The Buffalo Sabres have officially completed restricted free agency season in their own house by signing forward Luke Adam to a one year two-way deal, per the team’s website. Adam was the team’s last RFA and presented one of the more complicated situations on the team. Adam has excelled at the AHL level, but has yet to make his mark on the NHL. Now he’ll get another chance to do that with a low-risk deal for the team.
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Luke Adam led the Buffalo Sabres’ AHL affiliate, Rochester Americans, in goals last year with 29. He was an AHL All-Star and it’s no stretch to say he could do it again. It’s the NHL that’s posed a problem for Adam. He was ineffective once again in his brief time up with the Sabres, scoring just one goal in 12 games.
It’s especially disconcerting for Adam that he struggled on the worst team in the NHL last year. If ever there was a year for a high-scoring AHL forward to make his mark on the league, it would come on the lowest-scoring team in the league. Unfortunately that never materialized for Adam and now it appears he is on his last leg with the team.
The Buffalo Sabres already locked up young forward Tyler Ennis to a five year deal after having given a six year deal to Cody Hodgson last summer. The team has no problem giving good NHL forwards long-term deals. If Adam can take a major leap forward this season and prove he is such, then perhaps he’ll be inking a similar deal next summer. For now, it’s time for Luke Adam to prove himself and fight for a job in the NHL.