The Buffalo Sabres have been the subject of plenty of speculation, nary a week into the season. The club’s 0-3 start has fans and the media pushing the panic button, and with good reason.
An atrocious start could doom the Sabres, leading them to a 15th straight playoff miss. But the problem isn’t missing the playoffs as such. The problem lies in the apparent dysfunction afflicting the team.
But as one renowned insider noted, the Sabres are running out of "runway" to get things right this season. Specifically, we’re talking about GM Kevyn Adams and coach Lindy Ruff.
The insider in question is Elliotte Friedman. In Monday’s edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, he ventured out to state the following regarding the Sabres' ongoing debacle:
"It gets into dangerous territory here for the Sabres quickly. We basically know that two of their franchise players, (Rasmus) Dahlin and (Tage) Thompson, have indicated that it has to get better this year—we need to see improvement, we need something to believe in. That's why I think the Sabres don't have a long runway for this. We haven't even played hockey yet for seven days, but suddenly this feels like a very big week for the Buffalo Sabres... It really is a short runway."
Tage Thompson has already vented his frustration. Captain Rasmus Dahlin is along the same lines. So, you have to wonder, at what point does the Sabres’ ownership give up and push the nuclear button?
It doesn’t seem like it’s a question of nuking the players. It seems like it’s a matter of nuking the front office that doesn’t seem to have an inkling of where the team is going.
Sabres have heir apparent already in place
The Sabres made a proactive move this summer by hiring former Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen as a senior adviser. These adviser roles vary greatly depending on what an organization wants to get from such executives.
At times, these advisers offer support to struggling GMs. Other times, they focus on specific issues like scouting, contracts, and so on.
But in this case, it seems that the Sabres pre-emptively hired Kevyn Adams’ replacement. Kekalainen is experienced and could step into the role immediately. It doesn’t seem like he could miss a step, especially since he’s had several months to acclimate to the Sabres’ organization.
If that’s the case, the question remains: When do the Sabres push the button? When do fans see the missiles go into the air and rain down on the club? The effort clearly hasn’t been on the ice. The team looks bereft of direction.
So, does ownership wait five games? Ten? Or more?
Perhaps the Sabres turn things around in the next couple of weeks. But as it stands, there isn’t much runway left for Adams, Ruff, and the rest of the team.