Two games into the season, the Sabres lack of addressing their biggest offseason need is showing more than anything right now. Their pitiful performance in Game 1 of an 82-game season could be excused as, “Okay, it’s one game, so we don’t need to overreact.”
And while we also don’t need to overreact after two bland games, it’s becoming clear that general manager Kevyn Adams’ refusal to upgrade the top six is the biggest gaping hole on the team as the Blue and Gold prepare to head back to the States.
I started writing this piece with about seven minutes to go in the third period, shortly after the New Jersey Devils took a 2-1 lead over Buffalo. And while this Sabres team is without a doubt more physical thanks to Adams doing something about the bottom six, 14 shots on goal against a resurgent Jacob Markstrom isn’t going to cut it.
To make matters worse, goaltender Devon Levi was having an incredible game, stopping 32 of 34 shots when I sat down to write this. It was a performance we’ll expect the youngster to continue, and one that comes roughly 365 days after some lean showings that kicked off the 2023-24 season.
Blame for addressing the top six falls squarely on the Sabres GM
I spent an eternity praising Kevyn Adams’ approach to building his team through the draft and prospect pool. It’s something every general manager who wants long-term success for his team should be doing, along with adding young talent from elsewhere when given the opportunity, hence his trades for Devon Levi and Alex Tuch, which came in separate deals.
But once you get to the point that you establish a core, it’s time to put the finishing touches on it. Adding to the bottom six was undoubtedly necessary, but everyone, even the most fair weather NHL fan, knew the Sabres needed a game-changing top six scorer, and it didn't happen.
As I began writing this paragraph, the Sabres allowed another goal, and outscored 7-2 in the young season. This isn’t saying a top six forward would have made much of a difference just yet, as teams with so many new faces need time to mesh, but getting outscored by five goals in the first 115 minutes of the season doesn’t help your cause.
If this foreshadows the Sabres season, Kevyn Adams will have nobody to blame but himself. And if it keeps up, we can only wonder whether he’ll have a job come April 2025 since he should have made acquiring even a top six-caliber scorer Priority No. 1. Right now, Mr. Adams, you are failing an entire fanbase that is beyond sick of seeing its team losing.