Jason Botterill will return for a fourth season as Sabres GM

If any fans of the Buffalo Sabres were hoping the team would return in 2020-21 with a new general manager, they are going to be disappointed. Sabres co-owner and team president Kim Pegula said Jason Botterill will return for a fourth season as GM, despite the team missing the playoffs for the ninth season in a row.

“He's our GM. Our plan is to continue with him,” Pegula said in a Zoom interview with the Associated Press

“I realize, maybe it's not popular with the fans, but we have to do the things that we feel are right,” she said. “We have a little bit more information than maybe a fan does, some inner workings that we see some positives in.”

That said, Pegula stressed having Botterill return doesn't mean ownership is happy with the team's 13th place finish in the Eastern Conference this season.

"Believe me, I don't think anyone knows the frustrations more than Terry and I do,” Pegula said. “Coach and Jason know they've got to show not only us, but they've got to show it to the fans. And they know that. They understand that.”

With the NHL's 24-team playoff format now officially approved, the Sabres missed getting into the tournament by the slimmest of margins. However, Pegula said the team voted in favour of the format anyway.

“Listen, we should've won another game or two back in the day. We didn't. So that's no fault of any other club. That's on us,” she said. “Although I don't like the way it concluded, but it's the best thing for the league to conclude the season.”

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