Jaded-Fan
Registered User
Botts in a nutshell: in 2018 the Sabres had the top pick in every round. Toronto wanted our 6th rounder and Botts gave it to them for their 6th rounder in 2019 and nothing else (straight swap). I think anyone here can see how comically stupid that was: it would literally be impossible for the pick we got to be equal to the one given up. It was like something out of a comedy sketch and should've been a huge red flag that he was a total mark. Everything he's done since has done nothing but confirm it.
Not commenting on his job overall, but that is not a great example. For one reason that GM is a very very small close group and they do tend to do small solids for one another and then get ones back later.
In this case as one example of may have been what happened, Toronto must have liked a certain player and Botts did not have much of a preference so banked a favor.
The chances of a sixth round pick at any order making the team is not high, becoming anything of note even longer odds, so unless he really liked someone there is not that great a difference. I mean yeah, a pick later in the sixth is worth less on paper than the first pick, but not markedly at that point so bank that solid and get it back later.