New Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen held his introductory press conference on Tuesday, pledging a full organizational review while expressing optimism for this season's playoffs amid the team's last-place standing in the Eastern Conference.
Following his appointment as general manager on December 16—replacing the fired Kevyn Adams—Jarmo Kekäläinen, formerly of the Columbus Blue Jackets, addressed the media on Tuesday. The 59-year-old Finn, who joined Buffalo as an advisor in the offseason, emphasized evaluating everyone in the organization: “Everybody is under evaluation at this point, but there are a lot of good people here that are great at their jobs,” he said, per The Athletic.
Despite the Sabres' position at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, seven points from a playoff spot, Kekäläinen affirmed his belief in their potential: the team can still reach the postseason this year.
Kekäläinen's Columbus tenure (2013-2024) featured bold moves, acquiring stars like Johnny Gaudreau, Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, Matt Duchene, Brandon Saad, and Seth Jones. These fueled successes including a 2019 sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning, though no Stanley Cup.
Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin endorsed the hire: “I think Jarmo’s going to be the one who turns this around.” Challenges persist, including a lengthy playoff drought, with key decisions ahead on assets like Alex Tuch (extension pending) and coach Lindy Ruff's staff.
The roster includes promising prospects—Noah Ostlund, Isak Rosen, Konsta Helenius, Devon Levi, Anton Wahlberg, Brodie Zeimer, and Radim Mrtka—who could be trade assets to bolster scoring, defense, or goaltending.