The Buffalo Sabres have offically made their corresponding moves, after sending three rookies away yesterday morning.
Forward Luke Adam and defenseman Brayden McNabb have been recalled from Rochester (AHL).
McNabb, 22 years old, is in his third season as a part of the Buffalo Sabres franchise. McNabb is not a stranger to the Sabres lineup, having played 25 games in the 2011-12 season. He currently leads Amerks’ defensemen with 12 points (2 goals, 10 assists) in 15 games.
While McNabb is a story of a young player developing into a chance, Luke Adam is a different story.
Adam, 23 years old, began his professional career with the Portland Pirates, where he recorded 62 points in his first year. This warranted an opportunity in Buffalo, where he would score 4 points in 19 games.
The following season, Adam began the season with Buffalo. He would go on to score 20 points in 52 games, but was exiled to Rochester shortly thereafter.
After his entry-level contract expired entering the last offseason, Adam signed a one-year deal with the Sabres. Adam got a shot to make the team out of training camp, but ended up being placed on waivers with the intention of sending him to Rochester.
Every other NHL team passed on claiming Luke Adam.
Adam knew it was time to change his game, in order to re-claim the goal scoring touch he seemingly lost.
“I need to have a good enough season that if it’s not going to work out in Buffalo, then in the eyes of other teams and organizations it will,” Adam said to Kevin Oklobzija of the Democrat and Chronicle. “It would be great if it works out in Buffalo; they’ve given me every opportunity to be who I am today.”
With a career rebuild in mind at age 23, Luke Adam is having one the best starts to any season of his young career. At the time of his recall, Adam had 13 goals, which tied him for the AHL lead.
Clearly, the time is now for Luke Adam to prove his worth to the Buffalo Sabres.