Sabres Announce GM Jason Botterill has been Fired. Kevyn Adams Named GM

[Randall Flagg]

12 minutes ago, WildCard said:

Those tidbits/rumors being the stuff discussed on here, or something else?

All stuff discussed here.

[LGR4GM]

7 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

All stuff discussed here.

I think we will have a good idea at the draft. I remain highly skeptical but that is because we have watched years of bad moves. 

[WildCard]

18 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

All stuff discussed here.

 

9 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I think we will have a good idea at the draft. I remain highly skeptical but that is because we have watched years of bad moves. 

I'm more optimistic than I was yesterday, but I have no faith until I see a full offseason, and I won't have complete faith until next February, if it's warranted. Like you and Liger say, every GM/HC has come in and said more or less the same things

[That Aud Smell]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

Saw reports earlier this year that they capped/shut in their wells when the NG market tanked.  They paid a fracking well tax of close to $2MM back in 2018 per reports available on JKLM Energy's website.  If they really did have to shut in the wells, that's a pretty big hit to cash flow.  (Couldn't find how much an individual well typically produces, so am going with the per well tax rate as being equivalent to 2-5% of typical value.  If the equivalent %age is significantly greater than that, then it isn't that big of a hit to cashflow.  If it's 2%, that's $100MM gross, at 5%, that's $40MM.)

The issue is liquidity.  They still own their teams, their lands, their drilling operations, & all the assets of the seemingly valueless vanity projects.  They are capital rich but could very well be relatively cash poor.

Really good digging, @Taro T - I’ll commend your research tp @SDS who had been asking for proof of the Pegulas’ continued involvement with drilling and fracking.

[SwampD]

Have we heard from Krueger about all of this yet? 

[inkman]

6 minutes ago, SwampD said:

Have we heard from Krueger about all of this yet? 

He was on the press conference with the Pegulas and Adams.

[inkman]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

Saw reports earlier this year that they capped/shut in their wells when the NG market tanked.  They paid a fracking well tax of close to $2MM back in 2018 per reports available on JKLM Energy's website.  If they really did have to shut in the wells, that's a pretty big hit to cash flow.  (Couldn't find how much an individual well typically produces, so am going with the per well tax rate as being equivalent to 2-5% of typical value.  If the equivalent %age is significantly greater than that, then it isn't that big of a hit to cashflow.  If it's 2%, that's $100MM gross, at 5%, that's $40MM.)

The issue is liquidity.  They still own their teams, their lands, their drilling operations, & all the assets of the seemingly valueless vanity projects.  They are capital rich but could very well be relatively cash poor.

Thanks for laying out what I've been screaming from the roof top. They scuttled their staff because they can't pay them. They aren't making money.  So rather than furlough or ask everyone to take pay cuts, they chopped off the whole damn head.  Going to make for some interesting organization rebuilding.  

[DarthEbriate]

1 minute ago, inkman said:

He was on the press conference with the Pegulas and Adams.

@SwampD Without rewatch, he was basically just himself. He's excited, ready to go, we've got some guys who love to play. Enthusiasm/determination regardless of situation. But we haven't heard anything on role with GMKevyn, what his needs are for his lineup, etc.

[dudacek]

I think we’re pretty certain JBott had laid the groundwork for summer deals.

I wonder if Kevyn pulls the trigger on any of them.

[Crusader1969]

I just can't get over how many jobs were lost because they played a goalie 30 times with Vision Issues. its mindblowing.

Why was JB entrenched 3 weeks ago and now everyone is fired? 

2 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

@SwampD Without rewatch, he was basically just himself. He's excited, ready to go, we've got some guys who love to play. Enthusiasm/determination regardless of situation. But we haven't heard anything on role with GMKevyn, what his needs are for his lineup, etc.

Get a good goalie tandem, upgrade 2C and lets GO!

[dudacek]

1 minute ago, inkman said:

Thanks for laying out what I've been screaming from the roof top. They scuttled their staff because they can't pay them. They aren't making money.  So rather than furlough or ask everyone to take pay cuts, they chopped off the whole damn head.  Going to make for some interesting organization rebuilding.  

It dovetails so well with what Kim has been saying about rot within the organization. Cut to the bone when the flesh ain’t needed, rebuild to fit your vision, add as need and resources allow.

[Sabre fan]

Adams worked alongside Lindy so I am good with him on that fact alone...I miss Lindy (and Darcy so much). anyways is it not at least worth consideration to bring in Ryan Miller as back up? We owe it to him to allow him to retire a Sabre and from what I saw of him last year he is still more then capable of winning some games...hell I am all in with Pominville coming back over Frolik or Simmons...at least he plays with heart and actually scores when given the chance. As for any potential deals JBotto may have in place I would pass...he clearly was no good in recognizing what this team needed (or needs now) 

[DarthEbriate]

5 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I think we’re pretty certain JBott had laid the groundwork for summer deals.

I wonder if Kevyn pulls the trigger on any of them.

Yes --- but was Kevyn in on the knowledge? And were the deals with teams already out or teams in the running? Or, does he have to wait months for it to reengage? He also has to get connected with the other GMs of the league first. I really hesitate on these initial trades by someone who may never have been involved in any negotiating. He doesn't have GMTM's endless stock of draft picks to go get someone he likes. His best trading chips are unsigned RFAs.

4 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

I just can't get over how many jobs were lost because they played a goalie 30 times with Vision Issues. its mindblowing.

Why was JB entrenched 3 weeks ago and now everyone is fired? 

Get a good goalie tandem, upgrade 2C and lets GO!

Back to waiting. Are the Pegulas going to approve taking on any salary at this time? Can he even negotiate with his RFAs, or does someone else need to "set the market" first after the season concludes? We have to think small market strategy again here.

[nucci]

21 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

Get a good goalie tandem, upgrade 2C and lets GO!

should be easy to do

12 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

Yes --- but was Kevyn in on the knowledge? And were the deals with teams already out or teams in the running? Or, does he have to wait months for it to reengage? He also has to get connected with the other GMs of the league first. I really hesitate on these initial trades by someone who may never have been involved in any negotiating. He doesn't have GMTM's endless stock of draft picks to go get someone he likes. His best trading chips are unsigned RFAs.

Back to waiting. Are the Pegulas going to approve taking on any salary at this time? Can he even negotiate with his RFAs, or does someone else need to "set the market" first after the season concludes? We have to think small market strategy again here.

Wonderful

[dudacek]

15 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

Yes --- but was Kevyn in on the knowledge? And were the deals with teams already out or teams in the running? Or, does he have to wait months for it to reengage? He also has to get connected with the other GMs of the league first. I really hesitate on these initial trades by someone who may never have been involved in any negotiating. He doesn't have GMTM's endless stock of draft picks to go get someone he likes. His best trading chips are unsigned RFAs.

Our own @Brawndo tells us he could have traded Risto plus for EHLERS plus and didn’t.

Maybe Chevy still likes that deal. Maybe Chevy gives him a call and Kevyn makes a different decision than Jason did.

I know if there isn’t a paper trail, I’d be asking the remnants of my staff and other GMs for reports on what might have been on the table. 

[DarthEbriate]

10 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Our own @Brawndo tells us he could have traded Risto plus for EHLERS plus and didn’t.

Maybe Chevy still likes that deal. Maybe Chevy gives him a call and Kevyn makes a different decision than Jason did.

I know if there isn’t a paper trail, I’d be asking the remnants of my staff and other GMs for reports on what might have been on the table. 

That would've been a fantastic trade for us to make --- and Chevy --- at the time. But now, Winnipeg has gotten good seasons out of Morrissey and Pionk. Had to do a little research on their caps --- and our old friend Kulikov comes off the books as soon as their season ends. If I'm Chevy is it now still valid at all, or do I want a full renegotiation (and I believe I can scam a rookie GM)? And of course -- we have to wait until they're out of the playoffs. It could still be there and it'd be the perfect move to make.

Just like you say, GMKevyn has to start assembling his Rolodex and making all the calls and redoing all the due diligence for himself (and by himself now as he has no support staff). It's going to take months. Which is fine, as no Sabres/AHL hockey is on the schedule.

[bunomatic]

Are TP/KP still trying to raise money for a shiny new football stadium ? Was that nixed ?

sounds like they’re bleeding money with whats happened in the last 24hours. 

Would they cut costs in one sport to helpget what they want in another?

[inkman]

1 hour ago, Crusader1969 said:

I just can't get over how many jobs were lost because they played a goalie 30 times with Vision Issues. its mindblowing.

Why was JB entrenched 3 weeks ago and now everyone is fired? 

Get a good goalie tandem, upgrade 2C and lets GO!

I don't think performance had anything to do with any Sabres employees firing. They just didn't want to or couldn't pay anyone.  

[nucci]

42 minutes ago, IKnowPhysics said:

Likely posted above, but Friedman's podcast on this is must-listen.

https://podcast.sportsnet.ca/31-thoughts/buffaloed/

Takeaways:

• Ownership is fed up with relying on typical outside hockey people to help them find the right people and the right path for the franchise.  They're going outside the box.  They're not afraid of making changes by terminating contracts with term remaining.  Kevyn is seen as a non-hockey hire that is trusted by the owners and is home-grown within the organization.
• It's thought that Botterill never wanted to give term to Eichel and Skinner, but ownership did and overruled him.  (Side note, perhaps this is why Reinhart got a bridge deal) Botterill effectively had to pitch the future plan for the franchise recently in the interviews and ownership didn't agree with the plan.
• Kevyn traveled with the team late in the regular season, which was an unusual move that raised some eyebrows and potentially put at least some of the writing on the wall.
• Up until yesterday morning, several AHL and NHL coaching staff members, including Chris Taylor, were in contract/extension negotiations with Botterill.  Botterill was acting as if he were continuing right up to the firing.

How can the new GM being considered a non-hockey hire?

[DarthEbriate]

14 minutes ago, bunomatic said:

Are TP/KP still trying to raise money for a shiny new football stadium ? Was that nixed ?

sounds like they’re bleeding money with whats happened in the last 24hours. 

Would they cut costs in one sport to helpget what they want in another?

The scouts and office staff and AHL coaches are pennies compared to the costs of a facility. Even shedding player salary (and maintaining the cap floor) isn't going to quickly build sufficient cash flow to fund a stadium.

Now, sell the Sabres (is that what's best for the Sabres franchise?) ... that'd be the cash that can fund a stadium (and keep the NFL cash coming in).

[shrader]

18 minutes ago, bunomatic said:

Are TP/KP still trying to raise money for a shiny new football stadium ? Was that nixed ?

sounds like they’re bleeding money with whats happened in the last 24hours. 

Would they cut costs in one sport to helpget what they want in another?

Budget cuts with the Sabres couldn't possibly help with the costs for a new stadium.  At an absolute minimum that's a half a billion dollar project.  And I'm guessing I'm low on that figure.

[dudacek]

35 minutes ago, inkman said:

I don't think performance had anything to do with any Sabres employees firing. They just didn't want to or couldn't pay anyone.  

I think performance was minor factor, but it certainly ran well behind economics, redundancy (why pay three coaches in Rochester when there may not be team in Rochester until the fall of 2021) and the desire to to clean the slate to better operate in line with Terry and Kim’s vision.

[Crusader1969]

40 minutes ago, inkman said:

I don't think performance had anything to do with any Sabres employees firing. They just didn't want to or couldn't pay anyone.  

there is no way they let go of everyone if they are about to participate in the 24 team playoff. Maybe it would have happened regardless after the season was over? Though, im confident,  some jobs would have been saved.

[SDS]

43 minutes ago, inkman said:

I don't think performance had anything to do with any Sabres employees firing. They just didn't want to or couldn't pay anyone.  

If you listen to Elliot Friedman‘s podcast you’ll hear the review of the organization happened over the winter long before all of this happened regarding the virus. This is definitely overall performance based in general and fueled by financials specifically. it’s also a reason why they told multiple people they feel burned by NHL know it all’s telling them who the good hires are.

[darksabre]

7 minutes ago, SDS said:

If you listen to Elliot Friedman‘s podcast you’ll hear the review of the organization happened over the winter long before all of this happened regarding the virus. This is definitely overall performance based in general and fueled by financials specifically. it’s also a reason why they told multiple people they feel burned by NHL know it all’s telling them who the good hires are.

Yeah, it really sounds like it was something like:

1. Hey, the team is bad yet again and we're spending a lot of money. That doesn't make sense, let's study it. (Adams gets tasked with running this?)

2. Here are all of these things that we're spending a lot of money on (scouting, analytics, player development) that are supposed to be making us better, why aren't they?

3. People in charge of these departments get asked to answer for their failures and it turns into a real nightmare when each department's report indicts the other departments, which devolves into chaos.

4. Botterill can't give the Pegulas a restructuring plan that fixes these problems.

5. Purge.


So maybe Adams' role in all of this, and why he was installed as GM, is that he was the one who coordinated the analysis of the organization from top to bottom. Maybe he presented a plan to the Pegulas and when they took it to Botterill he balked and they turned to Adams and said "okay, you get to do your plan."