Hughes trade a win-win; Sabres eyeing change? — The Fourth Period

“(Rutherford) told me what they wanted to try and accomplish with the move, and I felt we could satisfy their needs, and we did,” he said. “Jim and Patrik (Allvin) and I are friends, guys that I’ve worked with in the past. I know how they deal with situations like this and they get right to the point, and I think that’s why it worked so well.

“Jim had other options. He had to see things through. I don’t know who he was talking to or what his process was, but we came out of the gates with that (offer). They wanted to check certain boxes, and we had to check them for them. That’s the only way it gets done. We’re not going to sneak one by them. They’re smart. Like I said, Jim’s been doing this since before I was even a player in the league. So, I’m not going to fool him.”

Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren joined the Canucks this morning and practice with the group ahead of their game tomorrow in New Jersey, where they are expected to make their debuts with the team.

Adding those three, plus a 2026 first-round pick, should be viewed as a huge return and one that seemingly speeds up Vancouver’s timeline in their quasi-rebuild. If they can secure another first-round pick for Sherwood and continue to fill the cupboards by moving others like Evander Kane, Drew O’Connor and Teddy Blueger later in the season, they should be sitting in a good spot come the NHL Draft next June – especially if they end up with a top-three pick.

CHANGES ON THE MENU IN BUFFALO?

One year ago today, the Buffalo Sabres were 15th in the Eastern Conference with an 11-14-4 record through 29 games. Fast forward 365 days and they find themselves last in the East with a 13-14-4 record through 31 games.

The winds of change were blowing back then, and the gusts continue now.

Kevyn Adams is no stranger to speculation. Chatter over his future with the Sabres was heard last season, as ownership reportedly contemplated a change at the General Manager position. At the time, former Sabres captain Kyle Okposo, who has since joined the NHLPA, was rumoured to be under consideration for a management role.

Obviously, nothing was done then. Will something happen now?

Friday evening, Matthew Fairburn and Tim Graham of The Athletic reported the Sabres “have been holding internal discussions about replacing” Adams, who has one more year remaining on his contract after this season.

Citing multiple sources, Fairburn and Graham noted “no final decision is expected until the Sabres return home” from their currently roadtrip on Monday.

The Sabres brought in former Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen as a Senior Advisor over the summer, as well as Eric Staal as Special Assistant to the GM. It is unclear whom Sabres ownership may be eyeing to replace Adams, but Kekalainen is one obvious candidate.

If the Sabres reshape their front office, adding a President of Hockey Operations could be possible. Brendan Shanahan, who was President of the Toronto Maple Leafs for 10 seasons, has returned to working at the NHL but wants to get back to running another NHL club. Would Sabres owner Terry Pegula consider such a move? Would Shanahan have interest in Buffalo?

Noise over Adams’ future hasn’t prevented him from doing his job, it appears. Per sources, the Sabres were among the teams that had conversations with Vancouver about Hughes before the Canucks traded him to Minny, while other clubs have inquired about goaltenders Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon.

Buffalo is believed to be exploring the trade market for upgrades up front, though it does not seem like a move there is imminent.

With respect to their most important pending unrestricted free agent Alex Tuch, I’m told things are still “status quo” and an extension is not yet close.

As the whispers continue to increase, the Sabres prepare to take on the Seattle Kraken on Sunday. We will have to wait and see if Pegula & Co. have anything up their sleeves before they host the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.

HERE AND THERE

• Before landing Hughes, the Wild were in the market for a forward to add some secondary scoring to the team. I believe Guerin will continue that search this season. Whether he pivots to a centre, I’m not sure yet.

• The Dallas Stars continue to weigh their options and are collecting information to see which players, at both ends of the ice, are or will be available this season. The continued connection to Rasmus Andersson and Blake Coleman in Calgary remains but expect GM Jim Nill to cast a wide net as he looks to give his team the best shot at a championship this season.

• I mentioned the Flyers as a team that poked on Quinn Hughes. Those conversations never really got too far, as Philadelphia had no interest in moving either Matvei Michkov or Porter Martone.

• Even though they lost out to the Wild, the Devils are still in the market for a top-six forward and that seems to be the focus moving forward.

• Toronto continues to look for a top-six addition – along with half the league – and in addition to Max Domi, whose name is still floating out there, Mattias Maccelli is also available. One target may be Seattle winger Mason Marchment, who Leafs GM Brad Treliving tried to land in June before he was dealt to the Kraken.

• Milan Lucic is working on obtaining the proper visa documentation to play overseas in the EIHL, which I reported on Monday. Once that is completed, he will join the Fife Flyers.

• Still no decision yet on who will host the 2026 NHL Draft. The NHL continues to evaluate its options.