Kevyn Adams bills GM (Hypothetical)

[PromoTheRobot]

Considering he's a hockey guy, probably not much.

[May Day 10]

On 4/25/2025 at 3:36 PM, Mango said:

 

I've heard that rumor, but I think it might have been on his extension.

 

My barely educated two cents is that both franchises are managed identically. Terry is very open about allowing anybody and everybody to come directly to him with ideas. Which is awesome in some ways but without structure makes definite roles and taking inventory for improvement nearly impossible.

 

We see it with the Sabres a ton. And we saw it early with Rex and Whaley and Brandon. The advantage McBeane have is a past prior working relationship and being hired more or less as a package. So Beane is never going to Terry without McD nor McD to Terry without Beane.

 

The Sabres have been a hire this position, then that position, and then this other position, and they all independently push for their own image of the organization to Terry and Terry piece meals it all together.

 

I think it's less meddling and more lack of leadership and structure from the ownership. Without some definition and ultimate responsibility in the org it's nearly impossible to hold people responsible.

 

Terry Pegula is why I have next to no interest in splitting up McBeane. In addition to both being above average at their individual craft they keep our owner in check, which is also a skill.

 

Just a real life hypothetical on the Bills side. At least how I see the last 14 years of the Sabres:

 

Let's just say we finally move on from McDermott and we even promote from within (and Beane does not have that line in his contract). Say Joe Brady takes over too keep congruency. We struggles a bit but Brady keeps clamoring to Pegula on the side that we need to start drafting x players instead of y players. Terry starts telling Beane to start prioritizing positoon x. The team gets worse. Everybody blames Beane, but Beane lost control lose 2-1 to Brady/Terry.

 

Then we get a new GM and that GM is saddled with Brady and he tells Terry "Actually Joey B is an idiot." And Terry goes "yeah he's an idiot". So we start drafting a hodge podge of players that don't work with the current coach.

 

Then we hire a new coach who goes to Terry to split the tie on what to do with the roster.

 

And around and around we go for 14 years.

 

Terry Pegula believes this is a feature not a bug.

 

 

 

The problem is, the nhl is a lot more intricate than an nfl program.  In the nfl you hit on a qb and a competent coach and you have a generation of results.  We are Josh Allen retiring from again going back to the org who endlessly promoted russ brandon, Whaley not being "privy" to who the coach was, marrone essentially quitting as hc, and Rex Ryan not being allowed to "leave the room".

 

In the nhl, coaches are throwaway at the bottom of the food chain.  There is a lot more need for scouting and development.  You are looking at teenagers across the world playing in apples to oranges leagues.  Then drafting them at 18, forecasting who they will become, then being responsible for development to reach their potential.

 

The cap in the nhl is also unforgiving.  You also have much of the league at ufa status or have no trade protection who view the sabres as not serious or relevant.

 

The construct of a good nhl team is also based on intricate chemistry and balance.  

 

Pegula being involved at all is an inefficiency the franchise can't afford.  After Ruff and regier's way-too-long run, they have trotted out a series of first timers culminating with adams who had zero applicable experience.  Top "officers" in the hockey department have dubious resumes to be manning their positions.  Pegula and adams don't seem to want to be threatened by someone who knows what they are doing.  

 

Before he had to hide, hearing pegula speak about hockey made me seriously wonder if he had been a fan at all.  Not knowledgeable.   

Edited Monday at 10:57 AM by May Day 10

[Mango]

On 4/28/2025 at 6:55 AM, May Day 10 said:

 

The problem is, the nhl is a lot more intricate than an nfl program.  In the nfl you hit on a qb and a competent coach and you have a generation of results.  We are Josh Allen retiring from again going back to the org who endlessly promoted russ brandon, Whaley not being "privy" to who the coach was, marrone essentially quitting as hc, and Rex Ryan not being allowed to "leave the room".

 

In the nhl, coaches are throwaway at the bottom of the food chain.  There is a lot more need for scouting and development.  You are looking at teenagers across the world playing in apples to oranges leagues.  Then drafting them at 18, forecasting who they will become, then being responsible for development to reach their potential.

 

The cap in the nhl is also unforgiving.  You also have much of the league at ufa status or have no trade protection who view the sabres as not serious or relevant.

 

The construct of a good nhl team is also based on intricate chemistry and balance.  

 

Pegula being involved at all is an inefficiency the franchise can't afford.  After Ruff and regier's way-too-long run, they have trotted out a series of first timers culminating with adams who had zero applicable experience.  Top "officers" in the hockey department have dubious resumes to be manning their positions.  Pegula and adams don't seem to want to be threatened by someone who knows what they are doing.  

 

Before he had to hide, hearing pegula speak about hockey made me seriously wonder if he had been a fan at all.  Not knowledgeable.   

 

I absolutely agree. An NHL franchise is much more difficult to manage. The complexity of managing and scouting thousands of athletes from 13 years old to 33 years old, and deciding whether or not to draft them, and how/where to progress them in a system with a million different variables, cannot be understated. 

To bring it back around to the Bills, you hit the QB you hit on basically everything. But to add on to what my OP was talking about, what I think Beane is best at is structure, process, and communication. I don't believe he is anywhere near a world class talent evaluator, or anything resembling one. But I think he is world class team leader at scale. BB's skill set would likely put him in the C-Suite of any business industry he chose. He just so happened to choose the NFL. 

I am not advocating for this, because it harkens back to the Russ Brandon/Ralph era, but internally, outside of Ruff, Beane would likely be the best person in the extinct "One Buffalo" org to take over as some sort of COO of the Sabres. Which is a crazy statement to say about the state of the Buffalo Sabres. The best guy to run the hockey team that is already on Pegula's payroll already is the current GM of the football team. 

I just signed and paid for my PSL's for the Bills the other day. And the Buffalo Sabres make me very afraid of my 30 year "commitment". 

[May Day 10]

30 minutes ago, Mango said:

I just signed and paid for my PSL's for the Bills the other day. And the Buffalo Sabres make me very afraid of my 30 year "commitment". 

 

I have had these thoughts too.  Once Allen is gone, games wont be worth that much.  I'm hoping the new building wont be like the soulless Keybank Center and resemble a fun atmosphere like the current Highmark (many of the drought games were fun to attend to some degree).  Go through another drought though and everyone is under water with those ticket prices, locked in to buying them for 30 years.  If it feels like a Sabres game where everyone is bored, distracted, kids going to get cotton candy and go to face painting every 15 seconds, and shrill music dissecting my eardrums, Ill want to stay at home.

 

I tossed my Sabres tickets of almost 25 years.  I just don't feel like the organization wants to win as much as they want to keep their people employed.  Their head pro scout is from being an assistant at Buff State.  Their head amateur scout was an unpaid volunteer for Notre Dame.  Assistant GMs have similar histories.  They have a guy they have been training on the job to be head coach some day.  The same guy is probably better equipped coaching at Fredonia than the NHL.  Changes are needed and wont be coming.  Their Division is uniquely challenging looking at the quality of the organizations now, top to 7.  These seems to be such a lack of sophistication with the Sabres, Im not sure they can ever compete.  Sure, they can have a "good" season and snake 1 of the wild card spots and get swept or lose in 5 in round 1.  But they are Mt Everest away from truly competing with teams like Toronto, Florida, Tampa, Carolina, Dallas, Colorado, Vegas, LA, etc.  

[Dunkirk Donski]

1 hour ago, May Day 10 said:

 

I have had these thoughts too.  Once Allen is gone, games wont be worth that much.  I'm hoping the new building wont be like the soulless Keybank Center and resemble a fun atmosphere like the current Highmark (many of the drought games were fun to attend to some degree).  Go through another drought though and everyone is under water with those ticket prices, locked in to buying them for 30 years.  If it feels like a Sabres game where everyone is bored, distracted, kids going to get cotton candy and go to face painting every 15 seconds, and shrill music dissecting my eardrums, Ill want to stay at home.

 

I tossed my Sabres tickets of almost 25 years.  I just don't feel like the organization wants to win as much as they want to keep their people employed.  Their head pro scout is from being an assistant at Buff State.  Their head amateur scout was an unpaid volunteer for Notre Dame.  Assistant GMs have similar histories.  They have a guy they have been training on the job to be head coach some day.  The same guy is probably better equipped coaching at Fredonia than the NHL.  Changes are needed and wont be coming.  Their Division is uniquely challenging looking at the quality of the organizations now, top to 7.  These seems to be such a lack of sophistication with the Sabres, Im not sure they can ever compete.  Sure, they can have a "good" season and snake 1 of the wild card spots and get swept or lose in 5 in round 1.  But they are Mt Everest away from truly competing with teams like Toronto, Florida, Tampa, Carolina, Dallas, Colorado, Vegas, LA, etc.  

Terrifying thought.  Enjoy it while its here boys...savour every second

Edited Tuesday at 05:06 PM by Dunkirk Donski

[Buffalo716]

3 hours ago, May Day 10 said:

 

I have had these thoughts too.  Once Allen is gone, games wont be worth that much.  I'm hoping the new building wont be like the soulless Keybank Center and resemble a fun atmosphere like the current Highmark (many of the drought games were fun to attend to some degree).  Go through another drought though and everyone is under water with those ticket prices, locked in to buying them for 30 years.  If it feels like a Sabres game where everyone is bored, distracted, kids going to get cotton candy and go to face painting every 15 seconds, and shrill music dissecting my eardrums, Ill want to stay at home.

 

I tossed my Sabres tickets of almost 25 years.  I just don't feel like the organization wants to win as much as they want to keep their people employed.  Their head pro scout is from being an assistant at Buff State.  Their head amateur scout was an unpaid volunteer for Notre Dame.  Assistant GMs have similar histories.  They have a guy they have been training on the job to be head coach some day.  The same guy is probably better equipped coaching at Fredonia than the NHL.  Changes are needed and wont be coming.  Their Division is uniquely challenging looking at the quality of the organizations now, top to 7.  These seems to be such a lack of sophistication with the Sabres, Im not sure they can ever compete.  Sure, they can have a "good" season and snake 1 of the wild card spots and get swept or lose in 5 in round 1.  But they are Mt Everest away from truly competing with teams like Toronto, Florida, Tampa, Carolina, Dallas, Colorado, Vegas, LA, etc.  

While that is technically true that was 15 years ago.. a long time ago in his hockey career and people move up the ranks 

 

He also was a scout in the USHL

 

And he literally was the director of player personnel on the USNTDP U17 team

 

So he had experience around the best 17-year-old players in America who were about to become draft eligible and then the sabres hired him and he was a pro scout for another 3 years .. then director of scouting then director of pro scouting 

 

But it was a long long haul from Buffalo State

 

 

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 07:52 PM by Buffalo716

[May Day 10]

Nothing there makes me think he should/can be in charge of pro scouting.  It's like they randomly selected a lofty position for a guy they like.