HockeyBuzz Hotstove: Was Ralph Krueger a good hire for the Buffalo Sabres?

Incredible

"I like the Krueger hiring. What I don't like is that he's in Buffalo and I'm not sure Buffalo is an organization that is ready to embrace a different style of thinking that Krueger will bring."

Wat

So they hired him but they won't let him be him? Wouldn't they have just hired someone else then?

"I like the Krueger hiring. What I don't like is that he's in Buffalo and I'm not sure Buffalo is an organization that is ready to embrace a different style of thinking that Krueger will bring."

Wat

So they hired him but they won't let him be him? Wouldn't they have just hired someone else then?
- jcragcrumple

How well has Buffalo adjusted to change in recent past?

How well has Buffalo adjusted to change in recent past?
- Peter.Tessier

We almost built another peace bridge once.

"I like the Krueger hiring. What I don't like is that he's in Buffalo and I'm not sure Buffalo is an organization that is ready to embrace a different style of thinking that Krueger will bring."

Wat

So they hired him but they won't let him be him? Wouldn't they have just hired someone else then?
- jcragcrumple

Don't mind Pete. He doesn't know what he is talking about.

How well has Buffalo adjusted to change in recent past?
- Peter.Tessier

It seems like hiring a guy means believing in what he stands for. If Botterill wasn't 100% sure of his vision, he wouldn't have hired him

I have no idea what your question means in this context. I'm not sure you do either

RK got the short end of the stick when he coached the Oilers in 2012/13 season. For one thing it was a 48 game season due to the lockout. It seemed like he was making decent progress with a young team at the time but he was fired right away after failing o make the playoffs in a 48 game season. I believe he was relieved by Mac-T through a Skype conversation. He seemed like a decent coach that just need some more time to get things going. It will be interesting to see what he can do with the Sabres going forward.

How well has Buffalo adjusted to change in recent past?
- Peter Tessier

Unless you count hiring inexperienced coaches who turned out to be incompetent, Buffalo hasn't actually changed in the recent past, so we don't know. We do know that the Sabres have let every coach they hired since Ruff be themselves, almost always to the team's detriment. So I don't know why one would expect them to not let Krueger be himself.

Also, since failing to change has led to abject failure for years, I would take Buffalo's hiring of a guy who you say thinks differently as an indication that the organization is interested in doing things differently. Otherwise, why hire the guy?

RK got the short end of the stick when he coached the Oilers in 2012/13 season. For one thing it was a 48 game season due to the lockout. It seemed like he was making decent progress with a young team at the time but he was fired right away after failing o make the playoffs in a 48 game season. I believe he was relieved by Mac-T through a Skype conversation. He seemed like a decent coach that just need some more time to get things going. It will be interesting to see what he can do with the Sabres going forward.
- NewfieStud

Who fired him in Edmonton? Kevin Lowe?

Incredible
- Streit2ThePoint

Who fired him in Edmonton? Kevin Lowe?
- sabreadvocate1

Think it was Mac-T, Lowe probably had a hand in it. That's when they hired Dallas Eakins after. I always thought Krueger didn't get a fair shake from the Oilers. Definitely seemed like a good coach for a young team but had his chance taken from him premature.

Incredible
- Streit2ThePoint

they can play kick the can now in the locker room between periods

Think it was Mac-T, Lowe probably had a hand in it. That's when they hired Dallas Eakins after. I always thought Krueger didn't get a fair shake from the Oilers. Definitely seemed like a good coach for a young team but had his chance taken from him premature.
- NewfieStud

I read that Mactavish essentially said that Krueger didn't get a fair shake. I think Mactavish wanted more of a knuckle-dragging coach and Krueger clearly isn't that. If I hear "pucks to the net" one more time I am going to scream.

Peter,
They hired him and you question if they are ready for what he brings? Why would they hire him them? Did you write this just to generate responses, negative ones at that? Is Buffalo a closed minded organization? This is the first time I have heard this and we have negative professionals at WGR and Buffalo News that do whatever they can to show disdain and nugatory remarks against the organization.
I think it is a good hire for an organization that needed to learn how to be a well run from top to bottom and take its time to find its true identity again: highly skilled, high risk, run and gun offense. I think Ralph is one of the final touches to get the big squad on track, that the AHL and ECHL teams have already shown.

We almost built another peace bridge once.
- hehateme

Potd

You guys are on the right track on this hiring but crapped the bed with the hurricane predictions.

I think MacT fired Krueger over skype lol.

Don't mind Pete. He doesn't know what he is talking about.
- Feds91Stammer

Along with the rest of the panel.

So this is the guy we can blame for all that ails us in two years and call for his public firing?

Welcome aboard!