Jarmo Kekäläinen Takes Over in Buffalo ft. Greg Wyshynski & Steve Werier | The Sheet with Jeff Marek
On today’s episode of The Sheet with Jeff Marek & Greg Wyshynski, we break down a massive day across the NHL — starting with Jarmo Kekäläinen’s first press conference as the new Buffalo Sabres GM. Jeff and Greg decode every message between the lines: what it means for Lindy Ruff, who might coach next, how Buffalo handles the three-goalie logjam, and where things stand with Alex Tuch, Owen Power, Jack Quinn, and Devon Levi.
We also unpack the fallout of the stunning Quinn Hughes trade, the Canucks’ internal missteps, Minnesota’s bold swing, and how this reshapes the Western Conference. Then former Florida Panthers AGM Steve Werier joins to give a real front-office perspective on the Sabres, the Wild’s bet on Hughes, and why major trades are becoming more common as cap space opens league-wide.
Drop your thoughts in the comments — who won the Hughes trade, and what should Buffalo do next?
Chapters:
00:00 – Opening: Jeff & Greg dive straight into Jarmo’s arrival
00:48 – Kevin Adams out, Jarmo Kekäläinen in: decoding the presser
02:07 – Finnish impressions, Olympics stories, “media guitars”
03:37 – Why Jarmo’s boldness matters for Buffalo
05:11 – Veteran GM vs. first-time GM dynamics
06:08 – “Who has the hammer?” — Jarmo’s negotiation philosophy
07:01 – Ownership, autonomy & the Pegula factor
08:03 – Market pressure and Buffalo’s exploding fanbase
09:10 – Quinn Hughes trade conversation fallout
10:19 – Show rundown + Quinn Hughes package overview
11:02 – Steve Werier set to join
11:24 – Finnish slang, Ruutu stories, Barkov scouting
12:06 – Revisiting Dubois over Puljujärvi
13:32 – Massive potential Rangers/Oilers draft fallout
14:29 – Jarmo’s history of big swings (Panarin, Jones, Duchene)
15:19 – First press-conference clip: Lindy Ruff’s status
16:25 – Will Lindy be fired?
17:57 – “Sooner than later” changes coming
18:53 – Lindy’s future in management?
20:06 – How Buffalo balances coaching + long-term vision
22:04 – Jarmo’s “character & work ethic” line — and what it really means
23:00 – John Tortorella speculation
24:11 – How Buffalo views internal urgency
25:23 – The goaltending clip: Lyon, Levi, Luukkonen, Ellis
28:06 – Who becomes the odd man out in net?
29:39 – The Devin Levi problem
32:15 – Alex Tuch contract stakes & comparables
34:06 – Why “I want to be in Buffalo” players matter
34:21 – Steve Werier joins the show
35:10 – How an incoming GM triages a franchise
36:57 – Is Jarmo the right hire?
37:43 – Why big trades are easier in a rising-cap era
40:55 – Vancouver mismanaging the Hughes situation
42:59 – Why losing Quinn Hughes is an organizational failure
45:19 – The Devils’ no-trade/no-move reality
47:18 – Minnesota’s boldness & why the risk is actually low
48:51 – Will more blockbuster trades happen this year?
49:50 – Why Detroit (and others) may be next to swing big
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13 Comments
Sabres new GM didn’t do very well when he was running the CBJ
Hiring Jarmo and his coach and then making and then putting Ruff in above him would be a vintage Pegula move
Whatever interests the boss, fascinates the hell out of me. 😂
The 12 Buffalo Sabre fans should be happy.
You really should think. Of. Anything. Rude AF. Such a fun fuck senile trying to crasp any kind of merge. Retire nhl and try stand up comedy. Rude!
First time watching, Greg seems like a douche
Its amazing the number of takes that are just commonly known in Buffalo that you guys are miles away from.
Alex Lyon has been the only reliable goalie on the Sabres. Not to mention the calming veteran presence he brings.
Plus moving out that UPL contract would go a long way to ease the cap if they are going to extend Tuch, Doan, Benson, Kesselring, and Malenstyn.
I like the promotion.
You guys are wrong on two fronts. First, no way the goalie they choose to move on from is Lyon. He has been a stabilizing force, and his veteran leadership is something they want and need more of, not less. 2nd – Marek always brings up Levi and how he feels so terrible for him bc they rushed him & now bc he is stuck in Rochester. But of course he fails each time to mention that Levi and his agent essentially strong-armed the Sabres into burning that first year of his ELC right out of college, and to be given an opportunity the first full season to play in the NHL, or he simply wouldn't sign his ELC and would become a free agent that summer. Given that he was a big part of the Reinhart deal, there was no way Adams could allow him walk, especially after winning back to back Richter awards in NCAA. The Sabres had to convince him that playing full time in the AHL and working on his development was actually the best path for him long-term. He has absolutely crushed it in Rochester the last 2 seasons, and is in his 3rd full season now with the Americans, once again playing well. So maybe try to include some context. And which is it? Because you praise other teams and other goalies for playing 3 seasons in the AHL, but with Levi, it's "I feel so bad for him" and "what are they doing with him? it's like he's being forgotten about" when he is only in his 3rd (and likely final) season in the AHL.
2 thoughts if new coach first Rob Ray sabres royalty grit work ethic holds players accountable choice 2 Peter DeBoer im still shocked he lost his job
Just listen to Barkov, Rantanen and Heiskanen for example to get a sense of how Finnish sounds. It’s fairly monotone. That Jarmo expression couldn’t be further from the truth lol
Holy shit, Zack! You won one! 😮😅
Nicely done! 😊