Longtime NHL executive John Davidson, who currently serves as a senior advisor for the Buffalo Sabres, revealed the team's general manager, Jarmo Kekalainen, made his frustrations known after recent blowout losses to the Dallas Stars and Utah Mammoth.
Davidson appeared on the Sabres' MSG pregame show ahead of Tuesday night's shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens, and provided some behind-the-scenes details about Buffalo's sluggish start to the 2026-27 season.
"No, [Kekalainen] doesn't show emotions, but he gets angry. But it's usually very measured. An example, a little bit off the record, was the other night when we lost at home and we weren't very good. Prior to yesterday's game (a 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers), Jarmo was upset, which he should be — you don't wanna get into a funk too long at this time of the year — and had some meetings with everybody. And that's how it should be. You know what, bite it and tear it off right away, and get back at it. Don't let it fester. And Jarmo's good that way, but he's measured. He thinks his way through. He's a very bright guy."John Davidson on Jarmo Kekalainen
The Sabres are 3-3-1 through seven games, but the numbers tell an interesting story.
Buffalo is playing quite well in 5-on-5 situations, ranking sixth in the NHL in expected goal share at 55.9% (via Natural Stat Trick), and several individual players are off the strong starts, a group headlined by Tage Thompson and Owen Power.
Usually over the course of an 84-game schedule, being a high-end xGF% team at even strength is going to pay dividends and allow a club, even one that starts slow, to climb the standings.
Yet, the Blue and Gold are also dealing with a series of backbreaking issues.
They rank 29th in team save percentage (.850) as neither Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen nor Colten Ellis has played well while Alex Lyon recovers from injury, though UPL has showed some positive signs lately. They also rate 29th on the power play (11.1%) and 30th on the penalty kill (60.9%).
That combination of factors simply isn't going to work, no matter how well Buffalo plays during 5-on-5 action. Last season, it finished third in cumulative save percentage (.899) and fourth on the PK (81.9%) to help offset a lackluster PP (20th at 19.5%), which is a longstanding problem.
Questions were also raised about how the Sabres would replace the lost production of Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram, key contributors who logged big minutes on special teams last year before getting traded over the summer. So far, any criticism feels warranted.
Kekalainen made a significant bet on internal improvement from Buffalo's young players and, while it's far too soon to make any final judgments, the early returns are at least a tad concerning. The club doesn't yet resemble the one that made a run to the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Perhaps that will change in the coming weeks as players become more comfortable in their new roles, but it sounds like the veteran GM's patience may already be wearing thin.
Buffalo Sabres front office can't be afraid of an early move
The Sabres brass, led by Kekalainen and head coach Lindy Ruff, expressed a lot of optimism ahead of training camp about players stepping up to fill the voids left by Tuch and Byram. It's unlikely they're going to suddenly wave the white flag on those plans.
That said, their stance may have to change if the team doesn't start turning a corner soon.
The Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division are too strong to sit around waiting for club-wide improvement that isn't guaranteed to arrive. Buffalo certainly can't expect to once again go on one of the best runs in NHL history to catapult up the standings, as it did last year.
Kekalainen and Co. will need to make an honest assessment before much longer, probably sometime within the next month, about whether the current roster is good enough to keep pace in the East. If not, it'll be time to make a move.
The most obvious idea is moving forward with a blockbuster deal for Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who's been suspended since opting not to report for training camp after his trade request.
Yes, Hellebuyck is 33 and coming off the worst campaign of his standout career, but his Hall of Fame track record suggests he's a better choice between the pipes than UPL, Lyon or Ellis.
That's not the only option on the table, though. There are still some high-profile names on the free-agent market, including some battle-tested forwards capable of providing a boost to the power play.
The Sabres entered the season with an overcrowded depth chart up front but, if the team's goal-scoring rates remain below expected levels, a shake up may become necessary.
Ultimately, if Buffalo's front office has to give up some valued assets, such as prized prospect Radim Mrtka or its first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft, in order to make sure the franchise remains on the best short-term path, it'll be a necessary evil.
Making the playoffs this season is important to keep the train chugging in the right direction after finally ending ta 14-year postseason drought in the spring.
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