Kekalainen's Hiring Another Sign Sabres GM's Time Could Be Nearing An End

Jarmo Kekalainen (Kyle Robertson, USA TODAY Images)

To be sure, Kekalainen did some admirable work running the Blue Jackets from 2013-2024. Under his stewardship, Columbus won a playoff round in successive seasons from 2018-2020, and he helped navigate the team through some difficult situations, on and off the ice. So you can see why he was appealing to the Sabres as they try to end 14 years of futility in simply getting into the Stanley Cup playoffs, let alone winning a round or two. And we've said for a while now that Buffalo needed another veteran voice in their front office. So it's hard to see Kekalainen's hiring as anything other than a positive.

Was Kekalainen perfect as Columbus' GM? Of course not, but show us a perfect GM and we'll show you a GM who's in their first day on the job. But while we're sure Kekalainen knows his place in Buffalo's power pyramid, he's got to know, deep down, that he might be called into action to run the show if Adams' blueprint for success goes up in flames yet again. And in a way, that's a good thing; if Adams is dismissed, the ideal successor for him will need to have a certain degree of familiarity with the franchise. That process begins now for Kekalainen.

This is why the early days of the coming season will be crucial for Adams and Kekalainen. If Buffalo plummets down the Atlantic Division standings early on, Adams will be gone, and Kekalainen's early impressions of the roster and depth chart will have a serious influence on the decisions he makes, either as an interim GM or as the full-time GM.

When they talk about the value of a good first impression, this is the type of situation they're referring to, because Kekalainen has no allegiance right now to any Sabres players. And that's also a good thing for him coming into the organization. A team that's been unable to control its destiny shouldn't have many sacred cows, if any. So when Kekalainen gets settled into his new role, he's going to need to approach things in a cold-blooded manner.

Okay, okay, we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves. To be fair, there's a universe in which the Sabres get off to a strong start, Adams keeps his job, and Kekalainen maybe gets another GM job with a different team. But this hiring sure feels like the table is being set for Kekalainen to eventually come in as Buffalo's main hockey ops executive. And Adams would probably not be telling the truth if he tried to argue he's now under more pressure to produce than at any point in his time running the Sabres.

Like coaches, NHL GMs are hired to eventually be fired. The pro hockey world is a zero-sum industry, and if solid results aren't there for Adams and the Sabres, Buffalo's ownership is going to demand a different voice as the place where the buck ultimately stops. Is that guaranteed to be Kekalainen? No,  no it isn't. But he's a well-liked executive who is going to be an asset for the Sabres as they chart another course back to respectability. He's got a clean slate as he begins this journey, but before too long, he could be ultimately responsible for the direction of the team.

Indeed, by this time next year -- or potentially, in a worst-case scenario for the Sabres, much sooner than that -- Kekalainen could be the guy who becomes The Guy.