Jarmo Kekalainen’s first year running the Sabres came with plenty of patience, a few bold calls, and a team that answered with a big jump in 2025-26. That combination is why Buffalo’s GM walks away with a strong mark after a season that changed the mood around the franchise.
Grade: A-
Kekalainen didn’t even take over until Dec. 15, stepping in after Kevyn Adams was fired. From there, the Sabres caught fire almost right away, ripping off 10 straight wins before the calendar flipped to 2025. They kept rolling after that, finishing 29-9-5 the rest of the way and ending the year as the East’s second-best team.
He could have arrived and hit the panic button. Instead, he stayed patient, and Buffalo’s turnaround made that approach look smart.
Lindy Ruff’s group shook off its rough start, and a lot of the credit goes to a roster that responded under new management. The other big plus for Kekalainen is how much of that young core is now signed beyond this coming season.
The most painful move from a public-relations standpoint was letting Alex Tuch go in a sign-and-trade with the Washington Capitals. But the alternative would have been paying Tuch the $10.5-million he got from Washington, and that would have wiped out Buffalo’s cap flexibility. By holding the line, Kekalainen preserved space, and the Sabres now have $5.1-million available to handle issues as they come up during the season.
He also made one of the more significant hockey decisions of the year by sending defenseman Bowen Byram and Jordan Greenway to the Chicago Blackhawks for the fourth-overall pick, which Buffalo used on WHL defenseman Daxon Rudolph. That deal brought in an important young player and cleared Greenway’s contract off the books. Byram was useful, but the Sabres still came out ahead on that one.
Kekalainen added former Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers executive and former NHL goalie John Davidson as a senior adviser, too. It’s a move that could reflect trust in an old friend, but it doesn’t really change the picture for Buffalo right now.
There were also decisions that could age differently down the line, including trading former goalie-of-the-future Devon Levi to the Edmonton Oilers this summer. That one has the potential to circle back on him eventually.
Still, the overall body of work points to a GM who pushed the right buttons more often than not. Kekalainen resisted the urge to tear things apart, made a major cap-conscious choice with Tuch, and helped guide Buffalo back into the playoffs after a 15-year drought. That’s why he lands just short of an A+.
The pressure is only going to rise from here. Buffalo’s next step is clear: Kekalainen will be judged on whether he can push the Sabres into the third round and the Stanley Cup final next year.
If he can’t, this grade will look a lot different this time next season. For now, though, Terry and Kim Pegula have plenty to like about what he delivered.
In Other News...
Sabres Suddenly Have A Real Offseason Forward Option To Watch
The Sabres are heading into an offseason where adding another dependable forward has to be part of the conversation, and one name worth monitoring has emerged from Boston. The appeal is easy to see: a player coming off a career year with 30 goals and 65 points, production that would stand out in Buffalos forward group and give the team another legitimate top-six option if the right opportunity opens up.
What makes the situation interesting is the contract angle, since he is entering the final season of his deal and that naturally invites questions about whether his current team will keep him or listen if interest builds. For Buffalo, the fit is obvious enough to keep watching, especially if the Sabres want more stability down the middle and a player who can also slide to the wing, but the real question is whether this becomes a realistic market or just another name on the summer board. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres May Have Found A Free Agent Gamble Worth Debating
Buffalos search for help in the top nine is the kind of summer task that can lead to a cautious, practical swing rather than a splashy one, and one free-agent forward has at least earned a look for that role. The appeal is straightforward: he has shown he can finish, he has produced steadily in the recent past, and he brings a style that could give the Sabres forward group a little more bite.
The hesitation is just as clear, because last season did not match the standard he had set before it. Even so, a short-term contract would let Buffalo bet on a bounce-back without tying itself to a long commitment, which is exactly the sort of low-risk gamble that can make sense for a team trying to round out its roster. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Suddenly Have A High Stakes Decision On Sam Carrick
Sam Carrick arrived in Buffalo last season as a depth addition, the kind of center the Sabres hoped could bring some edge and reliability while the roster settled around him. He got into 13 games before a left arm injury shut him down for the rest of the regular season and most of the playoffs, leaving the team with only a small sample of what he might offer in a more stable role.
Now the Sabres have a real decision to make as they sort through their center depth and look for more physical presence down the middle. Carrick is heading toward a contract-defining stretch, and his health and performance in offseason work, training camp and preseason will go a long way toward determining whether Buffalo sees him as part of the longer-term answer before he reaches unrestricted free agency in 2027. [Read more 🡒]