Buffalo Sabres Fire GM Kevyn Adams After 5 Years
After five seasons of spinning tires, excuses, and a playoff drought, the Buffalo Sabres have finally parted ways with general manager Kevyn Adams. It wasn’t a matter of if, but when. The Sabres are currently tied for last in the Eastern Conference, staring down the barrel of a 15th consecutive season without a postseason appearance.
Why The Sabres Moved On From Kevyn Adams
It’s tragic, in a way. Adams is a Buffalo guy. He was a journeyman center who grinded out an NHL career, the exact type of personality this blue-collar city usually worships. But nostalgia doesn’t put pucks in the net, and it certainly doesn’t fix a broken culture.Kevyn Adams’s tenure will likely be remembered for two things: dismantling the Jack Eichel era and an ill-advised comment about horticulture.
When Adams infamously complained about the difficulty of attracting talent to Western New York, saying, “We don’t have palm trees. We have taxes,” he signed his own warrant with the fanbase. It came off as whining. It sounded like a surrender. Fans responded by bringing inflatable palm trees to the KeyBank Center to mock him.
Adams oversaw massive trades sending Sam Reinhart to Florida and Eichel to Vegas that resulted in Stanley Cups for those players in their new homes. At the same time, Buffalo remained stuck in the basement. That stings. It’s one thing to rebuild. It’s another to act as a farm system for the rest of the league’s contenders.
Jarmo Kekalainen Steps Into The Fire
So, who is the brave soul volunteering to inherit this mess? Enter Jarmo Kekalainen. The Sabres didn’t have to look far. Kekalainen was already in the building, hired back in May as a senior advisor. It’s the classic “interim-to-permanent” pipeline, but this time with a guy who actually has a heavy resume.
Kekalainen spent over a decade running the Columbus Blue Jackets. He’s the first European-born GM in NHL history, but more importantly, he knows how to build in a market that isn’t New York or Los Angeles. He managed to lure stars like Johnny Gaudreau and Artemi Panarin to Ohio. If you can sell Columbus, you can sell Buffalo.
Can the Pegula era finally find stability?
Let’s be real for a second. The firing of Kevyn Adams is just the latest spin on the carousel. Kekalainen becomes the fifth general manager since the Pegula family bought the franchise in 2011. That level of turnover suggests the rot might go deeper than just the GM’s office. The problem with this team is the horrendous owners, who are way too hands-on. Why can’t they treat this team like the Bills and allow the experts to do their jobs?
The atmosphere at KeyBank Center had turned toxic. “Fire Adams” chants weren’t just an occasional outburst; they were becoming the soundtrack of home games. The apathy was setting in, which is far more dangerous for an owner than anger. Anger means they still care. Apathy means they’ve stopped buying jerseys.
What Happens Next For The Roster?
Kekalainen has a massive to-do list, and he’d better have a large pot of coffee brewing. He has to decide what to do with Alex Tuch, a pending unrestricted free agent and another local guy. Contract talks stalled under Adams. Does Kekalainen trade him for assets, or try to convince him that things will actually be different this time?
Kevyn Adams tried to build through patience and “good vibes.” It failed. Now, the Sabres turn to an experienced hand who isn’t afraid to make bold moves. It might work. It might not. But for the first time in a long time, the excuse of “we’re learning” is gone.
