The Sabres had little choice but to shake up their front office as Buffalo was trending toward a 15th straight season of missing the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs.
No, Jarmo Kekalainen being promoted to Buffalo Sabres general manager was not a fait accompli after he joined the organization as a senior advisor in May.
Sabres chief operating officer Pete Guelli made that known during an interview with Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic, saying the franchise never had plans to make an in-season change atop the front office until the season began to spiral out of control.