Sabres' co-owner confirms GM Botterill will return next season

Buffalo Sabres co-owner Kim Pegula has confirmed general manager Jason Botterill will be back for the 2020-21 season, according to John Wawrow of 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," Pegula said. "We have a little bit more information than maybe a fan does, some inner workings that we see some positives in."

Next season will be Botterill's fourth in Buffalo after serving as assistant GM with the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2009 to 2017.

Botterill has overseen plenty of turnover during his Sabres tenure, including trading away Ryan O'Reilly, Evander Kane, and Robin Lehner in separate deals, and making a splash by acquiring Jeff Skinner prior to the 2018-19 season.

Botterill brought in Phil Housley to be the team's head coach shortly after he was hired. Housley was replaced after two seasons, with current bench boss Ralph Krueger taking the reins.

The Sabres haven't made the playoffs since 2012. This season, they finished 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 30-31-8 record, three points shy of qualifying for the NHL's expanded postseason format.