The Buffalo Sabres’ decision to fire general manager Kevyn Adams when they did will go down as the most significant turning point this season.
That decision looks even better after the Toronto Maple Leafs fired Brad Treliving on Monday night. The Leafs’ debacle of a season left the organization with little choice but to fire their GM. But as the narrative has drilled down on the fact that Toronto waited far too long to make the move.
That’s something the Sabres avoided entirely. Instead of scrambling to figure something out, the organization took proactive steps to prepare for a major move. Over the summer, the organization brought in Jarmo Kekalainen as a special advisor. Right there, the writing was on the wall for Adams. With the Sabres getting off to a rocky start, the organization did not wait. It pulled the trigger, and, well, the results were almost instantaneous.
Had the Sabres waited even a couple of weeks longer to make the change in the GM chair, the season could have gotten out of hand. While the outcome could have still been positive, the runway would have been significantly shorter. And there would have been little room for the turnaround that the team had.
But beyond the evident success in firing Adams at the right time, the Sabres did two things that the Leafs failed to do.
Sabres did exactly the opposite of what Maple Leafs are doing
The Sabres made two critical moves that set the stage for their season's success. First, bringing in Kekalainen ahead of time and allowing him time to become acclimated to the organization allowed for a smooth transition. That’s why the club named him as the permanent GM right off the bat.
There were no interviews. There was no search. Kekalainen was the guy from the get-go. But the organization was kind enough to give Adams one last shot. Had Adams managed to turn things around, he would have still been the GM.
That didn’t happen, and, well, Kekalainen came in ready to execute his plan.
That brings us to the second success by the Sabres. Kekalainen did exactly nothing at first. He gave his players the time to settle down and show what they could do. Instead of cleaning house, Kekalainen wasn’t reactionary. He allowed his organization to build confidence moving forward.
That was the biggest move of all.
In the end, Kekalainen added complementary pieces at the trade deadline. Simple, effective, and it was the right approach.
Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs, like many other teams, succumb to the pressure of making moves for the sake of it. Eventually, the chickens come home to roost. That time is now in Toronto.
As for the Sabres, the chicken came to roost far sooner. That’s why Buffalo fans are getting the opportunity to see their team not just make the postseason, but also enter the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs as a serious contender.