Kekalainen confident Sabres can contend: 'I think we're close'

Newly promoted general manager Jarmo Kekalainen is confident in the direction of the Buffalo Sabres even though they sit last in the Eastern Conference.

"I think we're close," Kekalainen said Tuesday, according to NHL.com's Heather Engel. "You can't (hit) the fast-forward button, even if you'd like to sometimes. ... I think there are a lot of good pieces here. I think we're very close. I firmly believe we can make the playoffs this year. There's a lot of hockey left."

He added, "We're going to have a plan, and the plan is going to be the Stanley Cup. And we're not going to take any shortcuts to try to just make the playoffs to end the drought. ... We have some really good core pieces here. We're close. Now we just have to take the next step."

Buffalo has missed the playoffs in 14 consecutive seasons, the longest postseason drought in NHL history. The Sabres fired general manager Kevyn Adams on Monday after a 14-14-4 start to the campaign.

Adams was at the helm for five-plus seasons. Some of his most notable moves as GM include trading Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, and Brandon Montour in separate deals. Each player has won a Stanley Cup since being dealt.

The Sabres hired Kekalainen in May to be a senior advisor. He joined Buffalo's front office following an 11-year run as GM of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin advocated for Kekalainen, the team's third GM since he was drafted first overall in 2018.

"I think Jarmo's going to be the one that turns it around," Dahlin said, according to Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News.