Botterill (r) was criticized by media and fans for trades he did not makeGETTY IMAGES
Sabres Owner Terry Pegula made "sweeping changes" to the team's hockey operations department today, firing GM Jason Botterill and promoting Senior VP/Business Administration Kevyn Adams to GM, according to Lance Lysowski of the BUFFALO NEWS. A source said that Assistant GMs Randy Sexton and Steve Greeley "were also fired." During his time with the Sabres, Botterill "managed to rebuild" the team's "depth on defense and strengthened the prospect pipeline." However, he was "criticized by fans and media for trades he didn't make." Adams will "help reconfigure a hockey department that's been overhauled twice since November 2013, but he does not have any significant experience in an NHL front office." Adams played 11 seasons in the NHL before joining the Sabres as development coach in '09. He spent two seasons as an assistant coach, followed by a stint at LECOM Harborcenter as Dir of the Academy of Hockey and GM (BUFFALO NEWS, 6/16). THE ATHLETIC's John Vogl notes a "case has been made to fire Botterill," as the Sabres have not improved on the ice during his tenure and "were a salary cap disaster this season." However, those problems "have been evident since the Sabres last took the ice in March," and that "didn’t stop Kim Pegula from endorsing Botterill less than a month ago" (THEATHLETIC.com, 6/16).
