Sabres GM Jarmo Kekäläinen on buying at the deadline, Josh Doan contract, more
As much as the Sabres have been rolling lately, there are still some areas where the team could improve.
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Josh Doan signed a seven-year extension with the Sabres on Wednesday. Blake Dahlin / Imagn Images
When Jarmo Kekäläinen took over as the Buffalo Sabres general manager in mid-December, he boldly declared, “I firmly believe we can make the playoffs this year.”
That was on Dec. 17. At the time, the Sabres were in last place in the Eastern Conference with a 14-14-4 record. They were seven points out of the second wild-card spot. Since that time, the Sabres are 13-3-1. During that stretch, they have the second-best points percentage in the NHL. And they are now in the first wild-card spot in the East.
With only 13 games between now and the NHL trade deadline, it’s looking increasingly likely that the Sabres will be buyers. Asked Thursday in Montreal whether he envisioned that being the case, Kekäläinen smiled.
“Every day we come to work,” Kekäläinen said. “We grab a cup of coffee and figure out ways to get better. I think that should probably answer your question. Every possibility we’re looking at. We’re going to try to make our team better.”
A long losing streak could change things, but at this point, there’s no reason for the Sabres to do anything but buy at the deadline. In that same introductory news conference, Kekäläinen made it clear that he wasn’t going to “sacrifice the ultimate goal” of winning a Stanley Cup for “the sake of making the playoffs and then not having any sustainability.”
But that shouldn’t prevent the Sabres from adding to this roster in the coming weeks. As much as the team has been rolling lately, there are still some areas that could improve. Right now, the top-four defensemen are playing a heavy percentage of the workload. Michael Kesselring is battling through an ankle injury that might not be right until after the Olympic break. Conor Timmins is recovering from a broken leg. And Lindy Ruff has been playing bottom-pair defensemen Jacob Bryson and Zach Metsa for 10 minutes or less per game. If Buffalo is going to not only get to the playoffs but have a chance to do something in the postseason, Ruff needs another depth defenseman he can rely on. The sooner the better.
Then there’s the question of what Kekäläinen might be able to do with the forward group. Josh Norris has been out of the lineup since hurting his ribs a week ago. Konsta Helenius is the latest prospect to jump to the NHL and make an impact for the Sabres. But another forward capable of playing in the top six would help balance this forward group even more. If it’s a player who can help out the Sabres’ inconsistent power play, that would be even better.
During his time as the Blue Jackets’ general manager, Kekäläinen developed a reputation as someone unafraid to make a big trade. He also hasn’t hesitated to push his chips in at the deadline when he sees an opportunity. What adds more intrigue to Buffalo’s situation is that Kekäläinen is still new to his post as general manager. While he’s been with the team for six months, previously serving as a senior adviser, most of the players on the roster were acquired before he was in the building. It’s possible he could make player-for-player trades that help the Sabres improve.
The other complicating factor with this trade deadline is that a lot of teams are still in the playoff mix, so there aren’t a ton of clear sellers. Outside of a handful of teams at the bottom of the standings, it’s unclear which teams will be willing to sell players for future assets by the time March rolls around.
“It’s never easy,” Kekäläinen said. “There’s 32 teams, they’re all battling to be better. Nobody’s donating players to you that will help you get better. That’s something we’ve put a lot of thought into, but so have all 32 teams. Sometimes there’s a fit for both teams that can make us better and make them better in a different area, so hopefully we can find a fit.”
1. After the Sabres’ morning skate on Thursday, players gathered at center ice for a stretch. Josh Doan was in the middle of that circle, and his teammates surrounded him with a chorus of stick taps. Doan is fresh off signing a seven-year contract worth $6.95 million per year, news that was clearly exciting to his teammates.
“I feel like he’s kind of the heart and soul of our team now, and it didn’t take long,” Kesselring said. “That’s just the type of person he is.”
Kekäläinen has talked about the importance of work ethic and character when it comes to evaluating talent. And his first signing as general manager is a player who embodies those qualities. He’s one of the Sabres’ most relentless forecheckers, leads the NHL in takeaways and has become a favorite in the locker room.
“I think it’s great for our group, too, that a guy like that is willing to commit long-term,” Kekäläinen said. “He sets an example for a lot of the young guys in our group, but also the veterans, with the way he comes to the rink and works every day and puts the effort in and the character he has on the ice when we play the game. He’s willing to do anything to win, plays the right way, plays winning hockey.”
Doan said he could tell pretty early on in his time in Buffalo that it was going to be the place for him. He could feel the energy in the group and meshed well with his teammates early on. That, plus the opportunity he got to play an elevated role in the Sabres’ lineup, made him comfortable signing a long deal.
And the $6.95 million cap hit has a chance to age very well for the Sabres. At roughly 6.6 percent of the cap, Doan’s deal is the equivalent of what a $5.5 million cap hit would have been in 2023-24 when the salary cap was $83.5 million. That percentage of the cap will only go down as the salary cap continues to rise, too.
“I think he’s tried to improve all facets of his game,” Ruff said. “I think he’s worked hard on his skating. I think we’ve seen that even this year, where he’s skated extremely well at times. I think if you ask him, he’s been working hard on shot and shot placement, because last year, a lot of high-quality opportunities that didn’t turn into goals, but now they’re starting to. I don’t like pointing to upside, but you continue to get better and extrapolate from where he is right now, you’ll be in a good place.
2. Asked whether an Alex Tuch extension is still a priority, Kekäläinen said, “I’ve said right from the start that it is, and we’ll get some answers when we get them, hopefully in the near future.”
Tuch is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. With Doan’s deal done, the Sabres have just over $13 million in cap space for next season. With Tuch’s contract likely to come in around $10 million per year, the Sabres would need to move some money around between now and next season to make that contract fit. Zach Benson, Kesselring and Peyton Krebs are also restricted free agents after the season. And Beck Malenstyn is another pending unrestricted free agent that would be worth bringing back.
3. Kekäläinen said Helenius earned his recent call-up based on what he did in Rochester. Helenius got the call over Isak Rosen, and this was a case of the Sabres turning to a player who would most help them win a game. Eventually, Norris will return to the lineup. Justin Danforth should be back at some point this season, too. When the lineup is fully healthy, Helenius could get squeezed out. But his three-point game against Nashville, which also included a pair of hits and a gutsy shot block, should inspire some confidence that Helenius can be counted on in big games down the stretch if needed.
“Konsta in the last two games he’s shown a lot of confidence in his game, doesn’t get overwhelmed by the stars around him or stars against him, he just plays the game the way it’s supposed to be played, and that’s great to see,” Kekäläinen said.