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Sabres Asked, Drury Said No |
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The Sabres asked. The Rangers declined permission to interview their AGM Chris Drury.
So says my friend in all things NHL, red wine, Howard Stern and family. Elliotte Friedman reports that Drury won't interview with Buffalo Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula for their GM vacancy.
Friedman reports that Buffalo asked the Rangers for permission. The Rangers then consulted with Drury, who decided it is not yet time to be an NHL GM.
Mark my words:
Drury, 40, will be a successful NHL GM in the near future. I'm told that Drury very much likes his position and stature with the Rangers because he can work and live in close proximity. Drury, his wife and kids live in suburban Connecticut.
I see a pay raise in Drury's near future in Manhattan.
Drury and Pittsburgh AGM Bill Guerin are presently selecting the players roster for Team USA's squad that will compete at the IIHF World Championships. Buffalo's Jack Eichel should throw serious amounts of shade at Drury while in his company at The Worlds.
Wondering if there is still scar tissue that exists between Drury and the Sabres organization. I don't know why there would be considering the Pegulas didn't start the unrestricted free agency fire that forced Drury and Danny Briere to flee Buffalo in July 2007.
Terry and Kim Pegula are feverishly searching for their fifth different head coach since taking ownership of the Sabres franchise in 2011. Coincidentally, 2011 was the last time that the Buffalo Sabres last earned a playoff berth.
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I've been staying all week at the same resort hotel in Las Vegas where the National Association of Broadcasters annual convention is being held.
A Columbus source confirmed for me that the Buffalo Sabres are eager to interview Columbus Blue Jackets assistant general manager Bill Zito. I'm told the interview could occur this weekend, after the Pegulas wrap up their involvement in the NFL Draft. The Pegulas own the NHL Buffalo Sabres and the NFL Buffalo Bills
Zito is a respected hockey man and was named AGM of the Columbus Blue Jackets In August 2013. Zito boasts three decades of experience encompassing a variety of aspects of the game of hockey. Since joining the Blue Jackets, Zito has been an integral part of the Columbus management team in the areas of: contract negotiations, scouting and player evaluation, salary cap management and budgeting.
Zito is also the GM of the Cleveland Monsters, Columbus’ AHL affiliate. In 2015-16, the then Lake Erie Monsters won the AHL championship and the Calder Cup.
Zito was a member of the management team for the USA Hockey National Team that won a bronze medal at the 2015 IIHF World Hockey Championships. Sabres super center Jack Eichel played on the squad.
Zito joined the Blue Jackets after using scouting as a platform to build Acme World Sports into one of the top hockey agencies in the business. In 2013 Forbes magazine ranked Acme as the eighth-most valuable hockey agency in the world with almost $200 million in contracts under management. In 2007, The Hockey News lauded Zito in their “genius” issue for his scouting prowess noting his ability to uncover late-round or undrafted, lesser-known players as well as the top picks. As the agency’s founder and president, he represented players such as Vezina Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Tim Thomas, Vezina Trophy winner Tuukka Rask, Vezina Trophy finalist Antti Niemi and All-Stars Kimmo Timonen and Brian Rafalski.
The Blue Jackets would be wise to grant Zito permission to interview with Buffalo. He is ready, willing and able to be an NHL GM. He is progressive, forward thinking, and has a real keen eye for young talent. Zito can scout and identify future stars like nobody's business.
Zito could flip into his Rolodex to find trade partners to unload Buffalo's bad contracts on in exchange for more young prospects, established stars and premium draft choices.
Zito, in my opinion, is the type of hockey man who can trade an Evander Kane for a top pair D. Did he not mastermind the Ryan Johansen for Seth Jones trade?
Sabres fans must remember that Kane was Tim Murray's conquest. The new GM might not be as tolerant of Kane's off ice behavior nor his lack of commitment to being a good teammate. Trade Kane's $5.25M AAV now for a high first round draft choice or an established 1-3 defender ( see: Ryan Ellis, Roman Josi, Cam Fowler, Brandon Montour, Shea Theodore, Olli Maatta, Ryan Murray, Noah Hanifin, Jaccob Slavin, Shayne Gotisbehere, Sam Morin, Travis Sanheim).
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My updated list of Sabres GM candidate list:
Tom Fitzgerald, AGM New Jersey Devils
Mike Futa, AGM LA Kings
Bill Guerin, AGM Pittsburgh Penguins
Bill Zito, AGM Columbus Blue Jackets
Jason Botterill, Associate GM Pittsburgh Penguins
My sources tell me to double down on Botterill.
I've been in Vegas all week and am told that Botterill was on the short final list of candidates for the Vegas GM job that eventually was awarded to George McOhee.
Botterill, 40, has worked with the Penguins since 2007-2008 and in that time has ascended the team’s ranks from director of hockey administration to assistant GM to his current role as associate GM. Botterill is also GM of the Penguins’ top minor league affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He has been part of the Penguins leadership group that led them to two Stanley Cups as well as one additional Cup Final in his Pittsburgh tenure.
Botterill is a respected cap guru of the Penguins. Botterill gives Jim Rutherford the cap space needed to make player acquisitions and trades to theOens. Botterill has a knack for making the money work out. Botterill has been tasked with adding players to augment and support Sidney Crosby and Geno Malikn. I'd say that Botterill has had the Midas Touch.
Botterill plays a prominent role on the development of Penguins players. Working heavily with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Connor Sheary, Matt Murray, Bryan Rust, Brian Dumoulin, Jake Guentzel, Tom Kuhnhackl and other kids were ready for prime time when called upon last season during the regular season when injuries wreaked havoc on veteran Penguins players.
Botterill played the final three seasons of his NHL career with the Buffalo Sabres and Rochester Americans. Botterill was a big, grinding left winger who was selected 20th overall by the Dallas Stars in 1994.
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