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Butcher Block

August 15, 2017, 10:32 AM ET [15 Comments]
GARTH'S CORNER
NHL news by Garth • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Will Butcher is on Jason Botterill's Doppler radar.

I had an email exchange this morning with the agent of Will Butcher, the agent for 2017 Hobey Baker Award winner.


Brian Bartlett told me today, August 15, is the final day that the Colorado Avalanche will own Butcher's rights. However, Butcher will become a popular player at 12:01 am Wednesday.

"Colorado has Will's rights "through and including August 15th" so tomorrow is the day.".


"I am anticipating considerable interest based on his college and international track record so I'll keep my phone charged tomorrow!"

IF the Sabres phone Camp Butcher Wednesday at 12:01 am EDT, they will have their ears on and eyes wide open, focused towards the Sabres.


Wednesday August 16.

That's when 30 NHL teams can take their best shot at landing 2017 Hobey Baker winner Will Butcher. The fleet-footed defenseman just completed his four year obligation at the University of Denver . Butcher recently broke the news to the Colorado Avalanche that he will be testing the NHL free agency market. Colorado drafted Butcher in the fifth round in 2013. They own Butcher's exclusive negotiating rights until August 15.


Bartlett told me by email last month that he and Butcher are taking a methodical approach to. Bartlett and Butcher will listen with interest to all interested NHL teams. Including Jason Botterill should the Buffalo Sabres happen to express interest in Butcher.


Buffalo might be Butcher's final destination.



Why the Sabres?


New Buffalo Sabres head coach Phil Housley loves to play a five-man-attack-system that features his defenseman jumping into the rush with speed and supporting the puck, below the face off circles, in the offensive zone.


In his first thirteen weeks on the job, Botterill has done a great job of rebuilding his blue line.
Botterill made trades for veterans Marco Scandella and Nathan Beaulieu. He also added Russian free agent Viktor Antipin. Adding three quality defenders to an impressive core of Rasmus Ristolainen, Jake McCabe, Zach Bogosian and Josh Gorges will add immediate value to the Buffalo blue line.


Adding Butcher would all the more improve the overall skill level of Phil Housley's D corps.

Butcher plays both sides of the puck with great dexterity and attention to detail. He possesses a unique blend of skill, vision, speed, escapability and creativity.



Here are some logical reasons why signing with Buffalo makes a lot of sense for Butcher:


• Housley coached Butcher at the 2012 CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game in Buffalo.


• Butcher played with Sabres center Zemgus Girgensons at the USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints.

• Butcher also played at the USNDP with Sabres Jack Eichel, Hudson Fasching and Sean Malone.


"You make some good points there. We are in "wait-and-see" mode right now until the 15th. If the Sabres call then, we will certainly be happy to hear them out!"


The Avalanche selected Butcher in the fifth round (123rd overall) in 2013 but couldn't come to contract terms with the player.

At 5'10" and 190 lbs., Butcher reminds this observer of Anaheim D Sami Vatanen and Nashville puck mover Ryan Ellis.


A product of the U.S. National Development Program, Butcher played four seasons at the University of Denver.

In 158 career games with the Pioneers, Butcher scored 28 goals and 75 assists for 103 points.

In 2016-17, Butcher set career personal best for points (37) and games played (42). Butcher scored 7 goals and 37 assists last season.





Botterill, a 1996 NCAA men's hockey national champion at the University of a Michigan, covets college hockey players like himself.

Botterill was a prime mover and assisted Ray Shero and Jim Rutherford in assembling Pittsburgh's three Stanley Cup winning rosters in the past eight years. Botterill has a thing for NCAA trained hockey players. There is no denying his keen eye for talent. While his peers are fishing for talent in the crowded lakes of Canadian junior hockey, Botterill prefers to fish the high-yield waters of U.S. college hockey.

Find me another NHL GM that champions college hockey more than Botterill.

Remember when the Pittsburgh Penguins were finalists to the NY Rangers and Buffalo Sabres in the Jimmy Vesey sweepstakes last summer? That was Botterill advocating for Vesey to join Sid, Geno, Phil The Thrill and the Penguins. Botterill and the Pens came close to closing Vesey, however, his heart ultimately led him to UMass on the Hudson River. Credit to Botterill for making a passionate case for why Vesey would have thrived in The Burgh. Vesey would be wearing a Stanley Cup ring today had he and his agent bought what Botterill was selling on August 16, 2016.

Shoulda. Coulda. Woulda.

Botterill knows full well that NCAA hockey players are bigger, stronger, older and more mature when they transition from the college ranks to pro hockey. The gap has closed dramatically between the Canadian junior hockey development model and the NCAA hockey model. Botterill is at the head of the table in terms of drafting, developing and cultivating prospects in U.S. college and U.S. National Development Program incubators.

Scan the Pittsburgh Penguins 2016-17 roster. You will see a Botterill's NCAA fingerprints all over it. Phil Kessel, Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust, Brian Dumoulin, Conor Sheary, Carter Rowney, Josh Archibald, and Ian Cole. Botterill has an NCAA bias. He won three Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh by Scouting, drafting, developing and acquiring college hockey 🏒 players. As assistant general manager in Pittsburgh the past ten seasons, Botterill played a huge role in player procurement and their eventual developement in AHL Wilkes Barre Scranton.

Botterill has brought his Pittsburgh best practices to Buffalo where the Sabres have a bevy of U.S. college and USNDP players on their roster and in their system. Jack Eichel, Kyle Okposo, Jake McCabe, Evan Rodrigues, and C.J. Smith.


Botterill just invested his eighth overall pick at the 2017 NHL Draft in Minnesota Golden agopher wizard Casey Mittelstadt.

Earlier this week, Burcher's agent told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette that his client isn't looking for a plug-n-play NHL opportunity. In other words, he isn't trying to leverage his way onto an NHL roster straight away. What Butcher is interested in is signing with a team that has a plan in mind for him. If that means playing a year in the AHL then playing 10+ years in the NHak, then so be it.



"That’s not what we’re looking to hear – that you can step right in," Bartlett said. "Will’s a very grounded and bright kid. He’s been around the game a long time. His dad’s a coach. They really understand that they’re trying to build a career here. It’s not who can get him there the fastest. It’s really who’s got a plan for him to be an NHL player for a long time if he puts in the work."




How great will it be if Botterill out sells his old Pittsburgh boss Jim Rutherford and closes Butcher on the Buffalo Sabres ?
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