What we learned about the Buffalo Sabres at 2025 NHL Scouting Combine
For the second straight year, the idea of the Sabres trading their first-round pick should be on the table.
www.nytimes.com
Jarmo Kekäläinen isn’t ready to ease into retirement. The 58-year-old was recently hired as the Buffalo Sabres’ senior adviser, and part of what drew him to the team was the idea of taking an active role in assisting general manager Kevyn Adams. After more than a decade as the Blue Jackets’ general manager, Kekäläinen spent the last year and a half waiting for his next job.
“The role is important for me, because I didn’t want to be looked at as somebody who’s retiring or doesn’t want to do work,” Kekäläinen said on the Sabres’ official radio station Friday. “I want to be 100 percent in, 24/7, doing everything I can to help Kevyn and the Buffalo Sabres.”
Kekäläinen found the right job if he’s looking to roll up his sleeves and work. He’s now the most experienced voice in Buffalo’s front office. And with Adams entering his sixth season on the job, he has some pivotal decisions to make about key pieces on the Sabres’ roster. That’s why Buffalo has become a team to watch this offseason. JJ Peterka, Bowen Byram, Ryan McLeod and Jack Quinn are among the notable restricted free agents. Alex Tuch is eligible for a contract extension.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6396186/2025/06/02/buffalo-sabres-kevyn-adams-terry-pegula/
Adding to the intrigue is Kekäläinen, who developed a reputation for making bold trades and signings during his time as the Blue Jackets’ general manager. Maybe that aggressive nature will influence the Sabres’ front office this summer.
“It all depends on where the team’s at in its development and growth, and then when the window opens, I think you need to be aggressive because the window to win with a team is never open forever,” Kekäläinen said of his aggressive nature. “It’s that certain period of time, your core players’ prime, and that’s when you need to be aggressive to make sure you surround them with the right mix to win.”
Here are some other odds and ends from the NHL Scouting Combine.
1. For the second straight year, the idea of the Sabres trading their first-round pick should be on the table. With pressure to win now in Buffalo, a ready-made player is more valuable than making another draft pick. The tricky part is that the Sabres aren’t the only team thinking that way. The Blue Jackets, Canadiens and Canucks, who all have picks in the middle part of the first round, are in the same situation. Of course, the Sabres are picking higher, so their pick might hold more value. But the availability of so many first-round picks changes the supply and demand dynamic. Even Utah seems open to moving the No. 4 pick. There also aren’t a ton of teams that are truly committed to collecting draft picks and rebuilding. The one team that stands out is the Penguins, who already have the No. 11 pick in the draft. They would make sense as a trade partner for the Sabres. A veteran like Bryan Rust would be a perfect addition for Buffalo, and the Sabres have the picks and prospects that could interest the Penguins.
But without many suitors willing to part with a good enough player to warrant moving the pick, the Sabres may end up in a similar spot they were in last summer. The supply and demand equation doesn’t seem to be in their favor at the moment.
2. The Sabres were among the teams that met with Czech defenseman Radim Mrtka at the combine. A 6-foot-6 right-handed defenseman like Mrtka is always going to be in high demand in the NHL Draft. Mrtka, who played in the WHL this season, is not known as an overly physical or nasty defenseman, but he had an interesting explanation for that. He said that as one of the bigger players growing up, he took a lot of penalties for his rough style of play, so he tried to tone it down a bit. Now it’s an aspect of his game he’s trying to build up more as he moves up to higher levels. Given his size and playing strength, it’s reasonable to expect that Mrtka can develop into a physical, shutdown defenseman. He’s on Buffalo’s radar with the No. 9 pick, but there’s a chance he goes earlier than that.
3. Brady Martin feels like he might not last until the Sabres’ pick at No. 9. He had four different teams take him out to dinner this week: the Bruins, Flyers, Mammoth and Predators. Those teams are all picking from four to seven in the first round, so it’s becoming more difficult to imagine him being on the board when the Sabres are on the clock. Martin’s combination of physicality and goal-scoring touch makes him an attractive option for those teams picking high in the draft. He also showed off his big personality during interviews this week.
4. Roger McQueen, a 6-foot-5 center for the Brandon Wheat Kings, said the back injury that limited him to 17 games this season is behind him. McQueen said he was dealing with a fracture and then a muscle strain that developed as a result of that fracture. That shouldn’t carry the same long-term concerns that other back injuries might. If McQueen is on the board at 9, the Sabres might be in the position to take the risk on a top-10 talent in the draft.
5. The Sabres did meet with Alex Tuch’s reps at the combine this week. It’s still too early to say what will come of that, but that Tuch is open to negotiating is a start. He’s eligible to sign an extension on July 1 and has a ton of leverage coming off one of the best seasons of his career. We outlined his contract situation earlier this offseason.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6307312/2025/04/26/alex-tuch-contract-projection-salary/
6. We detailed the JJ Peterka situation over the weekend. He’s not someone the Sabres are eager to trade, but teams around the league keep calling. Bowen Byram is the other name to watch this summer. Also a restricted free agent, Byram is another player teams are asking about. The Sabres are still high on him, though. The difference between Byram and Peterka is that Byram is only two years away from unrestricted free agency. He might be reluctant to sign away some of his UFA years without a clear path to a bigger role in Buffalo. Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power eat up most of the top power-play minutes. The one path I see to a long-term solution is Byram playing alongside Dahlin. At times, that has been a dominant pair for the Sabres. But if Adams is looking to make a significant move to shake up this roster, moving Byram is one way to do that.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6409243/2025/06/07/sabres-jj-peterka-contract-trade/
7. Last year, the Sabres managed to trade down in the first round. That helped them land an extra second-round pick that they flipped for Beck Malenstyn. If the Sabres move back from the No. 9 pick, there are a few names I’ll be watching. One is Barrie Colts defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson, who met with the Sabres and has the mean streak they could use in their pipeline. He’s left-handed, but that shouldn’t hold the Sabres back. Among the forwards, Everett’s Carter Bear stands out due to his competitive and physical style of play. The Achilles laceration he dealt with this year is the only concern, but that risk wouldn’t be as significant in the middle of the first round. Later in the first round, Jack Nesbitt, who met with the Sabres, is another forward willing to play a hard-nosed game and make plays around the net. His blend of skill and physicality could make him a top-25 pick.
