The Buffalo Sabres were a serious player in the Quinn Hughes sweepstakes before the Vancouver Canucks traded the All-Star defenseman to the Minnesota Wild.
ESPN's Rachel Kryshak and Greg Wyshynski reported Tuesday the Sabres proposed a package to Vancouver that included two core pieces.
"Forward Zach Benson is a player the Canucks have coveted since they passed on him in favor of defenseman Tom Willander in the 2023 draft," Kryshak and Wyshynski wrote. "Benson and defenseman Bowen Byram would have been the primary pieces in any deal that saw Hughes end up in Buffalo."
Vancouver instead received center Marco Rossi, winger Liam Ohgren, defenseman Zeev Buium and a 2026 NHL Draft first-round pick from Minnesota for the 2024 Norris Trophy winner.
Just three days after that blockbuster deal was completed, Buffalo fired general manager Kevyn Adams and promoted senior advisor Jarmo Kekalainen to lead the front office as the new GM.
Jarmo Kekalainen denied knowledge of the Quinn Hughes trade talks, faces difficult Buffalo Sabres roster reconstruction
Interestingly, after rumors emerged about the Sabres' interest in Hughes, Kekalainen was asked during his introductory press conference whether he was involved in those discussions.
"No," Kekalainen told reporters, saying he wasn't privy to any negotiations and had recently returned to Finland to handle family matters following the death of his father, Kari.
It's curious Sabres owner Terry Pegula would allow Adams to handle such crucial trade talks while also being the advanced stages of making the decision to dismiss the sixth-year general manager.
In the end, it didn't matter as the Canucks received a remarkably strong offer from the Wild.
Sabres fans wouldn't have minded the departure of Byram, who's once again underperformed this season, but Benson is a fan favorite and the club would have sorely missed his tenacity. Few players are off the table when a player of Hughes' caliber is available, though.
Looking ahead, Kekalainen faces the arduous task of trying to figure out which players to keep as part of Buffalo's core and which ones may not fit his vision but could still have trade value.
The former Columbus Blue Jackets GM showed during his time in that role he's not afraid to make high-profile moves, especially if he feels the team as a whole has more to give. His answers during Tuesday's press conference suggest he has a similar vibe about the Sabres right now.
It wouldn't come as a surprise if Kekalainen made a move in the near future to set a new tone. He repeatedly discussed compete and effort levels on Tuesday, so moving a player who perhaps hasn't met his standard in that regard since joining the franchise in May could be in the cards.
If he's seeking a bigger deal, the Blue and Gold are closing in on decision time with Alex Tuch, an impending unrestricted free agent. The hardworking two-way winger would have plenty of potential suitors if Buffalo made him available.
One way or another, Kekalainen will likely be eager to prove he's different than the timid Adams, who never showed the aggressiveness necessary to help the struggling franchise turn things around.
The Hughes trade could serve as a spark to NHL trade market, giving the Sabres' new front office leader an opportunity to make an instant impact.