The Buffalo Sabres made a big change on Monday, firing general manager Kevyn Adams. He was replaced by Jarmo Kekalainen, who joined the team in the offseason as an advisor. Buffalo is near the bottom of the Eastern Conference again with a 14-year playoff drought in tow. Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin was asked about Adams' firing and gave an intriguing response.
“Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin was smiling quite a bit during his fiveish-minute session with reporters on Wednesday,” Matthew Fairbairn of The Athletic reported. “His initial thoughts on the GM change: ‘Excited. Turning a new page. Looking forward to the future.'”
Adams was named the general manager before the 2020-21 season. Buffalo failed to make the playoffs in each of Adams' five seasons at the helm, finishing over .500 just twice. He oversaw the much-maligned trades of Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart, who have both won Stanley Cups since.
Dahlin signed a long-term extension and was named Sabres captain with Adams at the helm. But clearly, he was one of many Western New York residents ready for a change at the top. Kekalainen is known in the building and has a history of making aggressive moves from his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Maybe that's what this core needs.
The Sabres have Lindy Ruff as their head coach, a move that was questioned by many when it was made before the 2024-25 season. Now Kekalainen, who had nothing to do with the hiring of Ruff, has full control of the operation. Could a reunion with John Tortorella be in the cards for Kekalainen?
Dahlin is signed through 2032 at $11 million per year. In his introductory press conference, Kekalainen said there was no internal spending cap, and he was free to spend to the salary cap. It is easy to see why Dahlin is happy with where the Sabres are after Adams' firing.
