Adams looks ahead to NHL Draft, start of free agency

Kevyn Adams admitted to an excited intensity circulating throughout the office of the Buffalo Sabres this week.
Adams will take another step toward executing his vision with the NHL Draft on Tuesday and Wednesday and the start of unrestricted free agency on Friday. It will be the culmination of months of preparation between the first-year general manager and his staff.
"I've been talking to the other general managers every day around the clock," Adams said. "And some of the veteran ones, even this morning that I talked to, they asked me how I'm doing. I said, 'I'm excited. You know, it's my first time through this.' And they said, `Well, 10, 15 of them and you're still nervous, excited and anxious and all those good things.' I just think that's fun.
"But in terms of how we're preparing and what we're doing, I think our guys are ready to go. There'll be more conversations and meetings through tonight and into tomorrow. But I'm excited."

We detailed the process that director of scouting Jeremiah Crowe and director of analytics Jason Nightingale spearheaded to re-evaluate the draft, a hybrid model combining detailed video viewings and analytical data. We also looked at some of the prospects who could be available for the Sabres to select with the 8th pick.
Now, with the draft one day away, here are some takeaways from Adams' session with the media.

All options are on the table with the 8th pick

Director of NHL Central Scouting Services Dan Marr told us that the top eight is the place to be to get a marquee prospect. Adams echoed the sentiment that this year's draft is deep with talent and that the Sabres are happy with the position they are in.
At the same time, Adams is working to try and improve the Sabres roster in its current form. He will balance those two considerations when deciding whether to make a selection with the 8th overall pick or trade it for NHL-ready talent.
The GM said he is open to everything.
"You have to think about what the No. 8 pick could mean to the organization, short- and long-term," Adams said. "You have to analyze the draft class and what the depth of it is. So, you're having all that while you're having parallel conversations around what's going on in the league, and how can you improve your team.
"Those are happening every day, all the time. So, it's just that balance and trying to put ourselves in a position where we're making the best decision for the organization."

Decisions are coming on RFAs

Adams was getting ready to meet with his staff regarding Buffalo's restricted free agents when he spoke with the media. The deadline to issue qualifying offers is Oct. 7.
"I have a meeting coming up this afternoon, we're going to go through it again," he said. "Not ready to talk about that right now but we know we're getting close so we're going to make those decisions shortly."
The following Sabres are scheduled to become RFAs: forwards Dominik Kahun, Victor Olofsson, Sam Reinhart, and Remi Elie; defensemen Brandon Montour, Matthew Spencer, and Brandon Hickey; and goaltenders Linus Ullmark and Jonas Johansson.
Asked specifically about Ullmark, Adams said the team is pleased with where the 27-year-old is in his development.
"I think Linus has really taken strides over the last couple of seasons," Adams said. "You know, when I first started in this role, one of the most important first conversations I had with the coaching staff was, where are we in net? … I think everybody feels really good about the steps that Linus took last year, and we're excited about him."

All positions are being considered

The Sabres addressed one area of need with the Eric Staal](https://www.nhl.com/sabres/news/buffalo-sabres-trade-kevyn-adams-eric-staal/c-319065296) in September. Asked which positions might be next on the checklist, Adams expressed a willingness to consider the entire picture.
"I think we need to improve our roster, period," he said. "We need to become a better team. So, as I've had conversations, I've not eliminated anything, because I say, 'Oh, we're fine here. We don't want to talk about this.'
"… I have a team that I work with. I have Ralph Krueger and the coaching staff that we're continuously talking with every day - and that's the type of conversations we're having. So, if we would really love a certain position but we think a different position helps our team and it upgrades us, then we'll do that, and then work on this later. You know what I mean? So that's kind of step-by-step in the methodical type of way [we are] working to do this over the coming days here."