Jarmo Kekalainen sets unbelievable goal for Sabres this season
The Buffalo Sabres are off to a solid start this season, but now, new General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen has set an incredibly lofty goal for the rest of the year.
For the past 14 years, the Buffalo Sabres have struggled to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, becoming the laughing stock of the National Hockey League in that time as a result, with the team letting go of many players that go on to play starring roles on great teams.
In recent years, they've flashed much more potential behind their young core, but with a lack of results, the team recently decided it was time to move on from General Manager Kevyn Adams.
New Sabres GM predicts massive turnaround
In his place, the Sabres turned to Jarmo Kekalainen, who was most recently the GM of the Columbus Blue Jackets between 2013 and 2024, with the Sabres bringing him aboard earlier this season.
Now, after the change, he's promised big things in Buffalo, including setting a massive goal for the 2025/26 season, stating his belief that the team can make the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season.
I firmly believe we can make the playoffs this year. - Jarmo Kekalainen.
While they're not off to a terrible start, the Sabres hold a 14-14-4 record this season, and while they're just six points out of the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, they currently sit in 15th place out of 16 teams.
With the likes of Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin and Alex Tuch leading the way, anything is possible, but given how many good teams there are in the East, if Kekalainen genuinely believes they can be a post-season team, they'll need to start turning things around quickly.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 17|231 ANSWERS Jarmo Kekalainen sets unbelievable goal for Sabres this season Can the Sabres be a playoff team this season? | ||
| Yes | 62 | 26.8 % |
| No | 169 | 73.2 % |
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