Adams' top five issues to solve as new Sabres GM

Kevyn Adams was named general manager of the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday after Jason Botterill was fired.

The Sabres (30-31-8) finished 13th in the Eastern Conference (.493 points percentage) this season and have not qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2011, the longest current drought in the NHL.

Here are five things Adams must try to accomplish before next season:

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1. Build around Jack Eichel

Getting Eichel on board with his philosophy as GM has to be a top priority for Adams after the captain expressed his displeasure May 28, when he said, "I'm fed up and I'm frustrated … I'd be lying if I said I'm not getting frustrated with the way things are going." The Sabres, who selected Eichel with the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, have yet to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the 23-year-old center's five seasons. In that time, there have been three general managers (Tim Murray, Botterill, Adams) and three coaches (Dan Bylsma, Phil Housley, Ralph Krueger). Eichel, who has 337 points (137 goals, 200 assists) in 354 games, needs reassurance that the Sabres are heading in the right direction. Adams took the first step by speaking to Eichel on Tuesday.

2. Resolve Rasmus Ristolainen situation

Ristolainen has not been shy about indicating that a change of scenery might not be a bad idea for him. On May 28, he said, "If changes will happen, I know I'm one of the first ones probably who is going to get traded." Krueger said the next day that he expects the veteran defenseman to remain with the Sabres, but it's now more unclear with a new general manager. Ristolainen would be a coveted commodity on the trade market after scoring 33 points (six goals, 27 assists) and averaging a Sabres-high 22:48 of ice time in 69 games. The 25-year-old led Buffalo with 203 hits and was second with 82 blocked shots (Jake McCabe, 90) and has two seasons remaining on a six-year, $32.4 million contract ($5.4 million average annual value) he signed Oct. 11, 2016.

3. Deal with roster uncertainty

Adams takes over a team that has 10 players under contract for the 2020-21 season, including four forwards (Eichel, Marcus Johansson, Kyle Okposo, Jeff Skinner), five defensemen (Ristolainen, McCabe, Rasmus Dahlin, Henri Jokiharju, Colin Miller) and one goalie (Carter Hutton). Among the more notable players, forwards Victor Olofsson and Sam Reinhart, defenseman Brandon Montour and goalie Linus Ullmark each can become a restricted free agent at the end of the season, and forwards Zemgus Girgensons, Johan Larsson, Wayne Simmonds and Jimmy Vesey each can become an unrestricted free agent. The Sabres selected forward Video: WSH@BUF: Eichel bures one-timer from circle for PPG with the No. 7 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft but likely won't rush the 19-year-old. Adams has plenty of decisions to make in the coming months about a roster that could look significantly different next season.

4. Find solution in goal

In the past three seasons, six goalies have started at least one game for the Sabres: Hutton (81), Ullmark (76), Robin Lehner (53), Video: WSH@BUF: Eichel bures one-timer from circle for PPG (36), Video: WSH@BUF: Eichel bures one-timer from circle for PPG (six), and Video: WSH@BUF: Eichel bures one-timer from circle for PPG (one). In that span, the Sabres have finished 29th (2017-18), 24th (2018-19) and 22nd (2019-20) in the NHL in goals-against per game. Is Ullmark (41-41-10, 2.81 goals-against average, .911 save percentage in 97 NHL games) the answer? Was Hutton's subpar 2019-20 season (12-14-4, 3.18 GAA, .898 save percentage in 31 games) the result of vision issues, which he recently said have been resolved? Is it time to give Johansson, selected by Buffalo in the third round (No. 61) of the 2014 NHL Draft, a chance to run with the No. 1 job? Or do they take a look at an established veteran goalie in free agency? Whatever Adams decides, the Sabres need to get more consistent in goal.

5. Address lack of offensive depth

The Sabres finished 22nd in the NHL this season in scoring (2.80 goals per game) and had three forwards reach the 40-point mark (Eichel, 78; Reinhart, 50; Olofsson, 42). Trading Ristolainen could fetch a quality forward in return, but the issue could also be addressed if Adams and Krueger can find a way to maximize the talents of Skinner. The veteran forward struggled in a second-line role this season with 23 points (14 goals, nine assists) in 59 games after signing an eight-year, $72 million contract June 7, 2019. Adams and Krueger must find a way to get Skinner to play like the four-time 30-goal scorer he is, which included an NHL career-high 40 in 2018-19, his first season with Buffalo. A return to form would go a long way in making Buffalo a more explosive team.