Buffalo Sabres make the right move by firing Jason Botterill

The Buffalo Sabres are finally moving on from general manager Jason Botterill.

Several weeks ago, Buffalo Sabres general manager Jason Botterill got a vote of confidence from the Sabres ownership group. It turned out that vote of confidence was the kiss of death, as on Jun 16, the team announced they have parted ways with Botterill, along with several of his assistant general managers.

The Sabres also announced that Kevyn Adams, who was the Senior Vice President of Business Administration for the team, will take over for Botterill. Adams has never been a general manager, which should raise a few eyebrows.

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Also, this firing brings up a big question. As I mentioned earlier, the Pegulas, who are the owners of the Sabres, were pretty defensive of Botterill. They seemed to want to keep him. What happened in the last few weeks? Why did the Pegulas suddenly decide to get with of Botterill after defending him relentlessly just a few weeks earlier?

Another question is the credentials of Adams. As I said, he’s never been a general manager for a hockey team. Heck, he’s never even been an assistant general manager. Not even for a junior hockey team. Did the Pegulas interview other candidates? Why did they think Adams, who has no experience as a general manager, would be the best possible candidate?

Regardless, Botterill’s time with the Sabres started with great expectations, but ended with no results to back up the hype. His time in Buffalo will perhaps best be remembered for the Ryan O’Reilly trade. Botterill traded one of the best players in the NHL for a minimal return. Meanwhile, O’Reilly won the Conn Smythe Trophy and the Selke Trophy just a year after being traded to the St. Louis Blues.

Adams is taking over for Botterill as the Sabres enter a crucial offseason. Team captain Jack Eichel is clearly starting to get fed up with losing. It has been nearly a full decade since they last made the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Sabres need to find a way to improve their team because the fanbase is understandably starting to get a little bit restless.

Adams is tasked with finding a way to improve the Sabres despite not having that much cap space or that many tradeable assets. If he doesn’t do well, it might eventually be his job to trade Eichel. At first glance, this seems to be another bad move for the Pegulas. But only time will tell if it will work out or not. Though Botterill clearly needed to be let go, I’m not sure replacing him with Adams is the best move.