Botterill fired. Does he come back to Pens?

cvrle1

Registered User
Jun 24, 2017
488
387
Sabres fired Jason Botterill today. Seeing how everyone in the org raved about him for being cap wizard, and being involved in getting some really good deals done, wonder if he comes back to Pens as assistant GM again. I wouldnt want him to take over for JR when time comes, seeing how he did in Buffalo, but he could be useful if stories that media published before are true.
 

Big Friggin Dummy

Registered User
Feb 22, 2019
24,256
22,805
We can hope. Familiarity alone, and the fact that he was influential during the best years of the Sid/Geno era should be enough to give him another shot.

JR isn't gonna be around forever. Not that I think Botterill will be his successor, or that he should be, but having a guy young enough to be around to help ease the transition to the next GM won't hurt.
 

Honour Over Glory

Fire Sully
Jan 30, 2012
77,316
42,447
We can hope. Familiarity alone, and the fact that he was influential during the best years of the Sid/Geno era should be enough to give him another shot.

JR isn't gonna be around forever. Not that I think Botterill will be his successor, or that he should be, but having a guy young enough to be around to help ease the transition to the next GM won't hurt.
The issue would be of pride I think, do you come back to the Pens and now be 3rd banana because they replaced you when you left and now you're back to being the 2nd assistant GM?

I think the Co-Assistant GM thing would be best but yeah, I am skeptical of wanting Botterill back. I know he didn't really do a lot of damage in Buffalo but he also did very little good and i was curious to see what he could have done when he had more cap to play with which he was positioning himself to do. Buffalo should give us Kahun back.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cvrle1

Slick Arnold

Registered User
Sponsor
Oct 4, 2005
128
64
He will probably make more by not working for the Sabres than what the Pens are willing/able to offer him as of right now. Maybe wait until after playoffs and a few weeks before the draft?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Honour Over Glory

Jaded-Fan

Registered User
Mar 18, 2004
52,446
14,304
Pittsburgh
Seems like a perfect scenerio for him.

The organization knows, likes and respects him. The Pens remain stacked and likely will be cup competitors for a time more, the back end of Crosby's and Malkin's careers.

Where better to rebuild a reputation for another chance.

And finally JR is not getting any younger. Assuming that he does a good job, he would be the logical choice to step in when JR hangs them up.

I can not see the arguments against this on either side.
 

Peat

Registered User
Jun 14, 2016
29,290
25,206
The issue would be of pride I think, do you come back to the Pens and now be 3rd banana because they replaced you when you left and now you're back to being the 2nd assistant GM?

I think the Co-Assistant GM thing would be best but yeah, I am skeptical of wanting Botterill back. I know he didn't really do a lot of damage in Buffalo but he also did very little good and i was curious to see what he could have done when he had more cap to play with which he was positioning himself to do. Buffalo should give us Kahun back.

A guy who's not willing to swallow his pride and go back to the best school available is of no use anyway imo, because he isn't going to learn.

Not that we're necessarily the best school mind. But the only smart thing for him to do is go get an AGM role with another smart GM and keep learning.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Soggy Biscuit

Big Friggin Dummy

Registered User
Feb 22, 2019
24,256
22,805
Botts had a hell of a job in front of him in Buffalo. The Pegulas never stopped meddling in shit, and are notorious for doing so. I've been a Bills fan my entire life, and watching them step on toes for that club until a couple years ago was awful. Coincidentally, once they got their noses out of the football side of things, the team started to turn around for the first time in 20+ years.

The Pegulas' constantly poking around in things, coupled with a dude who seems (rightfully so, arguably) constantly unhappy in Eichel, makes for a pretty bad situation for anyone. Not that I think Botterill is some kind of GM wunderkind, but I don't know that anyone else could've done more in that spot.

Anyway, bring him back. I don't see how anything negative could come from a guy with experience and familiarity with the club returning to be an assistant GM again.
 

Honour Over Glory

Fire Sully
Jan 30, 2012
77,316
42,447
A guy who's not willing to swallow his pride and go back to the best school available is of no use anyway imo, because he isn't going to learn.

Not that we're necessarily the best school mind. But the only smart thing for him to do is go get an AGM role with another smart GM and keep learning.
The thing is some people are great as assistants but not the main boss, there's nothing wrong with that but seeing Botts do THE job, it's clear he's a solid assistant, but when it comes to being the guy that has the final say, he shouldn't be that bloke.

If he comes back, fine, but I don't think I would want him near the GM succession. I think making him head of something else is better. He's a fantastic cap guy and in that realm. Utilize him in that way, let him be the greatest that ever did that.
 

Gurglesons

Registered User
Dec 18, 2009
91,453
73,640
San Diego, CA
last-train-tocool.blogspot.com
The thing is some people are great as assistants but not the main boss, there's nothing wrong with that but seeing Botts do THE job, it's clear he's a solid assistant, but when it comes to being the guy that has the final say, he shouldn't be that bloke.

If he comes back, fine, but I don't think I would want him near the GM succession. I think making him head of something else is better. He's a fantastic cap guy and in that realm. Utilize him in that way, let him be the greatest that ever did that.

I’d much rather have Botts over anyone else we have as a potential GM candidate.
 
  • Like
Reactions: That1Kid

Ryder71

Registered User
Nov 24, 2017
22,831
11,036
Botterill was liked by pretty much everyone in his time with the Pens. It would make a lot of sense if he were to come back into the fold. That said I wouldn't necessarily be keen on him ascending to GM once JR retires. He'd be a very strong number two or three however.
 

Peat

Registered User
Jun 14, 2016
29,290
25,206
I’d much rather have Botts over anyone else we have as a potential GM candidate.

I'd agree, but I'm not sure that means I want Botterill lined up either. Barring anything happening to Rutherford tomorrow, the odds should be on the next GM coming from outside the org. If Botterill comes back, should that change?

The thing is some people are great as assistants but not the main boss, there's nothing wrong with that but seeing Botts do THE job, it's clear he's a solid assistant, but when it comes to being the guy that has the final say, he shouldn't be that bloke.

If he comes back, fine, but I don't think I would want him near the GM succession. I think making him head of something else is better. He's a fantastic cap guy and in that realm. Utilize him in that way, let him be the greatest that ever did that.

I dunno man. I subscribe heavily to Buffalo being a massive tire fire and it being hard to judge. And how many people would have said Sully had shown he's a solid assistant but not right to be the man when he was busy being Torts' assistant? Enough guys close to him thought he had the main boss mentality that I'm not willing to write it off just because of one indifferent stint in a crap role.


When it comes down to it, I'm fencesitting on Botterill. We don't know enough about what the guy was doing about the scenes and most importantly, we don't know enough about what lessons he'll take away from this failure. For all we know, we'll look back in twenty years as this being Botterill's making.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Honour Over Glory

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->