With hopes of breaking the longest playoff drought in NHL history (14 seasons), everyone thought that Buffalo Sabres general manager (GM) Kevyn Adams would be aggressive in adding pieces this offseason to help the team compete for a playoff spot in 2025-26.
Adams does not have a track record of being aggressive in trades or with signing free agents. His boldest move was trading Matthew Savoie for Ryan McLeod last offseason – that is, excluding the Jack Eichel/Sam Reinhart trades when his hand was pretty much forced. Eichel requested a trade, and Reinhart was not going to re-sign with the team. Outside of that, Adams is known for making minor moves.
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As he enters the final year of his contract, you’d think he’d be making any necessary improvements to the roster. However, to continue the trend, he has only made minor moves so far this summer. I won’t cover all of them, but I’ll grade some of the more important moves with my thoughts on each.
Trading JJ Peterka to Utah Mammoth for Michael Kesselring, Josh Doan
Before we knew what the Sabres got in return for J.J. Peterka, most thought it would be the Utah Mammoth’s fourth-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Instead, Buffalo received Michael Kesslering and Josh Doan. The more I think about this trade, the more I like it for both sides, not just the Mammoth. Kesselring is an excellent second-pairing defenseman to add to the Sabres’ blue line, and Doan will add some desperately needed defensive responsibility to the forward group. Losing Peterka’s offense will hurt, but the Sabres are good enough up front to survive without it.
Grade: B+
Trading Connor Clifton, 2025 Second-Round Pick to Pittsburgh Penguins for Conor Timmins, Issac Belliveau
This move was a cap dump. Connor Clifton has one more year on his current contract worth $3.3 million per season. Timmins had solid underlying analytics, which is likely why the Sabres brought him in. Management just signed him to a new two-year contract worth $2.2 million per season, as he is expected to rotate with Jacob Bryson in the sixth defenseman spot. The only downside to this trade is giving up the second-round pick, but that was strictly to avoid the Sabres having to retain any of Clifton’s salary.
Grade: C+
Re-Signing Jack Quinn to a Two-Year Contract
The Sabres re-signed restricted free agent Jack Quinn to a two-year bridge deal worth $3.375 million per season, which is fair value for both sides. Quinn had a slow start last season, recording five points in his first 25 games, but then recorded 34 points in the 49 games that followed. I love that the Sabres signed him to a “prove-it” deal. Quinn has the potential to be a good middle-six forward. Some media outlets have said this is an overpay, but they must not understand Quinn’s impact during the second half of last season.
Grade: B+
Signing Free Agent Alex Lyon to a Two-Year Contract
Signing goaltender Alex Lyon to a two-year contract worth $1.5 million per season was a great move by Adams. With some uncertainty about Devon Levi’s readiness for a full-time NHL role, having Lyon under contract for two seasons gives Levi ample time to develop in the American Hockey League.
Last season with the Detroit Red Wings, Lyon posted a 2.81 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage in 30 games. He’s not going to light the league on fire, but he could steal the Sabres some games down the stretch, like he did in 2022-2023 with the Florida Panthers when they made their playoff push. He will also take some pressure off of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who will be looking to bounce back after struggling for most of last season.
Grade: A+
Re-Signing Ryan McLeod to a Four-Year Contract
Ryan McLeod had a career season in his first campaign in Buffalo, recording 53 points, and re-signing him was a priority heading into the summer. His cap hit of $5 million per season is also a significant value for both sides. He plays a full 200-foot game, can score, make plays, and contribute in his zone. This is a great deal by Adams, and if McLeod can at least replicate his production from last season, this contract could start looking like a steal.
Grade: A+
Re-Signing Bowen Byram to a Two-Year contract
The Bowen Byram situation is finally over. The Sabres and Byram avoided arbitration and agreed on a solid two-year contract worth $6.25 million per season. Byram is coming off a career season offensively, but he struggled defensively at times. I think this is a perfect value contract. However, I don’t like the length on the deal. The only reason is that when the contract expires, he will be an unrestricted free agent. That said, Adams did a good job of not overpaying him and not trading him to free up money.
Grade: B+
The Sabres have been fairly quiet this summer, but made some compelling moves. Sure, we would like to see the team acquire one more key piece for their forward group, but management seems to trust their roster. So far, it’s been a solid offseason for Adams and the Sabres. Outside of the Peterka trade, no move jumps off the page and adding depth and re-signing players seemed to be the Sabres’ primary focus. Will it be enough for them to compete for a playoff spot this season?
Overall Offseason Grade: B-
