Adams talks Byram, Tuch extension and more offseason topics

Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams discussed the offseason so far during a conversation with the media on Wednesday ahead of development camp practice at LECOM Harborcenter.

Adams outlined the right side of the defense corps and becoming harder to play against as areas of need entering the summer. The Sabres opened the offseason with a pair of trades to shore up the former area, adding right-shot defensemen Michael Kesselring from Utah and Connor Timmins from Pittsburgh.

In terms of becoming harder to play against, Buffalo added a pair of hardworking, competitive forwards in Josh Doan (via the trade with Utah) and Justin Danforth, who signed a two-year deal on Wednesday morning.

Buffalo also added veteran goaltender Alex Lyon on a two-year contract and shored up organizational depth with a series of two-way contracts – including returning Amerks players in Zach Metsa, Jack Rathbone, and Riley Fiddler-Schultz; an experienced fighter in Mason Geertsen; and a defenseman with NHL experience in former New York Ranger Zac Jones.

“We like where our group’s at in terms of the way the roster sits today, but we’ll always look to get better if there’s something that makes sense,” Adams said.

“I think we’ve done a good job in terms of reshaping the look of our D. I think that’s something that was important. We’ve brought veteran guys in that are going to help us defensively and hard to play against. We’ve brought in some character guys. So, I think as it sits today, we like where our lineup is. But if there’s areas anywhere – forward, D – to make a move that we think is good, we’ll do it.”

Here are takeaways from Adams’ session with the media.

On Bowen Byram

Adams maintained his stance that the Sabres are open to all options on defenseman Bowen Byram, a restricted free agent.

Namely, Adams confirmed the team is prepared to match an offer sheet extended to Byram, which would keep the defenseman on Buffalo’s roster. (By not matching an offer sheet, the Sabres would receive draft pick compensation.)

“We believe Bo is an excellent hockey player who can help our team win,” Adams said. “I’ve maintained the same position that if there’s a deal out there that make sense for us that we think improves our roster, we’re open to it. But if there’s not, we’re not in a situation where we’re looking to move him out or looking to move him for futures and stuff like that.”

The bottom-line takeaway: If the Sabres were to trade Byram, it would be for immediate roster help. The 24-year-old tied for 15th among league defensemen last season with 35 even-strength points. His goal differential when paired with Rasmus Dahlin was tied as the best by any duo in the NHL (alongside Colorado’s Cale Makar and Devon Toews).

With Kesselring and Timmins – two tall, right-shot defensemen with strong possession metrics – now in the mix, Byram could remain a key piece at a position of strength.

“When I look at our group of six defensemen, I think we have an excellent group that can play different ways,” Adams said.

On signing Ryan McLeod

The Sabres have locked up four of their own pending free agents thus far, signing Jack Quinn to a two-year contract ahead of the NHL Draft and then reaching agreements with Tyson Kozak, Ryan Johnson and Ryan McLeod on Tuesday.

McLeod hit career highs in goals (20), assists (33), and points (53) while serving as the team’s leading penalty killer among forwards last season, his first with the Sabres. He signed a four-year contract with an average annual value of $5 million.

“He can move over to wing, he can play power play, he kills penalties, an all-situations (player) right in the prime years of his career as a centerman,” Adams said.

“He was two years from [unrestricted free agency], so I felt that this is a really important piece with our team and the role he plays and we're also buying two years of UFA years in the deal that he signed. So, it was a win-win for both sides.”

Byram and Timmins are the team’s lone remaining restricted free agents.

On Jacob Bernard-Docker

Adams articulated the team’s decision not to extend a qualifying offer to Jacob Bernard-Docker, which would have made the defenseman a restricted free agent. Bernard-Docker ultimately signed a one-year deal with Detroit as an unrestricted free agent.

While Bernard-Docker’s deal with Detroit was for $875,000, the defenseman was projected to receive a higher amount had he remained a restricted free agent and hit arbitration.

“Where his projected salary was going to come out and where we had him potentially slotted (on the roster) – in the eighth spot, call it – with the moves that we had made over the last few days before it, just felt like that didn’t make sense,” Adams said.

Along with the NHL additions of Kesselring and Timmins, the Sabres have defense depth in two-way defensemen such as Rathbone, Jones, and Metsa along with upcoming prospects in Rochester including Johnson, Nikita Novikov and Vsevolod Komarov, among others.

On Alex Tuch

Along with the start of unrestricted free agency, July 1 marked the beginning of Buffalo’s window to sign forward Alex Tuch to a contract extension. Tuch is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency next summer.

“He is,” to me a really important player for us,” Adams said last week in regard to Tuch. “He loves Buffalo, wants to be here. That was really clear. And we believe in him and realize what he brings every night.”

Adams confirmed Wednesday that dialogue with the forward’s representatives have begun.

“I did sit down with his agents … here recently and just explained exactly how we feel about Alex,” Adams said. “That'll be ongoing.”

On Alex Lyon

Adams said he expects Lyon – who has a .904 save percentage in 91 games across the past four seasons – to add competition to the goalie depth chart alongside Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi.

“He’s a proven goaltender in this league,” Adams said. “I think he’s a really good veteran. He checks the box in terms of what I just laid out in terms of veteran presence: high-character guy; he’s proven in the league; he’s played well in his time in the National Hockey League. He’s going to challenge and push. We just think he’s going to help us win hockey games.”

On Justin Danforth

The Sabres made it an offseason priority to become harder to play against. To that end, Danforth was one of their top targets.

Danforth, who can play at center or on the wing, had 21 points (9+12) in 61 games with Columbus last season while amassing a career-high 126 hits.

Since starting out as an undrafted free agent with Rochester in 2017 – and then departing North America for a three-year stint overseas in Finland and Russia – Danforth has carved out a full-time NHL role over the past four years in Columbus.

“He’s the ultimate – when you do your homework on a guy like that – competitor,” Adams said. “’Glue guy’ is the word, like a hockey term, I’d say in terms of the locker room.

“But just versatile. Can move around your lineup, can play up and down, can move to the wing, center. Good penalty killer. Just brings a veteran presence to our lineup that I think is really important.”