9:00 PM: A source within the organization tells the Associated Press’ John Wawrow that 12 scouts have been fired today. This is believed to be more than half of the Sabres’ scouting staff. Also included in the purge was Assistant Director of Amateur Scouting Jeff Crisp.
4:05 PM: Director of Amateur Scouting Ryan Jankowski has also been relieved of his duties with the Buffalo Sabres, per Elliotte Friedman.
2:52 PM: After now-former-GM Jason Botterill was let go from the Buffalo Sabres earlier today, it was perhaps more surprising to hear that two well-regarded assistants would be cut loose from Buffalo as well. Apparently, more carnage is coming. It’s not yet clear the extent to which layoffs will be made, but there are more firings to come, per The Athletic’s John Vogl. Scouts and hockey operations personnel may be cut loose by the end of the day. Per Vogl, these changes were not at all anticipated by those inside the building.
Chris Taylor is the latest name to be let loose from Buffalo. The Amerks head coach has been officially relieved of his duties. This comes following the news earlier in the day that Rochester GM Randy Sexton was also let go. Taylor’s assistants in Rochester, Gord Dineen and Toby Peterson, have also been fired, per Mike Harrington of TBN Sports.
After nine straight losing seasons, the Sabres don’t have a ton of public capital saved up, and they’ve lost some more today. Sweeping changes have come at a strange time, given previous comments made by ownership and the general (if slight) upward trajectory of the organization over the last calendar year. Whatever the reason for the changes, the organization made some bold decisions today, and there are some respected hockey minds hitting the open market right now.
The Sabres have hired Blank Slate to fill the other positions. He is known for not filling positions and going hog wild to keep the Sabres moving. More later.
@joefriday14 – …or, more of the same, later… Now showing at a (drama) theater near you: “The 3-Alarm Pegula-inspired Tire Fire!”, featuring creative consultant E. Melnyk… (and waiting in the wings to take over as new creative consultant, Blank Slate – the guy we describe as having a “Head like a Cinder Block”)
Who is a worse owner the Pegulas or Eugene Melnyk?
Melnyk by a mile. At least the Pegulas have invested in the team and the city.
@rdiddy75 – It may be a tie…for last place! Buffalo’s fan base is better overall, since Ottawa is fractured into Leafs/Habs/Sens. I think Buffalo fans may very well be at a boiling point, with some thinking out loud “It can’t get any worse”, only to see it getting worse… Kinda feel for them, really.
It’s Melnyk by a county mile. Guy lost the Senators charity along with what looks a major scam with his organ donation charity when it raised a million dollars but only donated 5 grand towards organ donations. People in Ottawa 100% don’t go to games because they think it directly hurts him. Buffalo is getting close to that but at least the owners there pump money into the team it just always seems to be on the wrong players see Jeff Skinner as a prime example
Pegula has never ordered a forensic investigation into a hockey game.
How the hell can they get rid of Chris Taylor? He’ll be picked up by an organization which knows something about hockey before the week is out.
Well looks like the oilers are out…
Ken Holland and Dave Tippett say “hi!” They seem to have done alright since being brought into their roles in systems.
Managed to dump Lucic for Neal and grabbed some cheap Euro guys to fill out their roster.
But hey, its still the MacT and KLowe Oilers right?
The Sabres fired all these people from the scouting department before the draft. That’s an interesting tactic. Not sure how well that is going to work out
they were taking notes from the LA Angels evidently
i just listened to a Taylor Swift parody called “we are never getting back to the playoffs” that was about the Sabres.
Get me the Warthog
Good to see Buffalo is as incompetent as ever. I can not understand the purpose in firing so many of the scouts right before the draft when they’ve done typically a decent enough draft. Buffalo has the talent, but the coaching has just never been there. Ralph Krueger isn’t a good coach, spent five years before his hiring as director of an EPL football team. Every decision this organization is more baffling than the last. Fire the GM, sure, but they’ve done basically nothing to correct their flaws and have only created more problems.