Latest news with #JarmoKekalainen
New York Times
10-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Could Blue Jackets pursue Mitch Marner via free agency? They've tried before
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Summer 2019 was a bittersweet time for the Columbus Blue Jackets. They'd just swept the Presidents' Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs — one of the greatest upsets in NHL history — to earn the first series win in franchise history. But the Blue Jackets' two star players, forward Artemi Panarin and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, were poised to leave as free agents. Advertisement The Jackets, under then-general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen, were desperate to show the world there could be life after Bread and Bob, but they would need some high-level reinforcements to make that happen. And they did, in fact, go big-game hunting that summer. To this day, it's hard to say how serious the talks were between the Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs star forward Mitch Marner, then a 22-year-old restricted free agent. But as The Athletic reported back then, Kekäläinen and Darren Ferris, Marner's agent, at least discussed the possibility of signing Marner to an offer sheet. Marner ultimately stayed with the Maple Leafs, signing a six-year, $65.4 million contract during which he cemented his status as one of the NHL's top talents. That contract expires July 1, and Marner is set to hit the market, this time as an unrestricted free agent. The Blue Jackets, now with Don Waddell in the GM's chair, are expected to pursue Marner again, but they'll have plenty of competition. Several clubs suddenly have money to spend after the NHL's salary cap increased for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. Waddell has said since he arrived last summer that the Blue Jackets' 'rebuild' is finished and they're now in the business of winning. Though many saw last season as a success — the Jackets were the last club to be eliminated from playoff contention — the club's management, coaches and players were deeply aggravated. And though Waddell's biggest task is cleaning up the club's mix-and-match defensive corps and questionable goaltending, Columbus could use help on its top two scoring lines, too. You make room for a player like Marner, who has three 90-point seasons and a 100-point season in his nine-year career. For context: No Blue Jackets player has ever scored more than 87 points in a season. Let's get the difficult part out of the way first — why would Marner, with half of the league making pitches, choose Columbus? Let us count the ways, in no particular order: For the last nine years, Marner has lived in the fishbowl of Toronto and — fairly or unfairly — he's become the face of the Maple Leafs' playoff woes. The Leafs have won only two playoff series since he's played in Toronto, and they've never made it past the second round. Advertisement The Blue Jackets certainly have playoff aspirations in 2025-26 and beyond. But Marner might benefit from stepping away from the chaos of playing in Toronto to a smaller market where he can live and play without a 24-hour spotlight pointed at him. Marner has been married for two years. He became a father for the first time just last month. Not only has Columbus drawn rave reviews from veteran players as a 'great place to raise a family,' but it's a great spot to live if you want to be close to family in Toronto … but not too close. Johnny Gaudreau chose Columbus for exactly those two reasons. Sean Monahan came here to play with Gaudreau, but he's since fallen in love with the city for its ease of living. These are only recent examples, but it's been the franchise's selling point since the early days. There's a reason so many players have either settled here or are planning to when their careers are finished. There are plenty of question marks on the Blue Jackets roster, and to watch the Stanley Cup Finals is to realize how far away they still might be. But the Jackets will be a trendy pick to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference next season, and their considerable youth suggests they might just be getting started. With centers Monahan and Adam Fantilli in the top six, and Cole Sillinger in the middle of the third line, the Blue Jackets are as strong (and young) down the middle as they've ever been. With Kirill Marchenko and Kent Johnson, they have budding elite-level wingers. Marner, one of the league's top playmakers, could make them a truly dangerous outfit, and when you add top-level talent to the mix, everybody around them gets better. Picture this: the Blue Jackets with a power play. As noted above, the rising salary cap has given most teams enough leeway to carry out their business this summer. Marner will have no shortage of suitors. Advertisement According to PuckPedia, only the San Jose Sharks ($41.7 million) are projected to have more salary-cap space than the Blue Jackets ($40.4 million). The number will almost certainly shrink before July 1, with defensemen Ivan Provorov and Dante Fabbro, forward Justin Danforth and possibly others signing contracts before they hit free agency. The Blue Jackets, though, would be able to make Marner the highest-paid player in the league if that's what it took to secure him. Toronto's Auston Matthews is the NHL's highest-paid player at $13.25 million per season, but Leon Draisaitl's eight-year, $14 million AAV extension kicks in July 1. Columbus has the space to match or exceed that. (Photo of Mitch Marner and Dmitri Voronkov: Nick Turchiaro / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Moose Assistant Coach Eric Dubois Leaves Team for Role in Germany
Sabres Add Former GM Kekalainen As Senior Advisor The Buffalo Sabres have been rumored to be looking for an experienced hockey executive to join their management staff since missing the playoffs for the 14th straight season, and on Friday the club announced the hiring of former Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen as a senior advisor to GM Kevyn Adams. 2:38 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kekalainen's Hiring Another Sign Sabres GM's Time Could Be Nearing An End
When the Buffalo Sabres announced Friday that former Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen was joining the team as a special advisor to GM Kevyn Adams, a couple things became clear: firstly, it showed Kekalainen will be a highly-valued voice in the organization; but more importantly, it showed that Adams is more on the clock than ever -- and that Adams may have just hired the man who will succeed him if things don't go well for the team. To be sure, Kekalainen did some admirable work running the Blue Jackets from 2013-2024. Under his stewardship, Columbus won a playoff round in successive seasons from 2018-2020, and he helped navigate the team through some difficult situations, on and off the ice. So you can see why he was appealing to the Sabres as they try to end 14 years of futility in simply getting into the Stanley Cup playoffs, let alone winning a round or two. And we've said for a while now that Buffalo needed another veteran voice in their front office. So it's hard to see Kekalainen's hiring as anything other than a positive. Advertisement Was Kekalainen perfect as Columbus' GM? Of course not, but show us a perfect GM and we'll show you a GM who's in their first day on the job. But while we're sure Kekalainen knows his place in Buffalo's power pyramid, he's got to know, deep down, that he might be called into action to run the show if Adams' blueprint for success goes up in flames yet again. And in a way, that's a good thing; if Adams is dismissed, the ideal successor for him will need to have a certain degree of familiarity with the franchise. That process begins now for Kekalainen. This is why the early days of the coming season will be crucial for Adams and Kekalainen. If Buffalo plummets down the Atlantic Division standings early on, Adams will be gone, and Kekalainen's early impressions of the roster and depth chart will have a serious influence on the decisions he makes, either as an interim GM or as the full-time GM. When they talk about the value of a good first impression, this is the type of situation they're referring to, because Kekalainen has no allegiance right now to any Sabres players. And that's also a good thing for him coming into the organization. A team that's been unable to control its destiny shouldn't have many sacred cows, if any. So when Kekalainen gets settled into his new role, he's going to need to approach things in a cold-blooded manner. Here's Why Oilers' Clutch Player Needs To Be A Free-Agent Target For Sabres Here's Why Oilers' Clutch Player Needs To Be A Free-Agent Target For Sabres In their current playoff push, the Advertisement Edmonton Oilers have received contributions from throughout the lineup. But one player -- albeit a currently-injured player -- is someone the Buffalo Sabres ought to be targeting when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. Okay, okay, we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves. To be fair, there's a universe in which the Sabres get off to a strong start, Adams keeps his job, and Kekalainen maybe gets another GM job with a different team. But this hiring sure feels like the table is being set for Kekalainen to eventually come in as Buffalo's main hockey ops executive. And Adams would probably not be telling the truth if he tried to argue he's now under more pressure to produce than at any point in his time running the Sabres. Like coaches, NHL GMs are hired to eventually be fired. The pro hockey world is a zero-sum industry, and if solid results aren't there for Adams and the Sabres, Buffalo's ownership is going to demand a different voice as the place where the buck ultimately stops. Is that guaranteed to be Kekalainen? No, no it isn't. But he's a well-liked executive who is going to be an asset for the Sabres as they chart another course back to respectability. He's got a clean slate as he begins this journey, but before too long, he could be ultimately responsible for the direction of the team. Indeed, by this time next year -- or potentially, in a worst-case scenario for the Sabres, much sooner than that -- Kekalainen could be the guy who becomes The Guy.
Reuters
30-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Sabres' front office adds ex-Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen
May 30 - The Buffalo Sabres added former Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen to their front office on Friday. Kekalainen, 58, will serve as the team's senior advisor and report directly to general manager Kevyn Adams. "As we navigated the process of hiring for this role, it very quickly became apparent that Jarmo was an ideal candidate to augment our front office," Adams said in a release. "From his extensive history in scouting, his long tenure as an NHL general manager and his vast experience at the international and European pro levels, Jarmo has a remarkable resume and a long history of success in this league. "I spoke with a number of candidates about this role and it's clear to me that Jarmo is a perfect fit for our team. I couldn't be more excited to add another significant piece to our front office as we continue the process of adding to our staff." Kekalainen was GM in Columbus from 2013-24. The team went 410-362-97 during his tenure and reached the playoffs five times -- 2014, 2017-20 -- but finished no higher than sixth place in its division after that. "Kevyn and I already had a strong working relationship from my time with the Blue Jackets and when we first started talking about this opportunity, it immediately felt like a natural fit," Kekalainen said. "We are aligned in our philosophies and share the same core beliefs on how to build a winning team. I'm eager to help in any area I can and think I can offer a fresh perspective to supplement the staff already in place as we look to improve our roster this offseason." Kekalainen has been the GM for multiple teams in his native Finland. He worked for the Ottawa Senators and St. Louis Blues before joining Columbus in February 2013. --Field Level Media
National Post
30-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
Sad-sack Buffalo Sabres hire ex-Columbus boss Kekalainen as senior adviser
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres on Friday hired former Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen to serve as a senior adviser, adding a wealth of experience to general manager Kevyn Adams' front-office staff. Article content Article content Kekalainen will report to Adams in a newly created role in which he'll be involved in all areas of the hockey department, the team announced. The 58-year-old from Finland has been out of the NHL since being fired by the Blue Jackets in February 2024 following an 11-year term as GM — the league's first European-born person to hold the title. Article content Article content His hiring addresses growing criticism Adams has faced in having little experience overseeing the Sabres since taking over the job as a first-time GM after Jason Botterill was abruptly fired in June 2020. Adams, who is from the Buffalo-area, is a former player who had brief experience as an agent and assistant coach, and was working in the Sabres business department upon being hired as GM as part of a series of ownership's cost-cutting moves in the wake of the COVID pandemic. Article content The Sabres are in the midst of an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought, with Adams on the hot seat entering the final year of his contract. Article content Amid questions regarding his job security in Buffalo, Adams placed an emphasis on upgrading his staff by saying 'we'll take a look at everything,' during his season-ending address to the media last month. The Sabres' season was undone by a 13-game skid in December, which Adams has since second-guessed himself as to whether he should have made a move to upgrade his roster. Article content In a statement released by the team on Friday, Adams said Kekalainen quickly established himself as a prime candidate for the job of senior adviser during his search process. Article content 'From his extensive history in scouting, his long tenure as an NHL general manager and his vast experience at the international and European pro levels, Jarmo has a remarkable resume and a long history of success in this league,' Adams said. 'I couldn't be more excited to add another significant piece to our front office as we continue the process of adding to our staff.' Article content During his tenure in Columbus, Kekalainen oversaw the most successful stretch in Blue Jackets history. The span included the team finishing with 43 or more wins four times, including a franchise record 50 in 2016-17, and qualifying for the playoffs five times, after doing so only once in its first 12 seasons of existence. Article content 'We are aligned in our philosophies and share the same core beliefs on how to build a winning team,' Kekalainen said. 'I'm eager to help in any area I can, and think I can offer a fresh perspective to supplement the staff already in place as we look to improve our roster this offseason.'
