Kevyn Adams coaches a high-stakes season in Buffalo, where wins are the only currency that quiets the city’s playoff drought. He rebuilt with youth, swapped veterans, and hired Kekalainen and Staal to sharpen the Sabres’ front office, but the clock is ticking in a final-year deal. Across the NHL, GMs in Detroit, Anaheim, Chicago, Vancouver and New York face relentless scrutiny as coaching turnover outpaces GM changes and owners demand tangible progress.

Coaches carry more pressure than GMs, yet Adams insists the path is clear: win now, build for the long haul, and trust the youth movement. The league’s landscape features a revolving door of coaches—Laviolette out, Tocchet departing, Lalonde fired—while owners weigh the direction of teams like Yzerman’s Red Wings and Drury’s Rangers. The season will reveal whether the rebuilds translate into results.

In Buffalo, the Sabres’ reset includes trading away Eichel, Reinhart, Mittelstadt, Cozens, Peterka and trimming Skinner and Olofsson, aiming to accelerate a competitive arc. If Adams delivers, it could recalibrate expectations league-wide and prove that patience with a deliberate rebuild can finally translate to on-ice wins.

Colorado fills a forward void with two one-year signings, adding Joel Kiviranta and Victor Olofsson as Logan O’Connor sits out early in 2025-26. Bardakov, Drury, and Colton compound a battle-tested camp group as Colorado aims to regain scoring depth without long-term commitments, while the front office and coaching staff stress patience as free agency winds down.

Kiviranta brings reliability and versatility after a 16-goal season, and Olofsson arrives as a bounce-back bet after a sharp drop in Buffalo and a solid Vegas showing. Both join a power play stacked with talent with pressure to recapture elite form. Bednar’s mantra: the off-season isn’t over until it’s over, and this group will define the path back to contention.