Bergevin on Sabres Live!

[GASabresIUFAN]

https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/hosts/sabres-live
 

 

[Brawndo]

Hiring Bergevin and Roest shows that Jarmo is going to hire people he has not worked directly with in the past. 
 

This bodes well for the future 

[GASabresIUFAN]

https://www.nhl.com/sabres/video/bergevin-practice-6387670439112
 

Here is the full 7:30 minute interview.

[GASabresIUFAN]

After listening to Marty, I think the Sabres failed a major test yesterday.  Apparently the Sabres have given up 65+ shots against each of the last 4 games (while never getting more than 60 in a game themselves). They gave up 70+ last night against a Florida team without Tkachuk, Marchand and Barkov, and allowed Florida to carry the play to Buffalo at home.  The team didn’t respond well to Florida’s pressure, especially on defense.  It was Power’s worst game in weeks.  He didn’t hit anyone and just waived his stick on defense.  One of his missed stick checks lead directly to a goal.  
 

The game showed the defense as currently structured isn’t good enough.  Bergevin hinted that even in limited watching of the Sabres he thinks that roster changes are needed.  

Edited January 13 by GASabresIUFAN

[TageMVP]

29 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

After listening to Marty, I think the Sabres failed a major test yesterday.  Apparently the Sabres have given up 65+ shots against each of the last 4 games (while never getting more than 60 in a game themselves). They gave up 70+ last night against a Florida team without Tkachuk, Marchand and Barkov, and allowed Florida to carry the play to Buffalo at home.  The team didn’t respond well to Florida’s pressure, especially on defense.  It was Power’s worst game in weeks.  He didn’t hit anyone and just waived his stick on defense.  One of his missed stick checks lead directly to a goal.  
 

The game showed the defense as currently structured isn’t good enough.  Bergevin hinted that even in limited watching of the Sabres he thinks that roster changes are needed.  

Trade Power 

[Pimlach]

Good interview on Bergevin.   

With his experience, especially being GM in Montreal, he should help this Front Office in some way. 

Does anyone know who is running Rochester with Karmanos out.  

Edited January 14 by Pimlach

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

Good interview on Bergevin.   

With his experience, especially being GM Montreal, he should help this Front Office in some way. 

Does anyone know who is running Rochester with Karmanos out.  

Jarmo talked about sharing the load, but wasn’t clear if that was short or long-term.

[dudacek]

Bergevin sounded like his immediate focus is a team assessment.

He’s only watched 5 games because of Spengler Cup commitments. Said he will continue to watch then report back to Jarmo about what we need.

And I agree, sounded like he already has thoughts about holes in their game.

[GASabresIUFAN]

10 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Bergevin sounded like his immediate focus is a team assessment.

He’s only watched 5 games because of Spengler Cup commitments. Said he will continue to watch then report back to Jarmo about what we need.

And I agree, sounded like he already has thoughts about holes in their game.

Some are pretty obvious.  I know he said he’s not a coach, but maybe he has some ideas to help the PP.

Edited January 14 by GASabresIUFAN

[R_Dudley]

I will say after who and what I have heard, seen and witnessed in these Sabres management roles for last 14+ years how refreshing it is to appear to finally have confident, experienced, knowledgeable hockey focused leadership at the top of the food chain.

I am really excited and interested to see how his team review translates into the moves and changes Jarmo makes going forward. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

32 minutes ago, R_Dudley said:

I will say after who and what I have heard, seen and witnessed in these Sabres management roles for last 14+ years how refreshing it is to appear to finally have confident, experienced, knowledgeable hockey focused leadership at the top of the food chain.

I am really excited and interested to see how his team review translates into the moves and changes Jarmo makes going forward. 

While I agree in general, talk is cheap.  I’m reserving judgement on this GM and his management team until I see some substantive changes to the roster and how we draft.  

Our issues with shot suppression have resurfaced over the last 5 games.  To me that starts with a lack of D depth in general and defensive D specifically.   

We also have an issue with shot creation.  We lack playmakers and we lack guys willing to go to the net.  We need more Doan and less Quinn.   

With so many teams still in contention, deals are going to be hard to come by.  However, that’s not an excuse for fixing a flawed roster that has found its way into contention.  

 

[dudacek]

I think the Sabres as currently construed defensively want to be a low-danger shot team that’s OK with high volume against.

And conversely, offensively they’re focused on high danger opportunities and are OK with low shot volumes.

Not sure that’s what Jarmo wants, or what’s best, but it seems to generally be the way this coaching staff game plans.

Edited January 14 by dudacek

[GASabresIUFAN]

9 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I think the Sabres as currently construed want to be a low-danger shot team that’s OK with high volume against.

And conversely, they’re focused on high danger opportunities and are OK with low shot volumes.

Not sure that’s what Jarmo wants, or what’s best, but it seems to generally be the way this coaching staff game plans.

That's great in theory defensively, but you also have to carry the play.  The Sabres in the last 5 games haven't carried the play like they did most of the streak.  I think that is what Bergevin was talking about when he said that he's watched 5 games so far and he thinks there are issues with the roster but he wants more data to be sure.

 

Edited January 14 by GASabresIUFAN

[Carmel Corn]

I hope that the Bergevin assessment goes beyond just regular season needs.  My hope is that he also knows what is needed for the higher intensity of the playoffs and will help Jarmo build a team that not only makes the playoffs, but can actually succeed in the post season as well.  Playoff hockey is brutal...I want a team that can handle it.

[kas23]

On 1/13/2026 at 5:22 PM, GASabresIUFAN said:

https://www.nhl.com/sabres/video/bergevin-practice-6387670439112
 

Here is the full 7:30 minute interview.

I finally listened to this. The most interesting bit was about how Jarmo approaches trade talks. As fans, we are always assuming one GM is trying to fleece another. And this is may be why we haven’t seen many trades with Kevyn. Jarmo gets into the mind of the other team’s GM and asks, what would they need. Trades are much more likely to happen when both teams come out happy. 

[Stads]

Does the exclamation point suggest you were excited Bergevin was on the show or were you calling it "Sabres Live!"?

[dudacek]

From Pierre Lebrun in the Athletic:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6971585/2026/01/15/nhl-rumblings-hamilton-coaching-hot-seat/

It was intriguing to see former Habs GM Marc Bergevin leave a decent gig in Los Angeles, where he had a good relationship with Kings GM Ken Holland, to join Jarmo Kekäläinen in the Buffalo Sabres front office as associate GM last month. It felt like a parallel move, but he’s landed with a more meaningful role in Buffalo.

Bergevin and Kekäläinen have been close for years — spotted routinely together at GM meetings. So it wasn’t surprising. But it still meant leaving one good gig for another.

“I was in L.A. for four years as an adviser to (former Kings GM Rob Blake) and then Kenny, and there was no issue whatsoever there. Kenny understood,” Bergevin told The Athletic. “But when Jarmo reached out, we’ve always had a good relationship over the years, so when he asked me to join, I just felt Buffalo was an appealing place. They have some really good pieces. For whatever reason, they haven’t been able to take the next step. So that’s for me appealing, knowing they have a good base.”

Kekalainen plans to lean heavily on Bergevin. It’s a real senior 1-2 punch at the top for Buffalo now. And two guys who complete each other.

“Jarmo and I have different skill sets. We see things differently,” Bergevin said. “That’s one of the reasons he brought me here.”

That doesn’t mean Bergevin has closed the door on wanting to be a GM again. His deal with the Sabres has an opt-out if that opportunity materializes.

Bergevin was runner-up to Mathieu Darche for the New York Islanders GM job in May and also interviewed for the GM jobs in Toronto (went to Treliving) and Pittsburgh (went to Kyle Dubas) in the summer of 2023.

But for now, it’s all hands on deck with the Sabres. Bergevin moved to Dallas last summer and will remain there. It gives the Sabres a different set of eyes in another part of the league. But he will be busy, traveling around the league.

Bergevin was Montreal’s GM for nearly 10 years, and Kekalainen was Columbus’ for more than 11. After hiring three rookie GMs in a row during his time as Sabres owner, Terry Pegula has obviously seen the value in front-office experience this time around.

[Weave]

Jarmo making googly eyes at Bergevin

”Marc, you complete me”.

[GASabresIUFAN]

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

Bergevin was Montreal’s GM for nearly 10 years, and Kekalainen was Columbus’ for more than 11. After hiring three rookie GMs in a row during his time as Sabres owner, Terry Pegula has obviously seen the value in front-office experience this time around.

Talk about going from one extreme to another.  This was a decision long overdue