PORTLAND — Being plopped into the midst of the Portland Pirate line up just as the Bucs prepare for a fierce playoff battle with the Manchester Monarchs may be a tough time to get one’s professional career off the ground.

However, the way Luke Adam sees it, there’s no time like the present.

“It’s really exciting,” said Adam, the Buffalo Sabres’ second round draft pick in 2008. “It’s a lot of fun to be here with these guys. I’m really looking forward to the upcoming playoffs.”

The heralded center/wing prospect got his first official look at pro life, Tuesday, during the Pirates’ hour long practice at Portland Ice Arena, where the Bucs were getting ready for what they hope are the beginning steps of a long Calder Cup playoff run.

Adam, who hails from St. John’s, Newfoundland, is expected to pick up some of the slack in the Pirates’ attack, which came with the recent promotions of Tyler Ennis and Nathan Gerbe to Buffalo.

“The guys have welcomed me with open arms,” said Adam. “They’ve helped me out, and made me feel comfortable in the locker room. I hope I contribute in whatever way Coach (Kevin) Dineen asks me to. I’m just going to try to bring the type of game that he wants me to bring.”

Adam is coming off a superb season with Cape Breton of the QMJHL, registering 90 points (49g, 41a), and placing second in the league’s MVP balloting.

He also starred for Canada in this year’s World Junior Championship (collecting four goals and four assists), which is where he grabbed Dineen’s attention.

“I hate being a comparison coach,” said Dineen, “but he’s got a step, he’s got a hop that’s very similar to (NHL All-Star) Marian Hossa. I played with him in Ottawa when he was an 18 year kid. I just find that he has that same kind of enthusiasm for the game, and that shot. I don’t think it’s a stretch to make that comparison.”

Dineen also had glowing words for the Pirates’ other rookie newcomer, right wing Jacob Legace, Buffalo’s fifth rounder in 2008, who joined Adam in Cape Breton from Chicoutimi midway through the season.

“More than any of the young players,” said Dineen, “he really stuck out at training camp. I was extremely impressed with him. He looks like he doesn’t have a lot of speed, or has a hard shot. But, boy, he just found a way to score goals at training camp. He was one of the better players in camp, and that (includes) NHL All-Stars. That’s where his impression was made.”

Adam, who got to watch Legace work every day for half a season, is also a fan.

“He’s a real hard worker,” said Adam. “He can really bring a lot to a team. He’s got that scoring knack, and he likes to play physical, too. It’s nice to have him here.”

The sight of injured top goalie Jhonas Enroth taking part in light on-ice drills was a welcome one. Enroth has been shelved for a month by a high ankle sprain, and while there is no point in rushing him back into action, the fact that he is back on skates suggests that his return could be sooner than later.

“We’re encouraged at where he is,” said Dineen. “We don’t want to say 100 percent, because nobody plays 100 percent. But we want to make sure he’s extremely comfortable out there and can (put out) the high end goaltending that he’s played for us this year. The first step in the process is get him back on the ice.”

Dineen also mentioned that goalie Todd Ford, who played three games for Portland before heading back to South Carolina for the ECHL playoffs may rejoin the Pirates, now that the Stingrays have been eliminated.”