Buffalo Sabres & NHL 2018-19: Sabres picking 7th overall (6/21/19). Ralph Krueger hire as new head coach!

[BillsFan4]

9 minutes ago, K-GunJimKelly12 said:

I think what is broken is Botterill.  He has done a very poor job so far.  He traded Ryan O'Reilly for basically scraps.  A trade that was widely criticized when it was made.  The pick they will get for O'Reilly will be close in value to the pick they gave up for in acquiring Skinner.  Berglund who retired mid-season and Sobotka were vastly overvalued by Botterill and instead of providing veteran depth like Botterill had expected, the were both net negatives.  Sobotka had some the worst advanced stats this past season.  Tage Thompson who was about the 5th best prospect in the Blues organization, Thomas, Dunn, etc, I would say is unlikely at this point to develop into a top 6 forward.  He may have a hard time sticking in the NHL all together.  So you basically gave up one of the top 3 two way centers in the league for a late first round pick and a average prospect.  Not a blue chipper at all.  That is just terrible asset management.  If he was mandated by ownership to make a move before the bonus kicked in that is one thing, and we have a whole other problem we didn't think we would have with the Pegulas at the helm.  If there was no mandate, it is hard to have any confidence at all in him going forward.  It is an all time bad Sabres trade.

 

Think of it this way,  If we don't re-sign Skinner, we basically gave up almost all the value from pick we received in the O'Reilly trade.  How does this look:

 

TO Buffalo:

 

1 year of Jeff Skinner where you don't make the playoffs

29th overall pick in 2019

Thompson

Berglung

Sobotka

 

To other teams:

 

Ryan O'Reilly

36th overall pick in 2019

3rd round pick in 2020

Cliff Pu

 

Botterill's handling of Skinner was another one.  I am always in favor of paying guys right away when you trade for them.  Good Gm's do it all the time with guys they trade for and have one year left on their contract.  If you go without signing them it is guaranteed that you will pay more in the future.  Skinner has been a pretty consistent scorer and we should have got a deal done right away.  The market at that time was 7 years, $7 million per for a player of his caliber.  That is what Kane got.  Botterill waited and waited and couldn't make it happen.  Now you are looking at an 8 year $8-9 million deal to keep him.  If he walks, it will be a like a mini Briere/Drury and the Sabres will look foolish.  If he stays, you just payed an absolute premium to keep him.  If Botterill knew he wasn't close to a deal, he should have traded him at the deadline.  Teams were giving up firsts this year and we would have had a nice return.  Of course Botterill would have been the one negotiating, so maybe we wouldn't have. 

 

Then there are the stupid add-ons like we can't trade Matt Hunwick, or we will have to give up more.  Seriously WTF was that?  Matt freaking Hunwick.  Also the insanely stupid Reinhart bridge deal that will end up costing us probably around 2-3 million more in cap space for what were suppose to be the cup window years lmao.  If we do re-sign Skinner, you will have to give Reinhart more in two years.

 

I think Botts is in over his head and should have stayed an assistant.  I have no confidence in the guy. 

 

 

 The ROR trade looks terrible right now. I won’t defend it. But Thompson was their 3rd best prospect IMO, if you don’t count the most recent draft that had just happened a week ago. It was Thomas, Kyrou and then Thompson (dunn wasn’t a prospect anymore). 

 

 

I too would have likes to sign Skinner right away but it was reported that he wasn’t ready to negotiate a contract. He wanted to see what buffalo was like and how he fit (etc). We have no idea at what point he became open to negotiating, but it was reported that negotiations started around the all-star break (or shortly after) and that both parties felt good about getting an extension done eventually.

 

So you can’t blame Botts for not trading him at the deadline. That’s not the best strategy to further negotiations. The Sabres were still technically fighting for a wildcard spot, too. 

 

Plus, Skinner has a full no movement clause so he fully controlled the situation (That’s how he ended up getting traded here for so cheap in the first place). 

 

There were reports (from Jeremy White’s secret Sabres source iirc, so not the most reliable) that Skinner was originally asking for $9+M, as well. If that’s the case you can’t blame Botterill for not signing him. Skinner’s great but he’s not worth $9M a year. 

 

Stuff like this is hard to judge without all of the proper information.

 

I still haven’t lost hope of Skinner signing, though. Even if it goes to the tampering window so both sides can see what the offers are like. We can still offer that 8th year up until July 1st. And Skinner supposedly wanted to be near his family in Toronto (and there’s no way the leafs are happening). Maybe Botterill plays his bluff and gets us a fair/good deal... (I can dream, right? lol)

 

 

 

Hunwick was the reason Botterill got Sherry for a 4th. He used the Pens cap situation and Hunwick’s contract to pry sherry away on the cheap. So I can see why Rutherford would want some type of protection in place in case Botterill tried to turn around and flip Hunwick for a late pick or something. 

I don’t see this as anything to criticize. I actually see it as a smart strategy by Botterill to use a bit of the Sabres extra cap space to acquire a good depth player for cheap (something the Sabres need more of). 

 

 

 

And as for the Reinhart deal, you have to look at it fairly. Botterill only saw 1 year of Reinhart before he had to sign him to a new deal.

 

Look back at that season. For the first half of the year Reinhart only had 11 total points in 38 games. Then went on a tear scoring 39pts in 44. 

 

I can see why he wanted more time to evaluate reinhart before before handing out a big money long term deal.

 

We fans saw more of Reinhart and many were more sold on him. I wanted a longer term deal too. But I get where Botterill was coming from. Plus we don’t know how much Sam wanted. What if he was asking for $8M or something? Not saying he was, just say8ng we don’t have all the info. 

 

 

 

So far Botterill has been a mixed bag for me. I am still in wait and see mode. He’s done some good things (Montour trade, Skinner trade, Sherry trade, even the Scandella trade was pretty decent at the time). The only move I really hated was the ROR trade, and it looks like a doozy right now. Thompson’s development can help change that, as well as some huge luck with the 2 picks still coming (not holding my breath on that...).

But we also don’t know what role the Pegulas and that $7.5M payment played. The reportedly lose money on the Sabres, so I can’t necessarily blame the owners if they didn’t want to eat that payment. And ROR’s end of the year comments + ticking clock on the bonus didn’t exactly put buffalo in a position of strength in negotiating a trade. But it was still an awful trade that set the Sabres back. Struggling teams like buffalo can’t afford to make trades like that. You have to get a better return for a player of ROR’s caliber. It could be a move that haunts us for years if Tage doesn’t develop. 

 

Though the STL pick could still end up being part of the Montour trade, which would make it ROR for Montour, Thompson and a 2nd (plus Sobotka/Berglund). That would be a little better at least. 

 

Anyway.... 

 

This offseason is a big one for Botterill. He has to plug some holes somehow. 

And I’ll be holding my breath on any Risto trade. The return better be good if he’s traded. 

 

I still find myself cautiously optimistic about Botterill and the Sabres. I like the Krueger hire, especially if he lands a good experienced assistant coach. There’s a lot of potential there with Krueger. 

[BillsFan4]

 

 

Major mistakes of Edmonton Oilers management? One was axing Ralph Krueger, now head coach of the Buffalo Sabres

https://montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/nhl/cult-of-hockey/major-mistake-of-edmonton-oilers-management-one-was-axing-ralph-krueger-now-head-coach-of-the-buffalo-sabres/wcm/dcac2700-3bf1-4be9-bf3f-cad15ea812e9

 

 

 

Quote

For the record, and for anyone wanting to learn more about Krueger’s philosophy and how he was seen in Edmonton during his short tenure here, this is what we reported at the Cult of Hockey and Edmonton Journal on him:

 

Jonathan Willis, May 25, 2012: There’s no arguing with Krueger’s record at the international level.  He won everything he could possibly win – including a championship over teams from stronger European leagues – as a head coach in Austria, and his defense-first system helped propel Switzerland up the world rankings.  That track record is the reason why the Oilers could give a first-time NHL coach an ‘associate’ title without any controversy… One of Krueger’s responsibilities with the Oilers was the power play, which after years of struggling finished third in the NHL in 2011-12…. Krueger’s the man who drew up the plan and took an approach different from that pursued by the Oilers for years. “Everybody talks about the quarterback being back at the point. But, if you look at the truly great powerplays, they are led by a dangerous player off the hashmark,” Krueger said, and added had two such bodies — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Sam Gagner.

(continued in link)

 

Having the PP QB at the hash marks was actually somewhat of an innovative move at the time. Most PP’s were run from the point. 

 

Quote

Bruce McCurdy, June 28, 2012, when he was hired here, reports on Krueger in his own words from his first press conference as Oilers coach..... (continued in link)

 Some interesting quotes from his opening press conference. Gives a good idea of what he may be about as the Sabres head coach. Definitely worth a read. 

 

Quote

David Staples, Cult of Hockey, March 8, 2013: The coaching staff has generally had the right players on the ice at the right time. Under-performing veterans aren’t getting too much ice time, unless the coaches have no other options, which is sometimes the case. The Nugent-Hopkins line has been run into the ground, facing off against the top competition on other teams, but what other choice has there been for Ralph Krueger and his assistants? It’s clear Ales Hemsky and Ryan Smyth are no longer up to the challenge of facing off against top competition and Horcoff is out… Their options have been limited due to inexperience and lack of depth.

 

Quote

on why he doesn’t like putting his lines constantly into the blender: “There are certain advantages that grow out of lines also going through difficult games together. Because the conversations on the bench are always between those three…. I’m not a big fan of a lot of changing. What you can see within the games, I don’t mind mixing up lines once in a while through a game to try break it, throw somebody into another line… There’s a lot of flexibility there. But your foundation, in this league, where things are coming at us so fast, we need to find some continuity in the people we’re playing with to also have some things develop instinctually in those lines… We’re being extremely patient with this, more on the hope that the synergies can grow. If Nail (Yakupov) suddenly ends up in a completely different situation with different partners, he’s going to start at the zero point again.”

 

This sounds a bit like McDermott 

Quote

He says hello to one and all at the rink–media guy, Zamboni drivers, security people, visiting coaches, visiting writers.  He is also the right man for this job, eminently qualified through 20 years of coaching, in Europe and over here. He’s diligent in his preparation, a strong voice.

 

 

Hes known for getting everyone in the organization on the same page and pulling in the same direction. Krueger is a “culture changer”. 

Edited May 15, 2019 by BillsFan4

[YoloinOhio]

@BillsFan4 thanks for posting all these articles. I admittedly know very little about Krueger. He sounds a lot like what i think the organization needs. 

[plenzmd1]

1 hour ago, YoloinOhio said:

@BillsFan4 thanks for posting all these articles. I admittedly know very little about Krueger. He sounds a lot like what i think the organization needs. 

i have zero knowledge of the guy..but it does sound innovative and I am all for that

[JohnC]

17 minutes ago, plenzmd1 said:

i have zero knowledge of the guy..but it does sound innovative and I am all for that

I would have been happy with either Tippitt or Krueger. The Krueger hire was more of an outside the box from a conventional retread hire. I don't care who the coach is the bigger issue is adding talent. The GM has cap space to work with, some assets and picks to parlay. There will be opportunities to upgrade the roster. He needs to seize them. 

[GG]

Reading up on his background it's very clear that hiring the right assistants will be very important for his success.   I see more Marv Levy than Bill Belichick in his background.

[May Day 10]

If he can actuate a sense of leadership and accountability within that lockerroom, then he is worth it.  

[JohnC]

This is a Buffalo News article by Mike Harrington on the new coach. It emphasizes his ability to motivate.

 

 https://buffalonews.com/2019/05/15/mike-harrington-ralph-krueger-buffalo-sabres-nhl-world-cup-of-hockey/

[YoloinOhio]

18 minutes ago, May Day 10 said:

If he can actuate a sense of leadership and accountability within that lockerroom, then he is worth it.  

I feel like that is the biggest issue with the team. I understand talent is important but they do have some good pieces especially if they can keep Skinner. They need more but what you reference above is critical to me to success 

[PromoTheRobot]

33 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

I feel like that is the biggest issue with the team. I understand talent is important but they do have some good pieces especially if they can keep Skinner. They need more but what you reference above is critical to me to success 

 

The Sabres have needs but they aren't bereft of talent (assuming Skinner stays.) Krueger sounds like a fit as long as he coaches players and not a system.

[May Day 10]

1 hour ago, YoloinOhio said:

I feel like that is the biggest issue with the team. I understand talent is important but they do have some good pieces especially if they can keep Skinner. They need more but what you reference above is critical to me to success 

 

Your 'feeling' (and mine) is correct IMO.   

I do think they have had appropriate talent.  Maybe not full-depth like a Tampa or San Jose.... but this team, laden with high first round picks all over, should have been much, much better than their performance over the past 4 seasons.  

 

Its some kind of interpersonal cloud in that lockerroom.  Not sure exactly what it is, or who is responsible (I have my suspicions)... but creating a culture about winning and playing for each other is paramount.  There is almost no leadership, and when there is (Gionta/Okposo/OReilly/Gorges) it seems to get ignored.

The team has tangibly quit the past 3 seasons.  

[apuszczalowski]

I don't think Talent is the biggest issue in Buffalo, they have talent, it's possible they have more talent then some of the teams that made the playoffs this year. The issue was getting those players to maximize their talent and play to their highest level. This is a team which grossly underachiever last year because many players didn't play up to their potential/ability.

 

He sounds like a better motivator then X's and O's guy which may be just what they need. Kinda makes me think of Nolan, and that he might be a guy who can take a bunch of players and have them play at their potential, even if they are the most talented group.

 

Hopefully this works out, but he doesn't have much NHL HCing experience and has been out of the league for a few years working the front office of a soccer team. 

[YoloinOhio]

 

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

 HIRES 

[K-9]

So Krueger is in town in April and covertly goes to various pubs to watch playoff hockey with fans and chats them up about the Sabres so he can get a sense of their passion for the team, etc. 

 

AFAIC, that is one helluva good first impression. 

 

On another note, JBotts should sign the goalie playing for Great Britain at the IIHF World tourney if he isn’t already by some other team. He’s phenomenal.

[Tiberius]

Ralph!! 

[shrader]

7 minutes ago, K-9 said:

So Krueger is in town in April and covertly goes to various pubs to watch playoff hockey with fans and chats them up about the Sabres so he can get a sense of their passion for the team, etc. 

 

AFAIC, that is one helluva good first impression.

 

I wonder how many people right now are thinking back saying "I remember that guy" and claiming to be the person who won him over.

[K-9]

1 minute ago, shrader said:

 

I wonder how many people right now are thinking back saying "I remember that guy" and claiming to be the person who won him over.

Haha. Good question. Guaranteed nobody knew who he was at the time. It would be nice to be one of those people to have that story to tell. 

[plenzmd1]

2 minutes ago, shrader said:

 

I wonder how many people right now are thinking back saying "I remember that guy" and claiming to be the person who won him over.

i sure as hell would never have recognized him

[John from Riverside]

Win or be afraid to go to sleep Sabers

[BillsFan4]

 

 

starts around 12 minute mark. How hard would it have been to delete the first 12 minutes, Sabres? lol 

[BillsFan4]

Ralph Krueger on the Instigators -

 

 

Edited May 15, 2019 by BillsFan4

[Tiberius]

11 hours ago, BillsFan4 said:

 

 

Major mistakes of Edmonton Oilers management? One was axing Ralph Krueger, now head coach of the Buffalo Sabres

https://montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/nhl/cult-of-hockey/major-mistake-of-edmonton-oilers-management-one-was-axing-ralph-krueger-now-head-coach-of-the-buffalo-sabres/wcm/dcac2700-3bf1-4be9-bf3f-cad15ea812e9

 

 

 

 

Having the PP QB at the hash marks was actually somewhat of an innovative move at the time. Most PP’s were run from the point. 

 

 Some interesting quotes from his opening press conference. Gives a good idea of what he may be about as the Sabres head coach. Definitely worth a read. 

 

 

 

This sounds a bit like McDermott 

 

Hes known for getting everyone in the organization on the same page and pulling in the same direction. Krueger is a “culture changer”. 

This is the first I have heard of him, but all that sounds good. I like the defense first part. You get a total team effort on defense going and you will have a solid team. 

[Tiberius]

Quote

Known for his leadership acumen and reputation as a masterful communicator, he is certainly a multi-faceted individual. Not only is he a best-selling author, but he has also served on the World Economic Forum to help advise on leadership practices. On the hockey side, Krueger is known as a supporter of modern analytics and tactical optimization. That, along with his well-documented leadership ability should pair nicely to provide the Sabres with what they’ve been missing behind the bench.

https://www.diebytheblade.com/2019/5/14/18624144/buffalo-sabres-reportedly-closing-in-on-ralph-krueger-friedman-mckenzie

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, BillsFan4 said:

Ralph Krueger on the Instigators -

 

 

This is one hell of a  smart guy. At this point when you ask him a question you are not going to get the standard robotic cliché for a response.  My sense is that his players will not continue to make the same mistakes over and over and keep their ice time. I'm hoping that a physically talented player like Risto can improve his ice smarts under his tutelage. I'm really excited about him. 

[JohnC]

I doubt that Don Cherry and he will be getting together too often at the local pub discussing world economics and trade policies. I'm also confident that Krueger doesn't buy his clothes at the same clown haberdashery that Cherry frequents. 

[shrader]

2 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I doubt that Don Cherry and he will be getting together too often at the local pub discussing world economics and trade policies. I'm also confident that Krueger doesn't buy his clothes at the same clown haberdashery that Cherry frequents. 

 

Are we now at the "make completely random comments about Ralph Krueger" portion of the thread?

[Lurker]

4 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I doubt that Don Cherry and he will be getting together too often at the local pub discussing world economics and trade policies. I'm also confident that Krueger doesn't buy his clothes at the same clown haberdashery that Cherry frequents. 

 

I'd pay money to see them together in a Coach's Corner segment.   

 

Matter and anti-matter.   It would be a hoot...

[JohnC]

2 minutes ago, shrader said:

 

Are we now at the "make completely random comments about Ralph Krueger" portion of the thread?

Yes. It's that time where free floating expressions are acceptable although may not be appreciated by all. 

[BillsFan4]

 

 

some really good stuff here. I love a lot of what Krueger has to say. 

[BillsFan4]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

hey k9, it looks like Lindy Ruff did interview -

 

 

 

Edited May 15, 2019 by BillsFan4

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

I thought he drives bus for the Gotham Bus Company...?

[Alaska Darin]

On 5/13/2019 at 1:59 PM, JohnC said:

The below link is a 9 min. segment on WGR with play by play man for Edmonton. He talks about Ralph Krueger in very positive terms. 

 

https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/05-13-oilers-play-play-man-jack-michaels-howard-and-jeremy-ralph-krueger

That's terrific...except Jack Michaels is an idiot who basically lucked into a hockey broadcasting career.

[JohnC]

18 minutes ago, Alaska Darin said:

That's terrific...except Jack Michaels is an idiot who basically lucked into a hockey broadcasting career.

A person can be an idiot and a fool and yet say something that makes sense. Whether a person lucked into a hockey broadcasting career or his daddy set him up on the job that doesn't mean that his commentary on an issue should be dismissed out of hand.  What is apparent to me is that what he is saying is the same thing that a lot of people in the hockey business are saying about our newly hired coach. If you disagree with something that he said then point out what you disagree with. Dismissing his commentary just because you don't like him or have little regard for him is not a fair way to evaluate what he said.  

 

 

[Alaska Darin]

5 minutes ago, JohnC said:

A person can be an idiot and a fool and yet say something that makes sense. Whether a person lucked into a hockey broadcasting career or his daddy set him up on the job that doesn't mean that his commentary on an issue should be dismissed out of hand.  What is apparent to me is that what he is saying is the same thing that a lot of people in the hockey business are saying about our newly hired coach. If you disagree with something that he said then point out what you disagree with. Dismissing his commentary just because you don't like him or have little regard for him is not a fair way to evaluate what he said.  

 

 

Given that I actually know the guy,  i know he's just parroting things other people have said in his presence.   The next original thought out of his yap will be the first. 

 

[JohnC]

1 minute ago, Alaska Darin said:

Given that I actually know the guy,  i know he's just parroting things other people have said in his presence.   The next original thought out of his yap will be the first. 

 

If you are in the hockey communication business and hear the same assessment from many people in the business about a person what's so wrong with coming to the same judgment? What you call parroting can also be called reporting. Again, being a jerk doesn't necessarily equate with automatically being wrong on a topic, especially if it is the prevailing view on the topic. 

[Alaska Darin]

27 minutes ago, JohnC said:

If you are in the hockey communication business and hear the same assessment from many people in the business about a person what's so wrong with coming to the same judgment? What you call parroting can also be called reporting. Again, being a jerk doesn't necessarily equate with automatically being wrong on a topic, especially if it is the prevailing view on the topic. 

I never said anything about the take, only the source.   Settle down.

[Cripple Creek]

16 hours ago, JohnC said:

A person can be an idiot and a fool and yet say something that makes sense. Whether a person lucked into a hockey broadcasting career or his daddy set him up on the job that doesn't mean that his commentary on an issue should be dismissed out of hand.  What is apparent to me is that what he is saying is the same thing that a lot of people in the hockey business are saying about our newly hired coach. If you disagree with something that he said then point out what you disagree with. Dismissing his commentary just because you don't like him or have little regard for him is not a fair way to evaluate what he said.  

 

 

Are you a patent attorney?

[BillsFan4]

Ralph Krueger: I've 52 stitches in my face. Believe me, I can be ruthless

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/apr/16/ralph-krueger-ruthless-southampton-chairman-mauricio-pochettino

 

Quote

Ralph Krueger begins with an admission. And something approaching an apology. "This whole year was supposed to be a year off," the recently appointed Southampton chairman says. "But then I said to my wife: 'Oh, there's just this little thing with Team Canada. And now this.'"

 

It is Glenda that you have to feel for. "She probably hopes, especially when you get into the 50s, that we're going to slow down," Krueger adds. But this 54-year-old was never going to slow down. After 29 years of marriage, Glenda knows it and, during an afternoon in his company, it is clear that comfort zones and easy options are not a part of his make-up.

 

The little thing with Canada was the Sochi Winter Olympics, in which Krueger, a Winnipeg-born German national, worked as a scout for the ice hockey team. Krueger being Krueger, he scrutinised virtually everything, including the training sessions of potential opponents. "I love watching hockey games but Ralph's a freak," Ken Hitchcock, the Team Canada associate coach, said. "He watched 25 games in Sochi." Canada won gold.

 

Ice hockey is Krueger's first sporting passion.

 

Quote

The cross-over into Premier League football has a startling feel to it and yet, according to him, it is not even his sporting pedigree that has made it possible, although it has most surely helped. Krueger's credentials are rooted in him being the founder of a motivational speaking company; a best-selling author and, as of 2011, a core member of the World Economic Forum's council on new models of leadership. "We create platforms where we can communicate to the world leaders," he says, matter of factly.

 

When the Southampton owner, Katharina Liebherr, assessed the high-profile fallout from her dispute with Nicola Cortese, and the then club chairman's eventual departure from his position in mid-January, she moved to appoint Krueger. He joined after Canada had tasted Olympic glory on 23 February; indeed, he flew to England the next day.

 

 

I see people knocking Krueger’s time in the premier league, but me personally, I am amazed by it. 

 

He had absolutely no experience in the soccer world, yet he stepped right in and ran a team in the biggest, most popular league in the entire world and actually did a really good job at it. And the team was in transition at the time. It’s not like everything was perfect when he took over. The owner was in a squabble with the club’s chairman and things got messy I guess.

 

 

It gives me confidence that this Sabres job isn’t going to be too big for him. He’s never met a job that has been... 

 

This guy has never really failed at anything he’s done. As far as I can tell, he has always left a place better than he found it. 

 

 

[BillsFan4]

Who actually broke the Edmonton Oilers Department of Player Personnel and how Ralph Krueger could fix it: 9 Things

https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/cult-of-hockey/the-combination-of-ralph-krueger-and-keith-gretzky-would-transform-how-player-personnel-is-handed-in-the-oilers-organization-9-things

 

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A thoughtful man with a gift to be able to inspire people and an ability to extract the best from talent, Krueger not only survived the indignity of being unceremoniously fired by the Edmonton Oilers via Skype in 2013. He moved on and thrived on a much bigger, high-stakes stage.

 

But now fate has caused the paths of the Edmonton Oilers and Ralph Kruger to once again cross. The club is hunting for someone to overhaul this shipwreck and get her tattered sails righted again. The man is looking to set his next course.

Could they end up on the very same voyage?

 

Quote

6. When Ralph Krueger took over as Head Coach from Tom Renney he removed former Assistant Coach Kelly Buchberger from the bench. Why? Because to Ralph, Buchberger was a constant negative influence. And that did not fit Kruger’s outlook or style at all. But apparently it fit MacTavish’s. Because when Krueger was fired and Dallas Eakins brought in, guess who was right back behind the bench soon after? Yep. Kelly Buchberger. That says something about how MacTavish views skill and how to handle it.

 

5. People in and outside of the dressing room at this time recall how between Eakins and Buchberger the atmosphere behind the Oilers bench went from sweet to sour. Players with offensive flair often found themselves beneath the heel of the coaching staff and their G.M. The casualties mounted. After his best season to date under Krueger (14-24-38 in 48 GP) Sam Gagner’s game fell off and he was finally dealt. Jordan Eberle’soffensive output plateaued. Young Nail Yakupov enjoyed most of his productive time as an Edmonton Oiler under the tutelage of Krueger but circled the drain with Dallas Eakins & Co. By the time Chiarelli arrived, Nail was damaged goods.

 

 Matches up with what I’ve read elsewhere - that many Oilers p,Ayers had their best performances under Krueger.