After Losing Out On Hellebuyck, When Do Sabres Make An All-In Move?

In the wake of the Buffalo Sabres’ inability to step up and acquire star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, some Sabres fans are once again wondering where Buffalo GM Jarmo Kekalainen is going to improve this team. Certainly, Buffalo’s ‘meh’ 4-4-3 start to the season has proven there’s lots of room for improvement for this organization. 

And while it would be difficult for the Sabres to improve on their stunning 2025-26 season – in which they were the Atlantic Division’s best regular-season team with a 50-23-9 record – it feels like Buffalo fans deserve an all-in trade to elevate them back to the top of the Atlantic and Eastern Conference.

We’ve been clear that the main area of concern for the Sabres is their goaltending. Starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been sub-par all season long, and backup Colten Ellis has been worse. When both goalies’ save percentage has come in at less than .867, there’s an obvious issue that needs to be addressed. Maybe a solution comes in the form of Minnesota Wild veteran Filip Gustavsson. Or maybe that’s St. Louis Blues Stanley Cup-winner Jordan Binnington. 

But Kekalainen’s decision to trade youngster Devon Levi to the Edmonton Oilers this past summer – and watching him thrive with Edmonton – is not looking like Kekalainen’s most savvy decision. Is that a fireable offence for Kekalainen? No. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that the Sabres need better performances between the pipes. Perhaps Alex Lyon can provide that when he returns from injury, but what if he can’t? Where does Kekalainen go to address the most important position in the sport?

Otherwise, you have to think the other area Buffalo needs to improve is at forward. The defense corps is pretty much set, with stars Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power as permanent fixtures on the blueline, and top 2026 draft pick Daxon Rudolph in the pipeline. So Kekalainen’s all-in move could be up front.

Indeed, given that the Sabres have only one point-per-game player – winger Jack Quinn, who has 11 points in as many games – there’s a need there for a proven point-producer with the experience and creativity that any Cup front-runner team needs in anticipation of a deep post-season run.

Some will point out that the Sabres have only $1.9-million in salary cap space. But all you have to do is look at another Atlantic team – the Toronto Maple Leafs – to see what a motivated and determined GM can do to bolster their lineup with bold moves. Maple Leafs GM John Chayka has spared no expense, and gave up assets other teams were interested in, to dramatically improve his franchise. So this notion that Kekalainen’s hands are tied doesn’t wash with us. 

And picture the emotional boost Buffalo’s players would get if Kekalainen added a difference-making talent. If you’re star winger Tage Thompson, wouldn’t that get you jazzed? You want your team to be stronger tomorrow than it is today, and you can’t push all your chips behind your young players. You need help that’s been there before. 

You never know – Kekalainen may be waiting until close to this year’s trade deadline before making a blockbuster move. But there’s a very real danger that, by waiting that long, your team struggles in the standings – and before you know it, you’re out there fighting just to get into the playoffs, let alone be a leviathan squad capable of doing damage when the games matter most.

Thus, Sabres fans are only going to have so much patience before they start wondering if Kekalainen is going to take a big swing on the trade market. Buffalo fans deserve to have a first-rate team, and right now, the Sabres are not a first-rate team. Kekalainen can bide his time before making a huge move, but time is of the essence, and there are only so many Grade-A assets that are going to be available in any given season.

Buffalo has a lot of players teams would be interested in acquiring. And to get something of value, you have to give something of value. So if Kekalainen is going to steer his team to the next competitive level, he’s going to have to assume some risk in anticipation of acquiring a legitimate needle-mover. 

The Sabres still have the talent to be a playoff team, but they’re not in the business of being just a playoff team. There are echelons in hockey’s top league, and to push Buffalo into the top echelon, Kekalainen needs to take a chance, make a major move, and hope it boosts the Sabres from up-and-coming Cup contender to full-on championship threat.