BUFFALO, NY. (WKBW) — From the moment the Buffalo Sabres traded back to the 14th pick in round one of the 2024 NHL Draft, it became clear general manager Kevyn Adams was willing to make moves to acquire the right talent to boost his roster.
However according to Adams' post-round press conference on Friday night there were simply no moves to be made.
"We were aggressive and there just weren't trades we could get the other teams to agree to," Adams said on Friday. "That's just the way these things go."
So then we headed into Saturday, and it happened just five minutes before the start of the second and final day of the draft. The Sabres made a trade. But the result left a lot of fans scratching their head.
The Buffalo Sabres have acquired forward Beck Malenstyn from the Washington Capitals in exchange for the 43rd overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. pic.twitter.com/1rLwWjqSEk
— Sabres PR (@SabresPR) June 29, 2024
Buffalo traded the 43rd overall pick that they had gotten from the trade with San Jose on Thursday to the Washington Capitals for forward Beck Malenstyn. While this perhaps fits the mold head coach Lindy Ruff would want in his bottom six, it wasn't the "big" trade fans wanted to see. Especially, after the Utah Hockey Club acquired defenseman John Marino and pick No. 153 overall from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a second-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick from Edmonton.
After that came the picks and Buffalo selected eight total prospects in rounds two through seven.
With the draft out of the way, now comes free agency for Adams and the company as they continue to look for those pieces that will make this Sabres team better.
Dom's Take
Adams continues to say all the right things and I admire the transparency he's shown with reporters. It's never going to be perfect but it's certainly welcomed. I believe he will leave no stone unturned on the hunt to load up the Sabres' roster to make it a team that can not only snap the playoff drought but also contend for a Stanley Cup.
However, I think that will require him to, dare I say, overspend. We have already gotten a quick dose from just the past two days at the NHL Draft of how difficult it's been for him and his staff to secure an organizational shifting deal.
And guess what, if that ends up being what it takes to accomplish all those things I just mentioned above then do it. You just cleared $31 million in cap space by buying out Jeff Skinner's contract.
Not a single member of Bills Mafia ever thinks about the fact that Brandon Beane gave up the 12th overall pick and two second-round picks in the 2018 NFL Draft to select Josh Allen at 7th overall. Because it set the franchise on a trajectory of "overall" success.
If Adams has to double the level of "aggressiveness" he's been talking about to bring in the talent it will take to finally put the Buffalo Sabres on a trajectory of long-term success, do it.
Should it work out no one will ever question his reasoning because everyone will be too busy packing the KeyBank Center on a May/June night watching their beloved Sabres make a run for a title.
And if it doesn't, well it won't matter because Adams more than likely won't see next season as Buffalo's general manager should they miss the postseason again.
So yeah GMKA, take a shot and let it loose. What else is there left to lose?
