Rumors surrounding JJ Peterka
Adams was asked to address rumors that forward JJ Peterka, a restricted free agent this summer, has requested a trade out of Buffalo.
Adams said he feels its unfair to Peterka – or any player – to comment on rumors, but referred to a productive end-of-season conversation with the 23-year-old winger.
“The exit meetings with JJ (in April), with me and Lindy (Ruff) separately, both were very positive, productive, honest conversations about things he’d done well and how he’d progressed, and things where he needed to be better,” Adams said. “I think that’s one of the things I really like about JJ Peterka, is his ability to analyze his own game and say, ‘Hey, I need to be better defensively. I need to do more to help the team win games.’ And I think that’s a sign of maturity from him.
“So, it’s all positive on the JJ front, from those conversations.”
Rumors of a Mattias Samuelsson buyout
Adams also addressed media speculation that the Sabres might buy out the contract of defenseman Mattias Samuelsson. The 25-year-old alternate captain is owed $4.29 million a year through the 2029-30 season.
“Someone has no idea what they’re talking about, reporting that we were going to buy Sammy out,” Adams said. “We’ve never had that conversation once. It’s ridiculous.”
Contract negotiations with Alex Tuch
Alex Tuch, the Syracuse native who’s played 281 games for the Sabres to date, becomes eligible for a contract extension next Tuesday, July 1. The star two-way forward is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2025-26 season.
“He loves Buffalo, wants to be here – that was really clear," Adams said of initial talks with Tuch and his agent. “And we believe in him and what he brings every night. There’s a lot going on right now, in terms of the draft and everything around this time of year, but he understands he’s a priority.”
Plans for the No. 9 pick
The Sabres remain open-minded with Friday’s first-round pick, which multiple teams – ahead of and behind Buffalo in the draft order – have already expressed interest in.
“If there’s a way to make our team better and it involves (trading) pick nine, we’ll have zero hesitation,” Adams said. “In saying that, we also believe we’ll get a good player if we make pick nine.
“… But our focus remains the same: how do we help our team get better?”
Adams added that this year, compared to recent drafts, he’s more open to swapping the pick for established NHL talent that can help the 2025-26 Sabres.
Targeting specific positions in the draft
Adams stated that, position aside, the Sabres will be selecting the best available player with this weekend’s draft picks. He did note that Buffalo, like most teams, seeks to improve its organizational depth of right-shot defensemen.
Regarding defensemen, Forton was asked about two specific blueliners and projected first-round picks: left-shot Kashawn Aitcheson and right-shot Radim Mrtka.
“Aitcheson brings very much an old-school approach to the game,” Forton said of the hard-hitting 18-year-old who also scored 26 goals for the OHL’s Barrie Colts in 2024-25. “… There’s very few players in junior hockey, college hockey and Europe that play the way he plays.”
As for Mrtka, the lengthy Czechia native who played this past season with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds?
“Very unique package, to be able to move the way he does at 6-foot-6,” Forton said. “Almost more agile with the puck, if that’s possible. A smart player at both ends.”
Aitcheson and Mrtka are widely considered the second- and third-best defensemen in this draft, in no particular order, so both figure to be on Buffalo’s radar Friday night.
Pros and cons of the decentralized draft
In past (non-COVID) years, NHL clubs’ draft staffs gathered at a single venue to monitor the draft, negotiate deals and finalize their selections. This year, however, the decentralized draft has Adams, Forton and co. operating from the Buffalo Bills’ draft room in Orchard Park, which offers the technology and accommodations to make this new setup as seamless as possible.
“When they called and asked me, I jumped at it – it’s great,” Adams said. “We’ll have the ability to have a big space in a room that (Bills GM Brandon Beane) uses, that’s built for this exact type of draft. So, for us, that’s a huge win, huge benefit.
Adam acknowledged that the centralized draft floor allowed him to start conversations with other clubs by simply making eye contact, but he can just as easily call or text other general managers and make trades happen.
“That’s something that will be a little different for all of us, but in terms of work flow, we’re treating this just like any other draft, and we’re fortunate that we have this facility,” he said.
The addition of Jarmo Kekalainen
Tuesday marked Adams’ first media availability since hiring Jarmo Kekalainen as his senior advisor. Kekalainen, who most recently served as the Columbus Blue Jackets’ general manager from 2013 to 2024, boasts the experience – and track record of success – to help the Sabres reach the next level.
Adams spent years seeking an advisor with NHL GM experience and an eagerness to help at all times, however possible. Kekalainen fits those criteria, and he’ll have his fingerprints all over this busy stretch of offseason.
“He has been, in a very short time, a really, really big asset – for me, personally, for the whole organization,” Adams said. “… Having his 30 years of knowledge is great. Eleven years as general manager is a long time, and a lot of experience in a similar type city (Columbus) to what we have in Buffalo, in terms of smaller market. So, home run.”
“So many phone calls after I hired Jarmo, from the hockey world, just, ‘Wow, did you get a good one,’ and the respect he has in the league, and the credibility. And he chose us. He had a lot of offers and opportunities, and he wanted to be part of the Sabres.”
The addition of Eric Staal
Last month also saw the Sabres hire Eric Staal, an 18-year NHL star and 1,000-point scorer who played 32 games with Buffalo in 2020-21, as a special assistant to Adams.
“This is a really big addition to our staff,” Adams said of Staal, whose career ended after the 2022-23 season. Having played so recently, Staal is especially valuable as the Sabres evaluate free-agent and trade targets in the coming weeks.
“We’ve spent a lot of time, since we hired Eric, in meetings and conversations; if he didn’t play with them, he knows someone who did,” Adams continued. “I’ve always believed this: it’s really valuable to have someone in your hockey operations department that’s pretty fresh off of playing. To have someone like Eric – with the Hall of Fame career, he’s done everything you can possibly do in this game, successfully – is even better. Instantly you can ask about a player, and he says, ‘Hey this is what I see, playing against him this is what he’s like.’ It’s valuable.”
The addition of Brian Galivan
Another major staffing addition last month was Brian Galivan, the Sabres’ new director of performance. The strength and conditioning guru previously spent six years with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program and comes highly recommended.
“His name kept coming up in the hockey world, and he was known as probably the elite strength coach in the world that wasn’t part of an NHL roster,” Adams said. “As I started having conversations, we hired him quick, because he was the guy I wanted.
“He’s going to be a huge, huge, huge asset to our organization. He’s made a big impact already, in terms of the strength and conditioning, his own program, what he’s doing. We hired two other strength and conditioning staff members that we brought in as well, with Gally. It’s a huge part of the offseason. That’s why I didn’t want to wait around; I wanted to get him in right away and get working on our players.”
The coaching staff
Adams confirmed that each of Buffalo’s coaches remains under contract for the 2025-26 season, adding that he trusts head coach Lindy Ruff – whose 900 wins rank fifth all-time – to suggest potential changes to his staff.
“Lindy is clearly someone who’s done this a long time, has a lot of experience and knows exactly what he’s looking for out of a coaching staff,” Adams said, noting that they’ve discussed potential additions to the staff. “… He’s someone that has to trust the people that he is in the trenches with every day. And he clearly does.”
