Six trade-deadline takeaways from Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen

Six trade-deadline takeaways from Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen

Here are six takeaways from Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen’s post-trade deadline media availability, and how moves and non-moves will impact the Sabres as they pursue a playoff berth.

buffalonews.com

Jarmo Kekalainen entered his first trade deadline week as general manager of the Buffalo Sabres with a strategy.

Reward the team for its successes so far, but add components that will help this team reach the playoffs for the first time in 14 years. That meant improving roster depth to prepare for the final weeks of the regular season, bringing in size and experience on defense and addressing the Sabres’ inconsistency on faceoffs.
The Sabres made three trades at this year’s deadline:

• Acquired defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn from the Winnipeg Jets for defenseman Jacob Bryson and left wing Isak Rosen. The Jets also receive a fourth-round pick in this year’s NHL draft and a second-round pick in 2027;
• Acquired center Sam Carrick from the New York Rangers for a third-round pick and a sixth-round pick in this year's draft;
• Acquired left wing Tanner Pearson from Winnipeg for a seventh-round pick in this year’s NHL draft.

Jarmo Kekalainen made three trades before the deadline on Friday. In the process, he added depth on defense and helped the team in the faceoff circle.
Derek Gee, Buffalo News

“We addressed those needs, and we’re a stronger team because of it,” Kekalainen said Friday at KeyBank Center.

Here are six takeaways from Kekalainen’s post-trade deadline media availability, and how moves and non-moves will impact the Sabres as they pursue a playoff berth.

Building depth​

Kekalainen was mindful of the fact that the Sabres are playing at least three games a week through the final six weeks of the regular season, which ends April 15. Injuries, from general wear-and-tear to possible season-enders, are a risk with such a condensed schedule.

The Sabres open the final 20 regular-season games Saturday against Nashville at KeyBank Center and Kekalainen’s goal was to stock his roster with reserves, given that the NHL lifted its 23-man roster cap at the trade deadline for the remainder of the regular season.

“The schedule is very dense right now because of the Olympics,” Kekalainen said. “We’re playing every other day. The deeper you get into the spring, you know the schedule there, it’s every other day. You need depth. Players are going to get banged up. It’s very, very important to have depth, especially on the ‘D’ side. That’s probably the most crucial position to have depth in.”

Defense is one area where the Sabres stocked up on players with the acquisitions of Stanley and Schenn. They further deepen an already tall and physical defensive corps – Stanley is now the tallest player on the roster at 6-foot-7, an inch taller than Tage Thompson – and Stanley and Schenn have combined to block 123 shots this season.

Rentals on defense​

Stanley is in the second year of a two-year contract that has an average annual value of $1.25 million. Schenn is also in the final year of his three-year contract, with an average annual value of $2.75 million. They’re rentals but could audition for roster spots with the Sabres in 2026-27.

“This is really where you find out about the guys, how hard they compete in the most important part of the season,” Kekalainen said. “We’re open. We’re looking at every guy on our team and making the future plans, looking at the future team that we’re going to have, and how the pieces fit, obviously, how they fit under the cap and the structure of that.

“All the options are open right now, and this is the best part of the season, to earn the right to be on this team, further into the future.”

Improving in faceoff circle​

Acquiring Carrick from the Rangers wasn’t just to provide depth at center, but also to improve the Sabres proficiency on faceoffs.

Carrick is a 10-year NHL veteran who has a career faceoff percentage of 52, including a faceoff percentage of 53.9 this season (214/183). Carrick has a right-handed shot and can take faceoffs in any situation, whether it’s at even strength or on special teams.

“Faceoffs is an area where we haven’t been very good,” Kekalainen said.

The Sabres are last in the NHL in faceoff percentage (45%) after a 5-1 win Thursday at Pittsburgh. They’ve been at or above 50% on faceoffs in only 13 of 62 games this season.

No comment on St. Louis​

The trade involving Stanley and Schenn for Bryson and Rosen was the first successful NHL deal Kekalainen has made with the Sabres, and it followed a week in which the Sabres couldn’t complete separate trades with St. Louis for center Robert Thomas and defenseman Colton Parayko.

A reported trade that would have sent Thomas to the Sabres for as many as four first-round draft pick did not materialize. The Sabres and Blues also reportedly agreed to a deal that would bring Parayko to the Sabres for defenseman Radim Mrtka and a future first-round pick, but Parayko declined to waive his no-trade clause.

Kekalainen declined to discuss the deals that fell through. It’s his personal policy.

“I don’t comment on any unfinished business,” Kekalainen said. “There’s a lot of talk around. Every time that somebody calls me and 31 other GMs call me and they mention names, sometimes that name comes out in public, as a rumor. Even if I had no intention of trading that player, it somehow gets into the rumor.

“I’m going to keep my way of not talking about it, speculations and possible trades, and we’re just going to concentrate on what we have here.”
Conversely, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong told reporters Friday in St. Louis that the organization checked phone and email records of staff members to find the possible source of the Parayko trade leak.

Tuch’s contract​

Alex Tuch is still with the Sabres. There was no possibility the Sabres would deal the left wing at the deadline, given the team is making a legitimate playoff push.

However, there’s the matter of his contract. Tuch is in the final year of a seven-year deal with an average annual value of $4.75 million. He is set to become a free agent July 1, less than four months away from the trade deadline. AFP Analytics projects Tuch’s next contract to be an eight-year deal with a projected annual cap hit of $10.6 million.

Kekalainen isn’t concerned about the fact that Tuch and the Sabres still don’t have a new deal in place.

“We’ve had some productive talks with him and have expressed our desire to sign him, and we’ll continue doing that. I told his agent (Brian Bartlett) that we’re not going to make our team weaker if we don’t get a deal done by the trade deadline.

“We’re not trading him. We want to strengthen our team and not make it weaker, and Alex is, obviously, a huge part of it. Now, we’re going to continue those talks and hopefully get a deal done before July 1.”

Injury updates​

Kekalainen said center Jiri Kulich (blood clots) “most likely” will be out for the remainder of the season, but he continues to get treatment for the condition. Kulich’s absence for the rest of the season lends to the acquisition of Carrick.

“Our main concern, obviously, is his well-being and long-term health and second, when can he be back as a hockey player?” Kekalainen said of Kulich, who hasn’t played since Nov. 1. “He’s progressing but most likely he will be out for the season.”

Kulich has been skating in full gear, but only in noncontact situations, and has not skated with the team during his absence. Kekalainen wouldn’t forecast if this would impact Kulich’s availability next season.

Kekalainen said left wing Jordan Greenway (sports hernia) and Justin Danforth (broken kneecap) are both “progressing slowly, and there is a chance that they could be back this season, but there’s no guarantee. We’re hopeful.”

 

[HipKat]

TheAthletic: Sabres GM Jarmo Kekäläinen handled NHL trade deadline like Buffalo is a legit contender​

Sabres GM Jarmo Kekäläinen handled NHL trade deadline like Buffalo is a legit contender

Buffalo's additions are a sign the Sabres aren’t content just getting to the playoffs. They want to be prepared once they get there.

www.nytimes.com

Jarmo Kekäläinen took over the Sabres' general manager in December 2025. AP Photo / John Wawrow

When Jarmo Kekäläinen took over as the general manager of the Buffalo Sabres in mid-December, he said he believed the team could make the playoffs. That felt a bit like wishful thinking at the time, considering the Sabres were in last place in the Eastern Conference and making a midseason general manager change.

But since Dec. 9, the Sabres are the best team in the NHL. When the trade deadline passed on Friday afternoon, they were tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning with 80 points. With 20 games to play, the Sabres already have more standings points than they did all of last season.

So during trade deadline week, Kekäläinen didn’t hesitate. He behaved like the general manager of a team with a legitimate chance at the Stanley Cup. Because that’s what the Sabres have become. The Athletic’s model gives the Sabres a 98 percent chance to make the playoffs, the sixth-best playoff odds in the NHL. Even if they go 10-10 in their final 20 games, the Sabres will finish the season with 100 points.

“We have a lot of faith in this group,” Kekäläinen said. “The way they’ve been playing, the way they’re competing, the way they’re having fun, so we wanted to reward the group as well, to show them that we have that faith and we want to help them and bring in some players in different areas that we needed. I think we addressed those needs, and we’re a stronger team because of it.”

Kekäläinen realized this team needed to shift its thinking from the long-term to the short-term. Out went second-, third-, fourth-, sixth- and seventh-round picks along with 2021 first-round pick Isak Rosen. And in came defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn, along with forwards Sam Carrick and Tanner Pearson.

There were a few traits Kekäläinen identified as needs. One was depth on the blue line. The Sabres’ top four defensemen have been handling a disproportionate share of the workload lately. Three of those defensemen have an offensive tilt to their game as well. Kekäläinen wanted to bolster the third pair while adding the necessary size and defensive competitiveness to complement the players on the roster.

“The further you get into the springtime here, and we’re in a battle here now to make it to the postseason,” Kekäläinen said. “So, I think that’s really important. We’ve tightened up the defensive game by being real strong in front of our own net. So, I think those are the biggest elements that they bring. We have a lot of skill on our defense, mobility, ability to join the rush, offensive-minded defensemen, so I think we can really use the defensive side of things with the big two ‘trees’ that we got in these trades.”

Kekäläinen also thought some teams have tried to push the Sabres around recently. In Buffalo’s 6-2 win in Tampa last weekend, the Lightning wanted the game to get ugly after the whistle. Stanley, Schenn and Carrick are all willing fighters. Kekäläinen has seen a lot of improvement in Buffalo’s competitiveness, but wanted to make sure to add some muscle to the group, so teams aren’t taking liberties against the Sabres’ best players. Stanley, Schenn and Carrick can all help in that regard. Carrick will also help on the penalty kill and with faceoffs, another problem area for Buffalo.


And then Kekäläinen wanted to bring in some players who have been where the Sabres are going. A lot of players on the roster have never played in the playoffs before. Stanley, Schenn, Carrick and Pearson all have. Schenn and Pearson have won the Stanley Cup. These additions are a sign the Sabres aren’t content just getting to the playoffs. They want to be prepared once they get there.

Kekäläinen actually had more up his sleeve this week, too. Early in the week, the Sabres got deep into talks for Blues center Robert Thomas. Then the next day, the Sabres and Blues had the framework of a deal in place for defenseman Colton Parayko, but Parayko invoked his no-trade clause to block a move to Buffalo. The Sabres pivoted to making three separate trades for four new players. That’s a lot of activity in the span of a few days.

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff used the word calm to describe Kekäläinen during the deadline. That’s saying something considering everything the Sabres were involved in this week. But Kekäläinen shrugged it off as a “typical” deadline.

It wasn’t typical for the fans or even those in the locker room. These players aren’t used to seeing the Sabres add at this time of year. Mattias Samuelsson acknowledged that he’s never been part of a deadline buyer before.

“To be honest, no one in this room really cares if you trade a pick or two, so it’s nice to get some new faces in here and some new energy maybe,” Samuelsson said. “It’s fun. It’s good for morale, for sure.”

After the Sabres beat the Penguins on Thursday night, captain Rasmus Dahlin was watching highlights of Buffalo’s new additions. This is a new feeling for him, too, something he hasn’t felt since his days playing for Frolunda in Sweden.

“This is why you play hockey,” Dahlin. “This is what it should feel like. This is the beginning of something great. I’m happy we’re finally here.”

Quick hits​

• Kekäläinen said it’s unlikely that Jiri Kulich will be able to return to Buffalo’s lineup this season. The young center has been dealing with a blood clot issue since November. He had testing this week and didn’t get positive news. The hope is that he can get back to training in time to ramp up for next season. Kekäläinen was hopeful but noncommittal on whether or not Jordan Greenway (core muscle) and Justin Danforth (broken kneecap) would be able to return.

• Kekäläinen didn’t want to comment much on Parayko invoking his no-trade clause to block a trade to Buffalo. He said he chooses not to comment on unfinished business, so he’s not sure how the situation became public, particularly because it created an opening for people to take shots at Buffalo.

“Buffalo is a great city,” Kekäläinen said. “It’s disappointing to see somebody thinking it’s got something to do with the city of Buffalo. I’ve been here since June, and I’ve loved every second of it. We have a great hockey team that’s winning games, and the fun atmosphere, electric building, and I would think that our players are loving it here.

“I think the city of Buffalo and the Buffalo Sabres deserve a lot of respect right now with the way we’re playing and competing, and that’s it.”

• Kekäläinen said the team plans to continue talks with Alex Tuch, who’s a pending unrestricted free agent, and still wants to get a deal done by July 1.

“I think he’s handled it like a pro,” Kekäläinen said. “He’s playing good hockey; he’s an important part of our success here. He’s a great penalty killer. He’s scoring like he has in his best seasons and contributing in many ways to our team success. He’s being a good teammate, good pro. I don’t think I could ask for anything more from Alex Tuch.”

• One thing that’s clear from Kekäläinen’s pursuit of Thomas and Parayko is that he’s not afraid to make a major change to this team. That should make for an interesting summer. And Kekäläinen made it clear on Friday that this time of year and the postseason can be the most important time to evaluate.

“This is where you really find out about the guy’s character and how hard do they compete in the most important part of the season,” Kekäläinen said. “We’re open, we’re looking at every guy on our team making the future plans, looking at the future team that we’re going to have and how the pieces fit, and obviously how they fit under the cap and the structure of that. All options are wide open right now, and this is the best part of the season to earn the right to be on this team further into the future.”