What steps will the Sabres take after Jeff Skinner’s buyout?

I rarely got the impression that Adams was speaking on impulse. Most of what he says is calculated and that is why it is your responsibility to listen to him carefully.

So Adams wasn’t talking in circles at the Sphere when he gave his main message Saturday after the NHL draft, which ended in fast-forward after an ungodly 8:30 a.m. PT start.

“The offseason is still incomplete. There’s still time to do different things,” Adams said emphatically. “And that’s what we’re going to be working on here in the coming days.”

Here’s my bottom line: This week was a disappointment and Adams has a lot of work to do.

The Sabers can’t just go back like they did last year. Beck Malenstyn, acquired Saturday from Washington for a second-round pick, is a good choice for the fourth line. He drove the Rochester Amerks crazy in the 2023 East final against Hershey, then led the Caps in hits last season.

“When he hits, he hits hard,” Adams said.

Malenstyn could well take Zemgus Girgensons’ place, but it’s not a top-notch transfer. Adams insisted he was aggressive and involved, but did nothing else.

So, with no big deal, and especially nothing planned for Caroline winger Martin Necas, I asked Adams at the end of his 8-minute press briefing if the lack of a major trade prevented a Jeff buyout Skinner because the buyout window closes on Sunday.

Bad assumption. Good thing I asked the question.

Adams revealed that Skinner’s buyout process began Saturday morning and would be completed Sunday, sending a $9 million player to the land of Ville Leino and Cody Hodgson.

There is a risk here for sure, but buying Skinner is not a problem in my eyes. He’s not a Lindy Ruff player at all. While it could be argued that Ruff found a way to get a more balanced game out of Maxim Affinogenov at the time, it’s unlikely that Skinner would be able to buy in that way.

Skinner has always been a popular figure in the dressing room and you can probably book 25 goals for him, but the reality is he is not a winning player. He is the only NHL player in history to play 1,000 career games and not appear in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It’s his fault. Carolina thrived as soon as Rod Brind’Amour took him off the team and the Sabers continued to suffer.

Another point: Adams is clearly angry at Skinner for refusing to waive his no-movement clause, as the GM made it clear here that he had a deal in place for Skinner that the player rejected.

To defend Skinner, why should he waive this clause? Terry Pegula and former general manager Jason Botterill offered him this clause insanely, and he’s not about to let it go so the Sabers can send him to a rebuilding team like San Jose or Chicago. He also doesn’t want to leave his suburb of Toronto to go to a city like Seattle, which is looking to improve its offense and has Botterill leading the team as assistant general manager.

The Sabres now have just over $31.7 million in cap space for next season. They saved about $7.5 million for 2024-25 through the buyout, but there will be some bumps in the middle of the six-year buyout plan, including the $6.4 million hit in 2026-27.

But what does it matter to Adams? He has to win now, otherwise it will be someone else’s problem.

With free agency looming Monday, we know the Sabres talked to Patrick Kane last season and are expected to reach back for the South Buffalo native again. I imagine the Sabres are also thinking about Steven Stamkos, though there’s been plenty of talk here about Tampa Bay’s captain heading to Detroit following Saturday’s announcement that all of the Lightning’s trades here were meant to create cap space for a run at Carolina’s Jake Guentzel and not their longtime franchise icon.

It’s worth remembering that in 2016, the Sabres were on the same team as Stamkos, a team on the rise that was located near his suburban Toronto home. But eight years is a long time in hockey and in life. At 34, Stamkos is now a two-time Stanley Cup champion and the Sabres have been a playoff underdog for 13 years.

It’s hard to imagine free agents signing here, given recent history. But maybe someone will want to come play for Ruff. Maybe the Sabres will give some of their massive cap room to someone. Maybe Adams will find the right package to entice Carolina to bite Necas. It certainly seems like Friday’s selection of Konsta Helenius in the first round could make a top prospect like Noah Ostlund redundant.

The fan base is a boiling pot of negativity right now, and for good reason. Ruff is seen as a conquering hero and a major upgrade over Don Granato, who didn’t suddenly forget how to coach after a 91-point season. But the campaign to fire the coach is now over, and all eyes are on the general manager.

The offseason may be incomplete and there’s nothing stopping you from making a trade in August or even early September before training camp begins. But Adams needs to make a big move and connect in the coming days. The start of free agency on Monday would be a good time to start, whether he makes a deal or makes a surprise signing.

Doing nothing is no longer an option.