Lindy Ruff is the only NHL head coach entering the 2025-26 season with just one year left on his contract, but it doesn't sound like there's much urgency from Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams to get an extension done.
"Lindy and I have talked and are on the same page," Adams told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. "We are focused on winning games and that’s all right now."
LeBrun added Ruff's "history and stature in Buffalo make it a low-stress situation regardless of being on an expiring deal."
The 65-year-old coach, who ranks fifth in NHL history with 900 career wins, returned to Buffalo last year for his second stint leading the staff. He previously held the role from 1997 through 2013. He also played for the Sabres from 1979 until 1989.
Kevyn Adams and Lindy Ruff are likely facing a make-or-break season with the Buffalo Sabres
Sabres owner Terry Pegula has paid out a lot of dead money to fired coaches, both for his hockey team and the NFL's Buffalo Bills. That's probably why he's hesitant to give either Adams or Ruff an extension before the new season gets underway.
Buffalo took a step back for the second straight year in 2024-25. It finished with just 79 points, which was 12 shy of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.
Although there have been some optimistic predictions within the analytics community regarding the Sabres' outlook this season, both Pegula and the fanbase are likely in "prove it" mode to see whether the organization can finally turn a corner.
The franchise is riding a 14-year playoff drought, which is the longest mark in NHL history. It's turned a once proud team into a league-wide laughingstock.
Pegula has remained patient with Adams, who's entering his sixth year as general manager, with hope his draft-and-develop approach would eventually pay off. The return of an old-school coach like Ruff was also aimed at giving the team's young players a more traditional voice behind the bench.
So far, both Adams and Ruff have failed to deliver the desired results.
It likely creates a situation where the Sabres have to make the playoffs, or at least show significant progress while coming remarkably close to the postseason, in order to avoid a full-scale organizational overhaul, highlighted by the arrival of a new GM and head coach, next summer.
Buffalo sports fans wouldn't blame Ruff if the plan fails. His return was a long-shot dart throw with a touch of nostalgia, so it won't effect his legacy in Western New York if things don't work out. It probably would make his last time as an NHL head coach, though.
Meanwhile, Adams will take the brunt of the blame if the Sabres come up short this season. He's been given six years to turn things around, which is an eternity in the modern sports world, and there have been few concrete signs of legitimate progress.
Adams, Ruff and the Sabres will hope the narrative finally changes beginning Thursday night when they host their season opener at KeyBank Center against the New York Rangers.