Botterill | Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres add to front office, hire Jason Karmanos as associate GM

After Kevyn Adams took over as Buffalo Sabres general manager last June, he said he wanted to catch his breath and develop an understanding of what he needed for his front office.

Adams, who had never worked in a hockey department, inherited a skeleton crew with no assistant GMs after the Sabres fired GM Jason Botterill and 21 members of his department.

On Wednesday, Adams added a major piece, hiring Jason Karmanos as associate GM.... Read the full article

Kevyn Adams: Don Granato ‘absolutely … in the mix’ for Sabres’ coaching job

Even before Don Granato started winning games and unlocking talent from struggling players, Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said he wanted the interim coach to be in the mix when he began pursuing a regular coach.

“From the beginning, I always thought that Donnie should be part of this conversation regardless of what happens exactly on the wins and losses of our team,” Adams said on a Zoom call Tuesday after the trade deadline.... Read the full article

Dealing Brandon Montour to Panthers likely only Sabres’ first deadline trade

BUFFALO – Defenseman Brandon Montour, like so many of the Sabres’ other notable acquisitions in recent years, left town having never sniffed the playoffs.

The Sabres on Saturday traded Montour, who turns 27 today, to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a third-round pick in 2021.

Barely two years ago, ex-Sabres general manager Jason Botterill paid a steep price for Montour, sending defense prospect Brendan Guhle and a first-round pick to the Anaheim ... Read the full article

Sabres start dealing, trade defenseman Brandon Montour to Panthers

BUFFALO – The Sabres this afternoon made their first trade before Monday’s deadline, dealing defenseman Brandon Montour to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a third-round pick in 2021.

At the end of this afternoon’s practice inside KeyBank Center, Montour, who did not skate, said goodbye to his teammates from the bench.

Montour, who turns 27 on Sunday, has registered five goals, 14 points and a minus-13 rating in 38 games this season. He signed ... Read the full article

Don Granato takes over Sabres with coaching search underway

For the time being, Don Granato, a 53-year-old hockey lifer who has spent the last 27 years coaching or scouting in pro, college and junior, is leading the hapless Buffalo Sabres.

The Sabres on Wednesday named Granato their interim coach after firing Ralph Krueger in the midst of a 12-game losing streak.

Granato, who joined Krueger’s staff as an assistant last season, will be behind the bench tonight against the Boston Bruins at KeyBank ... Read the full article

Expansion Kraken hire ex-Sabres GM Jason Botterill as assistant

Former Buffalo Sabres general manager Jason Botterill has landed a new job as assistant GM of the Seattle Kraken, the expansion team announced today.

Botterill, 44, will be working with Kraken GM Ron Francis, a Hall of Fame player.

The Kraken begin play in the 2021-22 season.

“Everyone in hockey is extremely excited about what’s happening in Seattle, and I am thrilled for this unique opportunity,” Botterill said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to ... Read the full article

Casey Mittelstadt focused on making Sabres after having ‘blast’ with Amerks

On the surface, Casey Mittelstadt’s 36-game run with the Rochester Americans last season looks a little underwhelming.

In his first stint in the minors, Mittelstadt, 22, never morphed into a dominant AHL presence or forced his way back to the Buffalo Sabres. The center compiled nine goals, 25 points and a poor minus-15 rating – hardly numbers you might expect from an eighth overall pick with 114 games of NHL experience.

But Mittelstadt, who was ... Read the full article

Report: Sabres hire former defenseman Dan Girardi for player development role

The Buffalo Sabres have hired former NHL defenseman Dan Girardi, who played 927 games, for a player development role, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Girardi, 36, grew up in Welland, Ontario, with Matt Ellis, the Sabres’ new director of player development. The two are close friends.

Despite going undrafted, Girardi, who began his career in the ECHL, played 13 seasons in the NHL. He spent 11 years with the New York Rangers before playing ... Read the full article

Sabres re-sign Casey Mittelstadt to one-year contract

The Buffalo Sabres locked up their last restricted free agent today, signing center Casey Mittelstadt to a one-year, $874,125 contract.

Mittelstadt, 22, struggled last season, compiling four goals, nine points and minus-5 rating in 31 NHL games before the Sabres demoted him.

In the AHL, Mittelstadt scored nine goals and 25 points in 36 outings but also generated a wretched minus-15 rating during his first stint with the Rochester Americans.

It’s unclear where ... Read the full article

Sam Reinhart excited about Sabres’ moves, fine with one-year contract

For the first time since Sam Reinhart played for the Vancouver NW Giants in 2010-11, the Buffalo Sabres winger is spending the fall at home.

Normally, Reinhart, who turns 25 on Friday, would be one month into a new hockey season. Since leaving home in 2011, he has spent his Octobers and Novembers in Kootenay, British Columbia, where he played junior, or Buffalo.

But the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the NHL to push back the ... Read the full article