Ottawa, Ontario (WGR Sports Radio 550) – Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen spoke on Tuesday morning from Ottawa about his hiring of new associate general manager Marc Bergevin and assistant general manager Josh Flynn over the weekend.
Bergevin is the former general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, and most recently a senior advisor with the Los Angeles Kings.
“He brings a lot of experience, which is something I was looking for,” said Kekalainen with reporters. “He’s somebody that has been in my seat and knows the ins-and-outs of it and what you’re dealing with, so I’ve always had a lot of respect for him when we were talking about things.
“I know he works hard, a good player evaluator. I think his track record in Montreal, as far as trades go, is one of the best in the league. So I think it’s a great fit for us.”
The two men had never worked together before, but they talked a lot and saw each other out scouting too.
In Columbus, Flynn dealt with player contracts and the collective bargaining agreement. Kekalainen worked closely with him on a regular basis.
“We worked together for a long time. He’s extremely organized, he’s an attorney, he knows the cap, the CBA in-and-out. He knows the analytics, he’s got scouting experience. He knows exactly how I want things organized, so that will bring a valuable asset to our staff,” Kekalainen said of Flynn.
It doesn’t sound like current assistant general managers – Jerry Forton and Mark Jakubowski – are going anywhere. Kekalainen likes what he’s seen from a scouting standpoint and how it’s organized.
“We’ve talked amongst the staff, everybody is going to have an important role, and the responsibilities are going to be spread,” Kekalainen explained. “We’re going to be working on this together as a team, and we’ll all work together.”
Kekalainen is not backing off at all in his belief that the Sabres are a playoff team this season.
Hear more from Kekalainen during Sabres pregame coverage on WGR with the Bulldog, starting at 6 p.m.