or two behind his colleagues when trying to pull off key moves, which is why the pace of Buffalo's turnaround during his tenure was so slow.
Perhaps things would be different for him with more resources in Toronto, but believing that would require a significant leap of faith from the Leafs, who desperately need to get this hire right.