As the Buffalo Sabres face yet another franchise-defining offseason, all of the criticism in the world has fallen on general manager Kevyn Adams and owner Terry Pegula. Frankly, they both deserve that criticism given the direction of the franchise, the lack of a response, and the clear internal salary cap that has limited progression.
That said, it is all too easy to focus on comments from Adams about how taxes and a lack of palm trees are costing the Sabres. Players rumored to be unhappy with the direction of the team aren’t wrong to feel that way, but are not receiving nearly enough criticism themselves. After all, these are the core pieces that have been counted on to take the team back to the playoffs, yet have failed themselves.
Unhappy Core Pieces
Adams has important decisions to make that will control the direction the franchise moves in. He likely has to trade a piece or two, but the unhappy core pieces are the ones that will garner the most attention. J.J. Peterka and Alex Tuch are reportedly unhappy with the direction of the team, with the former being linked to every rumor under the sun.
Alex Tuch, Buffalo Sabres (Evan Sabourin / The Hockey Writers)
Those are two of the on-ice leaders for the team, Peterka growing into one of the best young offensive wingers in the league. Tuch, meanwhile, has a year left on his contract, and we haven’t heard anything concrete about whether he wants to remain a Sabre for the long term.
A litany of other names – it has been rumored that up to a quarter of the roster wants out – are reportedly unhappy as well. At the end of the day, management has failed. But the roster as it stands should be just as accountable for the failures the Sabres have had, especially in the past three years.
Accountability Needs to Be Public
It might feel like lip service, but the Sabres need to be more visible in their accountability. We saw several generic comments throughout the 2024-25 season about how things need to be better and “it starts with us,” and all the other cliches.
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Someone – whether it be Tuch, Tage Thompson, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, or whoever – needs to handle situations like that without the spin. They need to simply step up and say, “We aren’t doing our jobs. We aren’t playing hard enough, and we aren’t showing a will to win. We need to be better.”
Maturity and a Will to Win Are Missing
Comments from guys like Thompson have hinted that maybe practices weren’t as hard as they could have been in the past. That comment alone is telling. As elite athletes, particularly ones playing for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in nearly a generation, shouldn’t you have accountability and work your hardest to get out of that hole? Why is it acceptable not to go 100% just because there is no one there to ride you? That’s the difference between the best franchises and the worst.
JJ Peterka, Buffalo Sabres (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
Look at a team like the Colorado Avalanche. They have a ton of talent, but part of what has made them successful is the absolutely psychotic will to win that Nathan MacKinnon has. He makes his team better because he expects them all to be on his level. That push, that drive, is what helps get them through rough stretches like the beginning of the 2024-25 season.
The Sabres do not have that right now. Someone, anyone, needs to step up and hold players accountable. Saying “we didn’t practice that hard” isn’t the slam on the head coach you think it is. It is an indictment of the roster and the lack of a killer drive that all winners have.
Management Matters but It Starts on the Ice
It is management’s job to put the right pieces in place, and Adams has not done that. The players on the ice have been publicly willing to not give it their best, however, and that should not be acceptable, either.
The Sabres need the right pieces to take a step forward, but they also need the leaders in the locker room to be actual leaders. They need someone to hold those underperforming, under-practicing, and going through the motions accountable. Someone has to take control and drive this team forward, and they have to come from the Sabres’ locker room.
