Three years ago, the Buffalo Sabres entered the stretch run of the 2022-23 NHL season with a golden opportunity to end their longstanding playoff drought. General manager Kevyn Adams opted to keep the focus on the future and they missed the postseason by one point.
It's a lesson to remember for Jarmo Kekalainen, who inherited the Sabres front office from Adams in December, as he works the phones ahead of Friday's NHL trade deadline. There are no guarantees. The time to focus solely on winning is now.
Adams was convinced Buffalo was on a clear upward trajectory. He wasn't going to sacrifice a single piece of the bright future he was painting in his head to boost the club's short-term playoff chances, which is why the only notable move was an overpay for Jordan Greenway.
"Now, what we're building towards, and you've heard me talk a lot about this, is setting this franchise up for sustainable success," Adams told reporters at the time. "And ultimately, when we get in the playoffs, whether that's this year, or in the coming years, a player like [Greenway] … they become valuable."
Of course, progress isn't always linear. Instead of maintaining their rise, the Sabres' point total decreased the following two seasons and, when combined with their sluggish start to the current campaign, the failed turnaround ultimately cost Adams his job.
Greenway isn't a valuable resource, either. He's an overpaid, injury-prone veteran who's now taking up key salary-cap space as Buffalo faces an impending financial crunch in the summer.
What's the main takeaway for Kekalainen? Don't be afraid to make a trade today because you're worried about the possible implications in 2028 or 2029. Things don't always go according to plan.
The Sabres have proven their an emerging threat in the Eastern Conference. They're capable of making a deep postseason run. Not in the future. Now.
A few deadline additions — ideally, an offensive-minded top-six forward and defensive depth — would bring some much-needed insurance to a team that hasn't been able to shake the injury bug since training camp. There's too much risk involved with standing pat and hoping the injuries end.
All told, Adams was always too focused on a future that never arrived, at least until he was no longer employed by the Sabres. Kekalainen must prove he's different over the next few days.
Columbus Blue Jackets' 2019 NHL trade deadline may shed light on Buffalo Sabres' 2026 approach
Kekalainen was serving as Blue Jackets GM in 2019 when he faced a crossroads. Columbus had two high-profile impending unrestricted free agents, Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, and the club wasn't a playoff lock. It ultimately secured the final spot in the East by just two points.
Yet, Kekalainen decided not to sell. He retained Panarin and Bobrovsky, who both departed in free agency the subsequent summer, and he added a handful of players before the deadline, including Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Adam McQuaid and Keith Kinkaid.
The result? The Jackets stunned the top-seeded Tampa Bay Lightning with an opening-round sweep for the first playoff series win in franchise history.
Now Kekalainen stares at a situation where one of his most valuable players, Alex Tuch, is set to become a UFA in the offseason.
Buffalo could trade Tuch to a Stanley Cup contender, likely for picks and prospects, and continue to focus on the future. It'd be the best decision through the lens of long-term asset management.
That's not what the Sabres need right now, though. They need a general manager who's going to do what Kekalainen did in Columbus seven years ago. Keep Tuch, add some players built to win playoff hockey games and do everything possible seriously contend with the NHL elite.
Next season's success is far from a fait accompli. The Blue and Gold will need to make some difficult decisions, starting with either letting Tuch walk or moving other pieces to create space for his desired salary, and that'll cause a trickle-down effect.
So, Kekalainen can't let this opportunity slip away. The Sabres are second in the Atlantic Division and have a 96% chance to make the postseason, per HockeyStats.com. Make a few moves to finalize that playoff berth and maximize the team's chances of making a serious run.
It's time to show Adams' modus operandi of always waiting for the future is no longer the standard operating procedure of the Buffalo front office.