Maybe.
Or maybe most new GM's would want to see their players, coached by their guys, playing their system... before lopping too many heads. Especially with a team as dysfunctional as the Sabres were, on and off the ice.
Amazing he was able to handle expansion draft protections and trades with so little information
The irony of your argument is that Botts got to see his system, coach, and shitty player additions (Pouliot, Nolan, Josefson, etc)... and what he saw in all his terrible decisions, was that ROR had to go.
He’s the Ron Rolson of GMs. He’s not just a GM who made some bad trades. He’s in a position/job two levels above his capability.