How an 'intimidating' Jarmo Kekalainen changed the Buffalo Sabres

Jarmo Kekalainen has yet to make his first major roster move since taking over as Buffalo Sabres general manager from Kevyn Adams, so how much credit could he possibly deserve for the team's remarkable surge up the NHL standings?

A lot.

The Sabres desperately needed to hear a new message. Adams, who was in his sixth season leading the front office, had become a master of excuses and deferred responsibility. Injuries, puck luck, palm trees, taxes, you name it. It was time for a change.

Kekalainen, who previously spent 12 years as the Columbus Blue Jackets' GM (2013-24), brought a completely different tone to Buffalo. One that began with laying out the importance of compete level and ensuring there will be accountability throughout the organization.

Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic recently reported Adams "wasn't inspiring confidence in the locker room" prior to his dismissal.

"In contrast, Kekalainen's presence has infused the organization with some badly needed credibility," Fairburn wrote. "Players can feel when he's in the room. He's blunt and direct. He can be a bit intimidating, some players have said. But his message has resonated in the locker room. Anyone can relate to how much a new boss can change the dynamic of workplace culture."

Sabres winger Alex Tuch agreed with that assessment of the culture change.

"He comes in with a lot of experience, and when big changes like that happen, it can be a wake-up call for the group for sure," Tuch told The Athletic. "But the thing that he pushed was work ethic and character. Those are a couple of things he harped on, especially that first meeting we had. That's something I took away from it, and something I think the whole group is really trying to push."

That's not to say Adams doesn't deserve some credit for building a roster that's found success since his departure, but the recent talk about potentially giving him votes for the NHL's Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award is a bit ridiculous.

Quite simply, there's no guarantee the Sabres would have enjoyed such a sustained run of success if not for the GM change. Sometimes things go beyond mere coincidence, and this feels like one of those instances since Kekalainen delivered substance that clearly resonated with the players.

Now the Buffalo has to maintain that upward trajectory with the NHL's break for the 2026 Winter Olympics looming, which threatens to halt the club's momentum.

Meanwhile, let's analyze the latest piece of our Sabres player grades series after the Blue and Gold saw their five-game winning streak end against the Montreal Canadiens.

Buffalo Sabres falter in high-pressure Jan. 31 loss to the Atlantic Division rival Montreal Canadiens

Sabres player grades

Buffalo Player of the Game: Owen Power

Power started the season playing some of the worst hockey of his career. The defenseman has turned it around significantly over the past couple months, but points have remained elusive. He's recorded just one goal and one assist over the last 12 games.

That goal came in the loss to the Habs, a wrister through traffic while the Sabres were operating at 6-on-5 because of a delayed penalty. The 6-foot-6 blueliner set up shop in the slot and kept his feet moving until he created just enough space to accept a pass and release the shot.

It was a perfect example of what Buffalo needs more of on the power play: movement. Far too often the team's play with the man advantage is stagnant. That must change if that key aspect of the game is going to improve during the stretch run of the regular season.

Meanwhile, the Sabres will hope Power's goal will spark an offensive resurgence for the defender, who finished with 40 points (seven goals and 33 assists) in 2024-25. He's on pace for just 24 points this season.

Sabres quick hits

• Noah Ostlund scored Buffalo's other goal and continues to show why it was laughable that one of Adams' final moves in charge was sending the forward to the minors to create a roster spot.

• Josh Doan's point production has dipped since the Sabres moved him off the top line, but his on-ice impacts remain solid and his work rate on the forecheck remains elite.

• The Blue and Gold can take solace in the fact they didn't play poorly in the loss. Montreal goalie Jakub Dobes (36 saves on 38 shots) stole the game for the Canadiens.

• Buffalo needs to shake up its fourth line, which is probably why Isak Rosen was recalled from the AHL's Rochester Americans. Tyson Kozak has struggled since his return from injury.

• The Sabres (31-18-5) will look to bounce back from the loss Monday night (7 p.m. ET) when they visit Amerant Bank Arena to take on the Florida Panthers (28-23-3) in another critical game in the Eastern Conference playoff race.