Adams: Karmanos a 'critical hire' for Sabres front office

Kevyn Adams first got to know Jason Karmanos at various USA Hockey camps when the two were teenagers. They grew close as teammates with Team USA at the 1994 World Junior Championship.
Their playing careers diverged from that point forward. Adams was a first-round draft pick by Boston in 1993; Karmanos played 16 games in the ECHL before hanging up his skates and turning his attention to front office work, becoming assistant general manager for Carolina in 1998.
Their paths intersected again in 2002, when Karmanos was part of the Carolina front office that acquired Adams in a trade with the Florida Panthers. He recalls the deal as one of the best he's been involved with, a vital move for a team that would win the Stanley Cup four years later.

Adams hopes bringing Karmanos on board as associate general manager will have a similar impact in Buffalo.
"This was a critical hire for us," Adams said during an introductory press conference on Thursday.
"I feel that Jason is someone, for me, that checked all the boxes. He is a person of integrity, high character, has great experience, a track record of success in multiple organizations and certainly someone I've known for many years and trust."

Karmanos followed his 14-year stint in the Carolina front office with a six-year tenure in Pittsburgh, where he was a vice president of hockey operations for the Penguins' Stanley Cup titles in 2016 and 2017. He spent the past three seasons as assistant general manager.
That resume, along with Adams' previous experience with Karmanos, made him an easy candidate when Adams sought to add an experienced figure to the Sabres front office. Conversations on organizational philosophies and the direction of the team sealed the deal.
Karmanos said he had an opportunity with another organization before joining the Sabres, crediting the potential in the Western New York market as a factor in his decision.
"I know that there's been disappointment, can't change what's gone on in the past," he said. "But I look forward to getting a better understanding of what going on currently.
"I think at this point, I'm somebody that's had a lot of experience in all areas of hockey operation. I've been on some bad teams and some great teams. I look forward to bringing that experience and helping the Sabres get to where they want to get to."
Karmanos will serve as general manager of the AHL affiliate Rochester Americans and will oversee the Sabres' scouting, player development and analytic departments. Adams reiterated on Monday that the organization is still seeking to hire more scouts as it rebuilds the front office.
The addition of Karmanos is the first step in that process. Karmanos said he plans to spend the upcoming weeks meeting individuals in the front office and attending Sabres and Amerks games before heading to Texas for the U18 World Championship, a significant scouting event that begins April 26.
"Everything that's going to be happening from today moving forward in our organization, Jason's going to be involved with," Adams said. "We're going to make decisions together. We're going to work hand in hand in every area with other staff members."