Luke Adam started the season on fire as he (somewhat surprisingly) made the team out of camp and was flanked by Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek to start the season. Adam was playing very well and his production was accentuated even further by the skill Vanek and Pominville offered to complement his own strong play. Adam has suffered through some slumps, as is typical for most young players. Adam had been playing between 13-16 minutes on most nights for the first few months of the season. However, his ice-time has taken a severe hit in recent weeks. Adam has only played 10+ minutes twice in the last six games and only topped 13 minutes twice in the last 13 games. Most nights, Adam is seeing 4th line minutes with 4th line linemates (McCormick, Ellis, Kaleta, etc). This gives rise to two very important questions pertaining to Luke Adam; what is the best for this team this season? And what is the best for the long-term prospects of Luke Adam?
How much does the team have to gain by a guy like Luke Adam playing 4th line minutes over a player like Ellis, McCormick, Kaleta, or an AHL call-up like Whitmore? Adam is an offensive player and if he is not producing offense, he is not helping the team much. It is almost impossible for any player as young as Adam to create offense in 10 minutes of ice-time per game with 4th line linemates. The team does not lose out on much by having an Ellis, McCormick, or Kaleta playing that 4th line role instead of Luke Adam. It should also be noted that Adam's play has not warranted top 6 ice-time, so it is not much of a surprise that he was moved out of the top 6 forwards and his ice-time was cut. This is a matter of what to do from here given that Adam is not deserving of premier offensive minutes at this point.
In terms of what is best for Luke Adam, it's hard to believe much good is done for his confidence or his long-term development by playing so few minutes with little chance to produce offense given his linemates. Adam proved last season that he can handle the AHL as he took home Rookie of the Year (Dudley Garrett Memorial Award) honors with 62 points in 57 games. So he's struggling, he's not pivotal to the team's success right now, he's waiver exempt, and he's previously excelled at the AHL level. Seems pretty clear that the best option for Adam's development could very well to be sent back to the AHL where he can receive prime offensive minutes and gain his confidence back.
Sabres fans are hoping the big-bodied Adam will be able to add some size to their top 6 on a consistent bases in future seasons, more specifically; fans want Adam to be that big top 6 center they've been craving for years. However, Adam has been spending more time on the wing than he has at center in the past couple of months. Again, it is not unusual for a young center to struggle with some of the defensive responsibilities that are inevitably tied to playing the position. However, if he were sent down to the AHL, that is another area of his game that he could work on while regaining his confidence and honing his offensive game. One thing is clear, he is not playing very well right now and he needs something to jump start his game.
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