The Buffalo Sabres "to do" list got one item shorter today as they announced Buffalo native Kevyn Adams will be promoted from his player development role to an assistant on Lindy Ruff's staff. Adams is taking the spot recently vacated by longtime assistant coach Brian McCutcheon.
Having grown up in nearby Clarence, NY Adams was part of one of the more painful memories in Buffalo Sabres franchise history. While playing defense for the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2005-2006 season he helped Carolina defeat an injury depleted Sabres team in the 7th game of the Eastern Conference finals going on to spur the Hurricanes first Stanley Cup Championship. Adams was a former first round pick of the Boston Bruins (25th overall) in 1993 and played in 540 career NHL games before retiring in 2008.
I think this is a great move for the Sabres organization. Buffalo does not have a single roster player who has won a Stanley Cup, and Ruff is lacking a ring as well. Players simply respond to winners, once you're a champion you earn a certain level of respect that others without championships rarely attain. In addition he is hardly removed from the game as a player so he should still be able to relate to the team on their level.
With the coaching staff now full the Sabres can turn their attention back to the active roster where two important decisions still need to be made. First they need to come to terms with their only remaining free agent, RFA Marc Andre Gragnani. Second, they need to make roster decisions to get back under the salary cap before training camp.
Is now the time to try and sign Myers to an extension? The Sabres do not have a history of extending players contracts in season, and with free agency looming (he'll be an RFA July 1st 2012) the Sabres would do well to avoid the situation the Kings and Predators are in with Doughty and Weber respectively. Were I Darcy Regier, knowing that Kotalik, Boyes, Morrisonn, and Hecht (and Tim Kennedy's buyout money) will likely be off the books for the 2012-2013 season I would use some of that roughly 15$million in available cap space to lock up the stud D-man now.
Brandon Hess
follow me on Twitter @SabreHess
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