BUFFALO, N.Y. — Kevyn Adams has traded the Sabres 1st round pick ahead of the start of the NHL Draft Friday night.
The deal just not involving adding proven talent to the roster.
Buffalo sent the 11th overall pick to San Jose in exchange for the 14th and 42nd overall pick.
That means the Sabres sliding back just three spots in the 1st round and acquiring a second-round selection.
Adams will now have back-to-back picks in the 2nd, already holding the 43rd overall pick.
Many hoped and believed any move involving that pick would bring back in return an established NHL player to help the team instantly.
"There was not a trade, and we went through every possibly scenario with every team you could possibly go through, that we felt comfortable made sense for pick 11," Adams told the local Buffalo media out in Las Vegas. "There's also any trade that we've potentially looked at or talked about, there could still be the same trade there at 14."
Adams said trade talks between he and the Sharks began right after the NHL Draft Lottery about a month ago.
As for moving forward with more trades, Adams maintaining his stance that he is open to anything.
"Doesn't mean we're done here," Adams said. "We're actively going to look. This pick's available if it makes sense for us. We have assets to move back up. We can move down again."
The NHL Draft begins with the 1st round Friday night, starting at 7pm eastern.