Cryptic Twitter post sends Buffalo Sabres fans into a tizzy

Is change finally coming to the Buffalo Sabres?

WGR 550 radio host Jeremy White caused a stir Thursday morning when he posted a picture Vecna's grandfather clock from the hit Netflix show Stranger Things with the label "Sabres" on Twitter/X.

In Stranger Things, whenever Vecna's clock appears it usually means the end is near for the character being tormented by the show's villain.

White, who's previously broke team-related stories through what he termed a "super secret Sabres source," provided no further information about what his mysterious post was referencing.

Are the Buffalo Sabres about to move on from general manager Kevyn Adams, head coach Lindy Ruff or both?

There are a couple different directions the Sabres could go if they're looking to shake things up.

The most obvious one is firing Kevyn Adams, who's served as the franchise's GM since 2020, and promoting Jarmo Kekalainen to lead the front office. Kekalainen, who previously worked as the Columbus Blue Jackets' general manager, was hired as an advisor over the summer.

Kekalainen would likely be moved up the ladder on an interim basis before a potential full-scale rebuild of the front office in the offseason. Buffalo has been linked to former Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan for a potential new organizational vision.

Adams and Sabres owner Terry Pegula have a remarkably strong relationship, however, so it's possible he could be spared once again despite the continued on-ice failures.

Next on the list of possibilities is dismissing head coach Lindy Ruff, a move that would ideally included getting rid of the assistant coaches he inherited when he came back to Buffalo for his second stint behind the bench last year,

Ruff, who ranks fifth in NHL history with 912 coaching wins, simply hasn't been able to change the team's fortunes over the past season and a half.

Seth Appert, one of the club's assistants, would likely take over the coaching staff in this scenario, though his struggles leading the power play suggest he isn't a long-term solution.

Again, it's a situation where the Sabres could do a larger search after the campaign.

Finally, the other outcome White could be hinting toward is the start of another roster reconstruction, which may be necessary as Buffalo sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Forward Alex Tuch, an impending unrestricted free agent who hasn't been close to a contract extension with the Sabres, defenseman Bowen Byram and goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are among the top trade candidates if Adams (or Kekalainen) begins a fire sale.

Quite frankly, it could be a combination of the three. Adams and Ruff terminated followed by Kekalainen making at least one high-profile trade to signal a new direction.

One thing's for sure: Sabres fans are desperate to see a signal from Pegula that he's still invested in doing everything possible to turn the franchise's fortunes around.

The timetable is uncertain, but it's possible ownership will wait until the team returns from its current six-game road trip to make any significant changes.

Buffalo wraps up the journey with games against the Vancouver Canucks (Thursday night) and Seattle Kraken (Sunday night).