The Buffalo Sabres have relieved general manager Kevyn Adams of his duties and have appointed Jarmo Kekalainen to the position. Adams had a hand in several trades that did not work out and Buffalo saw several stars moved for minimum pieces. Can Kekalainen be the savior and get Buffalo back to the playoffs?
The Sabres make a big move to move forward
There had been rumors about Adams and the Sabres growing apart from each other. Adams spent five seasons in the Buffalo organization as GM but made some questionable moves along the way. Players no longer with the Sabres include J.J. Peterka, Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, Jeff Skinner, Dylan Cozens, Taylor Hall, Marcus Johansson, Casey Mittlestadt, Matthew Savoie, Kyle Okposo, Rasmus Ristolainen, Brandon Montour, Iilya Lyubishkin, Will Borgen, Henri Jokiharju, Connor Clifton, Linus Ullmark, and Devin Cooley. While these players are no longer with the organization, players brought in have had little to no success. Adams had fans questioning his motives because of the returns he got in the moves he made.
What can we expect from GM Kekalainen?
Kekalainen spent 11 years as GM of the Columbus Blue Jackets and was no stranger to making moves. He in fact made most of his moves to get prospects, draft picks, and other young talent to improve his Blue Jackets long-term. He was not shy about making a move to make teh team better and that is exactly why he was brought in. He can make a difference but it will take time due to the current state of the roster.
His biggest decision right now is to lock up forward Alex Tuch, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent, He could sign him for what he is worth or trade him and get a nice package in return. If he is traded this may be the first of several moves to come before net season.
There is no question this roster will not stay the same considering where they are in the standings. This team needs a shakeup and a few big moves could bring them back into relevancy. Kekalainen has options to make this team his team and be competitve again but it may not be thiss season. There is plenty of work to do and this roster will not change overnight. This will take time but he is fully capable of doing the job and Buffalo should be excited for the future of the Sabres,