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For as much "natural, organic" communication Ralph Krueger had with Sabres general manager Jason Botterill, and despite the comfort level he felt with owners Terry and Kim Pegula, Buffalo's new bench boss has a team to run. And it's something he hasn't done in a while. Krueger obviously impressed Sabres president Kim Pegula after already convincing Botterill that he should be Buffalo's next head coach but now comes the tough part--convincing his team that he, the coaching staff he surrounds himself with and the systems they want to employ are worthy of their trust.
It's been four years in the muck for the Sabres under two head coaches, both of whom lasted only two years. Stanley Cup-winning head coach Dan Bylsma's aloof nature wore on the players and although they were able to play semi-respectably, locker room discord may have been the predominant reason why he was canned. Rookie head coach Phil Housley replaced him and as the team got worse, the locker room reached perilous depths eventually forcing the trade of No. 2 center Ryan O'Reilly to St. Louis after the Sabres last place finish in 2017-18. Although Housley's second season was better points-wise thanks to a 10-game winning streak and the abysmal prior season, things fell apart, the players seemed to lose interest half way through and he was shown the door as well.
Krueger's well aware of what transpired in Buffalo over the last two seasons. His conversations with Botterill certainly covered that and if he didn't' get a full picture the toll losing had taken on the hockey community, he probably got an earful from the unsuspecting fans he interacted with at different bars while watching the playoffs on TV in Buffalo. One could only imagine what he heard in those conversations, but it seems as if he gained a full appreciation of what the fans were going through and a better idea as to what had been going on throughout Sabreland.
The new head coach covered a lot of ground in his nearly 25 minute conference call this past week, and one of the questions he was asked near the end had to do with the morass the Sabres have been in lately. What makes him think that he can turn this team as is into a contender, and how he intends to approach the cultural problems?
"At heart I'm an optimistic coach and an optimistic person," said Krueger a bit later in his answer, "but I don't believe I'm a dreamer. I believe I'm a realist and I'm looking at what I see here. I know we're going to work hard during the summer to add pieces, to make some adjustments to the roster. The parity in the National Hockey League is what makes the league so great. Where Buffalo has been and where we're going to go is percentage points that make the difference and it's getting those percentage points right.
"I believe that all great players and developing players need some pain to understand the complete game that's necessary to be a success in the NHL and the players I've mentioned before, especially the young ones, had that experience whether it was last year or over the last few years."
The players he mentioned begin with captain Jack Eichel and included Sam Reinhart, Casey Mittelstadt, Rasmus Dahlin and Rasmus Ristolainen. Mittelstadt and Dahlin just completed their first full season with the club while the rest have been in this losing cycle for four years, or in Ristolainen's case, five and a half years. They've been through this movie and the ending hasn't been all that great. They'll be walking into this relationship with a healthy does of skepticism and enduring trust will take a lot of work.
Krueger has a good idea as to what they've been through and says he'll approach it by listening first. "The most important communication for me early on will be to listen, to communicate with the players and the staff and to learn about what has been going on and where the opportunity to take the club to another level lies. I know that I'm a good listener and I'd like to process that and keep the lines of communication open in good times and bad.
"Let's make sure we're continuing to strive for an environment where everybody knows what their expectations are. That's what communication does, it clears what we expect from each other and what we expect from the way we want to play eventually on the ice."
At Botterill's press conference announcing the hire, the GM was effusive in his praise for Krueger's personal approach with players. "There’s an energy to him right off the bat. And I think players are going to feel a comfort with him. I think he does find out, gets to know players on a personal level, understands when a player needs some positive reinforcement and when someone needs a little push. And when we talked to some of the players that had worked under Ralph, some star players in the National Hockey League that have worked under Ralph, there was a real buy-in from the players that this guy cared about them and that this guy wanted the best, not only for them individually, but for the team. And I think when players feel that, it’s a buy-in from both sides."
Although Krueger's preliminary approach isn't anything groundbreaking should this foundation hold true, this group of players might very well see it as refreshing considering what they've been trhough already. Bylsma and Housley were what they were as head coaches for the Sabres. Bylsma was a Cup-winner and his way is what made him successful in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization. No one thinks he's a bad coach, but he couldn't transfer what he did in Pittsburgh to Buffalo and personnel was a big factor in it. Housley was a rookie coach who had success as an assistant while grooming the best group of defensemen in the NHL prior to his departure. What he did with the Nashville Predators didn't transfer to the Sabres because of personnel.
From all indications, Krueger is regarded as a coach who will work with what he has to get the best out of them. Even though he spent the last six years in the front office of a Premier League Soccer team, Botterill said, "he is a kid from Manitoba who loves the game of hockey. He loves coaching and has a passion about being a teacher. I think [he has] the ability to get he most out of his group. I think he also adapts to the group. So once he gets in here, once he relates to players and understands, he has an ability to see what type of style he can play that’s eventually going to give the best results for the Buffalo Sabres."
This is a young group at it's core and as with all teams, there's a mix of personalities and egos that need to be managed. This is also a group that has been through a lot of losing and has a keen eye for B.S. Housley lost his team as they fell into the abyss beginning in mid-December and no amount of talk was going to get them to buy-in. The Sabres went a franchise record 47 games between winning back-to-back games and only accomplished that feat in the final two-games of the season. They also had the league's worst record from January 1 onward.
Krueger said he'll be meeting with Eichel and Reinhart in Slovakia where they're taking part in the IIHF World Championships for Team USA and Team Canada, respectively. In Eichel and Reinhart, Krueger has somewhat kindred spirits with differing egos and styles. Eichel is a fiery competitor who's become an elite player but still has a lot to give. Reinhart is more of a quiet player who's outward persona is a calm, professional demeanor with methodical play who's enjoyed a steady increased production. Those are the two primaries but the Sabres also have Ristolainen, a chiseled defenseman and more of a loner with plenty of skills balanced by deficiencies, and Kyle Okposo, who's more of a quiet, veteran player that exudes professionalism but has struggled mightily in Buffalo.
In addition to that, Krueger will need to figure out what's best suited for his collection of players as a team. Buffalo has some good overall speed and the goal is to play an aggressive, up-tempo game involving all five players on the ice, but they've had scattered success over the past four seasons playing such. Bylsma's base was a stretch-pass oriented system using defensemen who couldn't make that play while Housley was an "activate-the-defense-at-all-costs" coach who's blueline emphasis was so offensive that the team had no idea what to do in their own zone.
Perhaps Krueger can find the right formula. "I like the way Jason has been putting this group together and the way he thinks," said the coach. "He understands the necessity of being strong with and without the puck and developing a team game that's dynamic and allows this core group of players to develop and show their skill, but at the same time find the discipline as a group to defend properly.
"That will be high on our agenda."
Krueger's coaching on the international stage helped pique Botterill's interest, especially with what has transpired the last two seasons with him in charge. His predecessor left him with a problem roster full of cap-trouble and the coach he hired ended up being in way over his head. Although it would seem as if the Pegula's trust him enough to give him a longer leash, another year like last season might put Botterill directly on the hot seat with his toes touching the fire. The pressure's on him and it would seem as if he hired himself a coach who can handle pressure situations.
"Ralph is a great communicator and has a history of being a strong leader," said Botterill. "We like the fact that he was on the bench for three years in Edmonton, but we also put a lot of stock into his experience at the World Championships, World Cup and at the Olympics. Those are high-pressure situations where you have to make adjustments, you have to make quick decisions. And he got results in those situations."
Botterill pointed explicitly to two international competitions. The first that caught his attention was Team Switzerland pulling off a stunning upset of Team Canada in the preliminary round at the 2006 Winter Olympics. The other was at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey when Krueger took Team Europe to the finals before losing to a stacked Team Canada.
The pressure is dialed up for both Botterill and Krueger this summer and heading into next season. Kruger expects to be spending the next four months putting together a coaching staff, getting to know his players and devising a game-plan for the group Botterill (with some of Krueger's input) puts together. From now until October when the real bullets fly, it's all talk and the ease with which he was able to communicate his vision to Botterill and the Pegulas might be a cake-walk compared to the task he'll have getting the players to perform. Past stars have given him due respect for what he was able to do for them individually and as a team, which should help, and Krueger seems to have an honesty about him and his approach to the game that should help warm any chilling-effect left over from the previous head coaches.
However, when all's said and done, it's about winning. Krueger believes this team is "ready to become a contender" and that they can do so "quite quickly."
For all involved, including everyone in Sabreland, let's hope he's right.
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