According to Elliotte Freidman and Bob McKenzie of TSN, the Buffalo Sabres are expected to hire Ralph Krueger as their next head coach.

As @FriedgeHNIC first suggested/speculated, Ralph Krueger will indeed be named the next head coach in BUF.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) May 15, 2019

Ralph Krueger To Take Over Behind The Sabres Bench

Krueger’s previous role as a head coach came with the Edmonton Oilers during the 2012-13 season. He originally joined the Oilers staff in 2010 as an assistant coach. During that time he took the leagues 27th ranked powerplay at the time and made it the league’s third-ranked powerplay in his second season with the team. The Oilers went 19-22-7 that year and finished third in the Northwest Divison.

Krueger’s previous head coaching position was back in 2006 with Team Europe during the World Cup of hockey. Europe would end up losing in the Finals to Team Canada.

Ralph Krueger Returns To Hockey

Krueger had spent most of his coaching career with the Switzerland National Team from 1997-2010. He then joined Team Canada in 2014 for the Olympics as a Consultant. After serving as a consultant for Canada he decided to leave the sport. He served as the chairman of South Hampton of the English Premier Team. Krueger was let go from the team last month.

This move comes as a shock as Buffalo interviewed seven candidates for the job, with most of the candidates having a lot more experience under their belt. Krueger will look to take a young Sabres team back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Buffalo has failed to make the playoffs since 2011. During his year as head coach of the Oilers, they had a very young roster that consisted of nine players under the age of 24. The 2018-19 Sabres team had four players under the age of 24 on their roster.

Krueger becomes the fifth coach behind the bench in Buffalo since Lindy Ruff was fired in 2011. Dan Bylsma and Phil Housley were the longest-tenured during that period. Both coached 164 games for the Sabres.

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