It's been a wildly eventful first calendar year as GM of the Buffalo Sabres for Jarmo Kekalainen.
His official one-year mark hits in December, but there's already been plenty to reflect on for the franchise during his time in the front office.
There's the team's historic regular-season run that broke a 14-year playoff drought while capturing its first divisional title in 16 years. Then there were massive off-season changes headlined by Alex Tuch's decision to leave for Washington, Bowen Byram being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, and Daxon Rudolph being drafted with the fourth-overall pick.
That's a lot to unpack, but how should Kekalainen's tenure be evaluated with his one-year anniversary approaching?
From this writer's perspective, Kekalainen deserves a'B-' grade for his first year. As we'll explore below, he hasn't knocked it out of the park – and there are some clear'what-if' elements to his tenure – but there's no question he has made some smart moves as well.
WHAT HAS GONE WELL FOR KEKALAINEN
The first and best move Kekalainen has made was converting Byram into the fourth-overall pick at the 2026 NHL draft. Byram's financial aspirations as he entered the final season of his contract this year had effectively priced him out of Buffalo's budget, and rather than hang on and trade him at this season's trade deadline, Kekalainen was proactive.
As for early impressions, Rudolph looks like he could end up being a cornerstone piece of the puzzle down the road, while Byram has struggled mightily with the Blackhawks. Rudolph is spending this season in the NCAA with the University of Denver, where he's posted two goals and seven points in six games as a freshman.
Similarly, trading for defenseman Olen Zellweger from the Anaheim Ducks is a win for Kekalainen, who had to give up only a second-round pick and youngster Anton Wahlberg. With six points in 12 games, Zellweger is well on his way to setting new career highs in every key offensive category, and he’s in Year 1 of a terrific team-friendly contract.