Kekalainen on Parayko’s nixed deal to Buffalo: ‘The Sabres deserve a lot of respect right now’

While the Trade Deadline is often known for some of the hectic deals that occur, one of the things the 2026 deadline may be best remembered for was the trade that didn’t happen.

On Wednesday afternoon, it was reported the Buffalo Sabres had a trade in the works for St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko, pending on whether or not Parayko would waive his no-trade clause. The Canadian had a full no-trade clause, meaning he had full say over whether or not he could be dealt to another team. The decision carried through the night and Parayko ultimately decided not to waive his no-trade clause and remain in St. Louis.

There was plenty of discussion surrounding the almost-trade, particularly some people upset that a trade was reported as it was before a player waived their no-trade clause, potentially putting a target on their back by fans of the team they would have gone to.

But also, it was a tough look for the Sabres, a team who’s had trouble bringing in talent in the past, as infamously pointed out by former general manager Kevyn Adams comment on the lack of palm trees in Buffalo.

But current GM Jarmo Kekalainen doesn’t believe that.

“Buffalo is a great city. It’s disappointing to see somebody thinking it’s got something to do with Buffalo,” said Kekalainen. “We have a great hockey team that’s winning games. A fun atmosphere. An electric building. Our players are loving it here. The Buffalo Sabres deserve a lot of respect right now.”

The Sabres still made a few moves at the trade deadline, adding Sam Carrick, Tanner Pearson, Luke Schenn and Logan Stanley. However, none were nearly as much of a needle-mover as Parayko. While his one goal and 13 assists for 14 points in 58 games is far from a big impact, he is excellent in his own end with a -0.184 5v5 regularized adjusted plus-minus expected goals against per 60 minutes is the 11th-best among defensemen this season.