Real Reason For Sabres Changes: Where Pegulas and Botterill Butted Heads

Less than 24 hours after former general manager Jason Botterill was moved out — along with most of the management staff and scouts — news is starting to surface as to real reasons why. Both from a conference call held by ownership and as per reports by a number of insiders, there was tension inside the organization and it boiled over Tuesday.

The Pegulas noted during their media call introducing new GM Kevyn Adams that their voices weren’t being heard by the former administration. Elliotte Friedman noted on his 31 Thoughts podcast, there were times that Botterill and the Pegula’s have differing opinions on contracts and roster decisions. Friedman explained:

“I don’t think Botterill wanted to give Jack Eichel that contract and ownership said “we’re doing it”. And I don’t think Botterill wanted to give Jeff Skinner that deal. I think what Botterill wanted to do was offer big money for a low term. … Jason Botterill, from what I heard, is not a “term guy”. He says too many teams get burned by those mistakes and I think he was overruled. I think what they’re looking at right here is: There’s a finite amount of time here before Eichel says “I had enough.””

As a result, the Pegulas were tired of having their decisions questioned and moved almost everyone out. They admitted there was no search, it was a quick decision and, as per The Athletic’s John Vogl (subscription required), they now believe they have someone in place who will act on their input. 

Vogl writes:

While Botterill was the marquee name in the bloodletting, he was just the start. Hardly a soul was saved as the Pegulas fired the assistant GMs, the minor-league coaching staff, scouting directors, scouts and player development coaches.

As for whether or not there will be an assistant GM, that has yet to be decided.

What Are Adams’ Next Moves?

Adams’ to-do list is long:

New Scouting Staff

The first order of business for Adams now is to hire an amateur scouting staff. With the delay on the playoffs, the NHL Draft and other things where scouts play a role, that could be a tricky task. Most teams know their scouting staff contracts are up in a few weeks but they’ll push to have those contracts extended because of the delay. That could mean the Sabres will have to wait.

Player Trades

Technically, the Sabres can make trades with any of the other teams not in the playoff hunt or play-in round. That doesn’t mean they will. Adams may be wise to take a look at his options though.

NBC Sports columnist James O’Brien noted that defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen could be their most notable trade candidate. O’Brien believes Adams may decide to sell off Ristolainen even if the return isn’t there, thinking that Botterill’s asking price was too high.

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