Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams addressed the media on Friday amid the team’s five-game losing streak, sticking by his roster and expressing belief this is a team that can compete for the playoffs.

"I'm going to go to war with these guys," he said. "I believe in the people in our room."

The Sabres (11-12-3) have tumbled to 23rd place in the NHL, suffered the worst home loss in franchise history this past week and are looking to avoid extending the longest playoff drought in North American professional sports — currently at 13 years.

Adams said he’s not panicking or going to make a move just to make one, adding Buffalo is not currently a destination city for free agents or players with no-trade clauses, but he believes that can change through winning.

"You become a perennial playoff team, you make the playoffs, you have a chance to win the Stanley Cup year after year, [then] you’re on less [players'] no-trade lists," he said. “We don’t have palm trees, we have taxes in New York.”

Adams added he believes the proper way to build a team's core is through drafting and developing.

Regarding the struggles of players like forward Jack Quinn, 23, and defenseman Owen Power, 22, Adams reiterated that mistakes are part of a young player’s development.

"I think, sometimes, especially with younger players, not that Jack’s young per se anymore, but still finding his way into the league, you have ups and downs, but you have to work with them and have to find ways to help them improve," Adams said.

"Do we want [Power] to become more physically imposing and harder to play against? Yes, and there’s daily work that’s going in right now with the coaches and Owen to do that. And he wants to do that and he wants to get better."

While the team is near the bottom of the league, and has roughly $7 million in cap space to make additions to the roster, Adams says he also has to be mindful of saving for the team's future.

"We’re trying to build our roster out so that we're able to year-after-year compete. And if you go add an $8 million player that’s got five years left on his contract, what does that do for the next round of guys?" Adams said.

When asked about the involvement of owner Terry Pegula, Adams stated he provides him with "every possible resource to win hockey games." 

"Terry's all in," he said. "I talk to him every day. He wants this as bad as any of us, trust me. He wants to be part of the solution with me to talk about where do we need to find success or what do we need to do to help this team."

During Pegula's tenure as owner, three general managers and seven head coaches have been fired, and the team has made the playoffs once, his first year of ownership, in 2011.