BUFFALO, N.Y. — The atmosphere was tense on Saturday as the Buffalo Sabres’ general manager Kevyn Adams faced the music after the team’s 14th consecutive failed season, missing the playoffs yet again. In stark contrast to previous years when Adams would highlight glimpses of progress, there was no sense of accomplishment this time around. Instead, Adams pointed the finger at himself for the relentless playoff drought.
Reflecting on where the team stands, Adams didn’t shy away from acknowledging the shortcomings. “It’s simply not good enough,” he stated during an in-depth conference held just 48 hours after the Sabres ended the season ranked 14th in the Eastern Conference and 26th overall. He conveyed his disappointment and planned to convey the same to team owner Terry Pegula soon. “In all honesty, we should have been a playoff team by now—and we did not achieve that,” he admitted. He pledged to take ownership and focus on the steps needed to improve.
Adams, now completing his fifth season as GM, mentioned receiving no indications from Pegula about any impending changes to the front office. Yet, he acknowledged the urgency in building a competitive team and recognized that his opportunities to do so might be dwindling. “I comprehend the urgency,” he ensured. “We are closer than it appears, but this needs to be backed by victories on the ice.”
The last time Buffalo saw postseason action was 2011, with their most recent series win dating back to 2007 when they ultimately fell to Ottawa in the Eastern Conference finals. Since then, the team has cycled through seven coaching changes, beginning with the 2013 ousting of Lindy Ruff, who returned just this past season. Despite a promising start to the season, a dismal 0-10-3 stretch derailed their progress, plunging them to the bottom of the Eastern standings by late December.
Adams admitted second-guessing his decision not to initiate moves to uplift the team during the slump but vowed to act more decisively in the future. Meanwhile, Ruff, who shared the stage with Adams, remains optimistic about the upcoming season, noting Buffalo’s strong closing performance with a 12-7-1 run. “I am still confident and quite frustrated with myself for not executing our goals,” stated Ruff, who hit the milestone of 900 career wins with a season-ending match against Philadelphia, placing him among the top coaches in NHL history.
The Sabres do boast talented players like Rasmus Dahlin, ranking fourth among defensemen in the league, and Tage Thompson, who notched 44 goals to tie for third overall with Washington’s Alex Ovechkin. However, inconsistency and unpredictable goaltending, alongside a roster with nine players under the age of 24, posed challenges.
Despite a mostly stable roster through the years, Buffalo fans have learned that a strong season finish does not guarantee starting success in the next. Veteran player Jason Zucker, who committed to a contract extension through 2026-27, adopted a pragmatic approach. “Hope is not a viable strategy,” he candidly expressed. “Ultimately, we failed to meet the required standards, and it’s imperative to elevate those during the offseason to emerge stronger next time around.”