Sabres fire Botterill, name Kevyn Adams new GM
The Buffalo Sabres relieved Jason Botterill of his duties as general manager and replaced him with senior vice president of business administration Kevyn Adams, the team announced Tuesday.
"This morning, we informed Jason Botterill he will no longer be the general manager of the Sabres," owners Terry and Kim Pegula said in a statement.
"This decision was made after many candid discussions with Jason during a full review of our hockey operation. We recognized we have philosophical differences regarding how best to put ourselves in a position to compete for a Stanley Cup. So, we decided to make this change."
The Pegulas reversed course after Kim said in May that Botterill would be back with the club as general manager for the 2020-21 campaign.
Kim Pegula said at the press conference that the draft being pushed back gave the organization more time to evaluate his performance and start planning for the future, according to The Athletic's John Vogl.
Botterill was named general manager in May 2017. The Sabres missed the playoffs and finished 25th or lower in league standings during all three years of his tenure.
Sabres captain Jack Eichel recently voiced his displeasure with the direction of the club after another trying season: "I'm fed up with losing," he said, admitting that failing to qualify for the NHL's expanded 24-team playoff format only "adds to the frustration."
Some of Botterill's major moves during his time as general manager include signing Eichel to an eight-year, $80-million deal in October 2017 and trading away Ryan O'Reilly and Evander Kane in separate deals. Botterill also acquired winger Jeff Skinner prior to the 2018-19 campaign and signed him to an eight-year, $72-million contract last June.
Adams becomes the Sabres' fourth general manager since the Pegulas took ownership of the team in 2011. The club's nine-year playoff drought is currently the longest in the NHL.
Buffalo also fired several front-office and staff members of the AHL's Rochester Americans, including general manager Randy Sexton (who was Buffalo's assistant GM), head coach Chris Taylor, and assistant coaches Gord Dineen and Toby Petersen. The Amerks went 33-20-4 this season, finishing second in the North Division.
Sabres director of amateur scouting Ryan Jankowski and a "good chunk" of the team's amateur staff were also let go, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.