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The Buffalo Bills were one of the healthiest teams in the NFL this season, and one of their local neighbors has taken notice.
Sabres GM Kevyn Adams, whose building a young roster that has experienced its fair share of injuries over the last two seasons, spoke with WGR 550 this past week about reaching out to Bills GM Brandon Beane for advice.
“I’m going to call Brandon. It’s on my to-do list to pick his brain. It is interesting to me they had the least amount [of injuries], so I just want to ask some questions.”
The Sabres have had the second-worst ranking in the NHL this season in injuries. The Bills, meanwhile, were one of the top healthy NFL clubs.
Adams and his staff are researching the types of injuries incurred, what caused them, how they could have been prevented, ice quality, whether there was any deep tissue or broken bones, and if they were avoidable or fluke accidents.
As he evaluates practice frequency and player workloads, as well as in evaluating potential player signings and their health and durability throughout the season, he plans to enlist Beane’s council.
“Brandon and I have become good friends. We talk a lot. We bounce ideas off each other, and I think for me, it’s an incredible resource to have someone that’s had so much success in a lot of different ways in the things that he’s done and just pick his brain. So I’m definitely going to have that conversation.”
The Sabres have worked to restructure their front office and team in a similar process to the one that the Bills found themselves in when Beane and head coach Sean McDermott took over. At that time the club was coming off a couple of injury-riddled seasons themselves.
Owners Terry and Kim Pegula responded, spending $18 million to build a 41,000 square-foot performance and training center that opened in the spring of 2019. After the new facility opened, injury numbers went down significantly and there was a dramatic improvement in overall roster health.
The Sabres are in second to last place in the NHL’s Atlantic Division and appear to be headed towards another favorable Draft position. With a foundation of bright young talent, it makes sense that Adams would want to gain any insight he can to protect the franchise’s long-term investment in the roster they are building.
Considering the success Beane has had, it will be interesting to see if he is able to lend some of his insights towards the Sabres rebuild.
Beane offered some advice to Adams on a phone call ahead of the 2020 NHL Draft that might be telling as to the context of their upcoming conversation. “Trust your process.”
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