According to Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider, Mike Futa was in the running for the Buffalo Sabres GM job, but will be “no longer under heavy consideration”. Futa always seemed like a long-shot because of the recent promotion he’d received from the Kings to the position of assistant general manager. Rosen reports that he’s “excited” to continue with the Kings.
So, with one more out of the way for Buffalo the search narrows even further. Jason Botterill, Penguins’ associate general manager still appears to be the favorite, though the team is obviously weighing its options very carefully. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported this morning that the team had asked at least one candidate if they were comfortable being hired before a President of Hockey Operations was brought in, making it sound like they’ll take even more time to make that decision, should they go that direction.
Futa would have been an excellent choice, though he hasn’t been in charge of a team since his days with the Oshawa Generals. Botterill comes with almost as little time in the GM chair, only serving on an interim basis between Ray Shero and Jim Rutherford in Pittsburgh. Should the Sabres go with an assistant GM, it would be interesting to see if they bring in a more experienced manager in a senior role.