theathleticuk
BUFFALO, N.Y.
Jarmo Kekalainen has been a busy man.
Heres what the Buffalo Sabres general manager has done in the last week: Traded defenseman Michael Kesselring and the No.
27 pick in the draft to the San Jose Sharks for pick No.
20 Traded defenseman Bowen Byram and winger Jordan Greenway to the Chicago Blackhawks for the No.
4 pick, the No.
45 pick and defenseman Louis Crevier Pulled off a sign-and-trade, sending Alex Tuch to the Washington Capitals for a third-round pick and David Kampfs signing rights Signed 21-year-old winger Zach Benson to a seven-year contract extension worth $7.5 million per year Advertisement The last three items on that list came in a span of 24 hours.
Lets unpack what the Sabres have done.
1.
Kekalainen said Wednesday that Byram wasnt even willing to negotiate a new contract despite repeated efforts during the season and after the season.
He didnt want to negotiate; he wasnt gonna sign with us, Kekalainen said.
So, that didnt leave us an option to do anything else with this.
When Byram hired Darren Ferris as his agent last summer, this became a predictable outcome.
Kekalainen confirmed that Byram wants to be a No.
1 defenseman, and hes going to get that chance in Chicago.
He is also going to make a ton of money.
I wouldnt be shocked if his next contract pushed $12 million in average annual value.
Kekalainen did well to get the value he did for a player who was completely unwilling to sign.
2.
Tuch was also clearly searching for the biggest possible payday, and he got it, signing an eight-year, $84 million deal, which includes more than $50 million in signing bonus, before being dealt to the Capitals.
The Sabres got decent value back by getting a third-round pick in 2027 and Kampfs signing rights.
Tuch was underpaid for years in Buffalo, but the Sabres werent going to get to a $10 million average annual value for him.
3.
When speaking with reporters Wednesday, Kekalainen sounded more than willing to trade the No.
4 pick.
He said hes gathering information from teams that call and will weigh if he can get the right value to move the pick.
There are big names on Chris Johnstons latest trade board.
Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson would be worth putting No.
4 in play if he would agree to an extension.
St.
Louis Blues center Robert Thomas would be, too.
Im not sure Matthew Knies or Connor Hellebuyck is worth a package centered on the No.
4 pick unless theres some value coming back the other way.
The Sabres also have plenty of capital to make a compelling offer for Dylan Larkin if hes willing to play in Buffalo.
Kekalainens phone is going to be lighting up over the next few days.
Advertisement 4.
The New York Rangers still look like an interesting prospective trade partner for the Sabres.
Veteran center Vincent Trocheck would help the Sabres offset the loss of Tuchs leadership and penalty killing at roughly half the cost.
But New York also has restricted free-agent defenseman Braden Schneider.
It was interesting that Kekalainen pointed to the internal options to replace Tuch but said the team is actively trying to replace Byram.
Schneider could be a No.
4 defenseman for the Sabres.
5.
Kekalainen said he continues to have conversations with Beck Malenstyns camp about a new contract and is hopeful he can keep the fourth-line winger around.
I still think his value will come in just under $3 million per year, but the free-agent market could get weird with teams having so much money to spend.
Buffalo adding Kampf is an interesting insurance option depending on how things shake out with Malenstyn and Peyton Krebs, who is a restricted free agent.
6.
The Sabres getting Benson signed to a seven-year deal with an average annual value under $8 million is a win.
That contract should age well as Bensons production catches up to the rest of his game and the NHL salary cap rises.
And Benson gets to be an unrestricted free agent at age 28.
7.
The No.
4 pick is the biggest asset coming the Sabres way in the trade with the Blackhawks.
But Crevier, 25, is more than just a throw-in with this deal.
The Sabres traded away Kesselring last week and will likely lose Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn to free agency.
So they needed some depth, and Crevier is a legitimate NHL defenseman.
I think he has a lot of upside, Kekalainen said.
Hes 6 foot 8, right-handed defenseman.
He had 25 points last year, played 17 minutes the last two years in the league.
He can cover a lot of space with his length and reach.
Hes come a long way.
Actually, I love his story.
Hes a seventh-round pick, and hes made himself into an NHL player, which talks about his character and drive.
Advertisement At 6-8 and 230 pounds, Crevier is physically imposing.
We know Kekalainen values size in his defensemen as we saw with the Stanley acquisition at the deadline.
And Crevier uses that size as well.
He led Blackhawks defensemen with 124 hits last season and was second with 98 blocked shots.
He also fought once, so theres a willingness to defend teammates.
Crevier ended up in an elevated role with the Blackhawks in 2025-26.
He was third among Blackhawks defensemen in ice time and had a breakout season with seven goals and 18 assists.
He has a stay-at-home-defenseman quality to his game, but he also has a lot of physical tools that give him a high ceiling.
He has one of the five hardest shots in the NHL.
And according to NHL edge tracking data, Crevier is in the 97th percentile in average skating speed and the 94th percentile in top skating speed.
Its almost hard to believe the Sabres were able to get a defenseman with this type of potential on top of the draft capital they got in this deal.
At best, Crevier could become a No.
4 defenseman for the Sabres.
But it seems he at least should be a solid third-pairing player for Buffalo.
He also has one year left on a contract that pays him $900,000.
Thats a nice cap savings for the Sabres, who need every dollar this summer.
The Sabres already have some dynamic, puck-moving defensemen.
Adding a player such as Crevier balances the skillsets a bit.
He got the tough matchups for the Blackhawks last season and seems to embrace playing a stay-at-home defensive role.
That will blend well with what the Sabres have on the back end.
8.
Maybe it was a smoke screen, but Kekalainen voiced support for Buffalos goalies Wednesday, saying the position is often overscrutinized.
Given how honest Kekalainen was Wednesday on other topics, I tend to believe him when he says hes comfortable with the three goalies on the roster.
That doesnt mean he wont upgrade if possible, but hes not desperate to do so.
9.
Kekalainen said hes been told by a few agents that the Sabres have come off some no-trade lists.
I think we can be a destination, he said.
Everybody saw the passion in this hockey market last spring and in the playoffs and it was incredible.
People have taken notice of that, and they also see that we have a really good team.
So, winning helps, I always say that.
10.
The Sabres now have $13.8 million in cap space with 13 forwards, six defensemen and three goalies under contract, according to PuckPedia.
Thats more than enough room to add to the roster in a meaningful way.
But the Sabres will need to move out some players to make room, especially at forward.