Proposal: Ralph Krueger as an Associate Coach

[Trafalgar Sadge Law]

Anyone else want Ralph Krueger back as an associate coach focusing on special teams? The guy at least knows how a power play and a penalty kill work unlike Keith Acton, who puts players in positions where even I know they don't belong, see: Yakupov, Nail. Not to mention jettisoning Keith means Will goes with him.

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[Crabapple]

I doubt he would come back.

 

[guymez]

Kruger would never take the position and the optics would look terrible.

 

[Starbuds]

That would be nice. Won't happen though. Can't embarrass a guy like that and ask for him to come back.

 

[fancy dan]

yes. i feel like the rhetoric around eakins is the exact same as it was last year for krueger.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

I doubt he would come back.

That's for sure. It was crappy the way they let him go. I like him a lot more than what we have now.

 

[CanadianSuperPromise]

I want him back as a head coach, at least until Eakins can get his head wrapped around this team.

Let's look at the facts:

Last year Krueger:

- did not have a training camp
- had only 48 games to prove himself
- PRV instead of Perron
- Whitney instead of Belov
- Horcoff instead of Gordon
- Belanger instead of say Arcobello
- injured RNH
- injured Eberle
- Tambo
- Condensed, Squished Schedule
- Green rookies in crucial spots.


And we still almost made the playoffs, could've made it if it wasn't for the lack of heart this team has.

 

[The Nuge]

I was really disappointed we didn't try to keep him around. The guy knew how to run a PP

 

[McShogun99]

Kruger should have never been fired and Eakins should have been brought on as the associate coach.

 

[StoveTopStauffer]

Kruger should have never been fired and Eakins should have been brought on as the associate coach.

Associate coach of fruit trays and sometimes fitness buff.


On a serious note, Acton is a horrendous coach so far if he is the one most involved with the pp.

 

[StoveTopStauffer]

A smart coach would be studying the special teams videos from last year and finding a way to extrapolate information to make his own system better overall. But boy I didn't think it was quite this bad. I mean this is going back to basics.

 

[Connor McSaviour]

I really despised the style the Oilers played under Krueger but I thought firing him after 48 games and bringing in another rookie coach was beyond stupid.

 

[Mr Forever]

In hindsight, Kreuger should have been kept on and Eakins could have been made as an associate. Then again, removing a coach is fairly common when a new GM comes in and we weren't thrilled with him last year at all. He sure as hell didn't hold players accountable.

 

[Bank Shot]

A smart coach would be studying the special teams videos from last year and finding a way to extrapolate information to make his own system better overall. But boy I didn't think it was quite this bad. I mean this is going back to basics.

I think some of it is the lack of quality PK personal provided by management.

Out-Horcoff, Petrell, Belanger. Those guys were all quality PKers. They replaced Horcoff with Gordon, but didn't find adequate replacements for the others.

This season Eakins hasn't been using Smyth or Jones at all and they were useful pieces in a strong PK last year. Instead he's using poor performers like Acton, Eberle, and Arcobello.

That could be a bigger part of the puzzle then the systems.

 

[AlowlyMcOilersfan]

seems extremely unlikely that they would bring him back(and that he would even consider it)

and I don't want to cater to players that liked Krueger.

that's a step in the wrong direction

I don't think Keith Acton is the end-all be-all of associate coaches though, that's for sure.

 

[Burnt Biscuits]

In hindsight, Kreuger should have been kept on and Eakins could have been made as an associate. Then again, removing a coach is fairly common when a new GM comes in and we weren't thrilled with him last year at all. He sure as hell didn't hold players accountable.

I don't think Eakins and Krueger would of meshed well, they have very different coaching philosophy's. Mac T was right Eakins is more of a head coach kind of guy, I think Ralph being the associate would work better than the opposite, he's a little more of the positive upbeat guy, who could pick up the pieces of the guys Eakin's is a bit harder on (like Yakupov for example).

 

[oilinblood]

i would think Eakins needs a competent staff around him. It is one thing i have felt since he decided to keep everyone around. To me Kreuger, as others have stated, was a good systems guy and what you would want from an assistant coach. It would not be good to demote a coach so a clean break is fine, and best, but Eakins really needs a better staff around him.

I dont think Eakins is the problem. Ever since the Eakins hiring... i have felt MacT wished he had had control before Kreugers placement. There was something he said in the interviews that led me to believe MacT never thought Kreuger was a head coach but that was the organizations fault and not Ralphs. From my point of view the handling of Kreuger was intelligent. ou cant demote the guy and have him work under another coach...ESPECIALLY A ROOKIE NHL Head coach he can perhaps undermine out of spite. It wouldnt be healthy to ANYONE.

I think the organization better, or Eakins better, start looking for better assistants who can do what assistants are supposed to do; take their units and bond and coddle while imlementing the systems plays of head coach, focussing solely on their responsibilities.

 

[Broilers]

I dont think Eakins is the problem. Ever since the Eakins hiring...

Eakins is not going to be here next season if he will not get close to 86-90 pts season. Which is in my opinion still reachable target. It is not reasonable to think that Oilers will make play offs.

 

[nullterm]

Eakins is not going to be here next season if he will not get close to 86-90 pts season. Which is in my opinion still reachable target. It is not reasonable to think that Oilers will make play offs.

Mark Messier is currently "special advisor." We'll see how long that title lasts. Oilers brass love to cut off outsiders and replace with their boy.

 

[Quinteoilers]

RK should have never been head coach in the first place. His niche is PP and PK. Just like in football there are fantastic AC and DC but terrible HC. After renney was fired, a veteran HC should have been brought in. And Eakins should have been brought into the fold this year to strengthen the coaching.

 

[AJGass4]

Neither Eakins or Krueger would agree to being assistant coaches. It was all or nothing and that's why he isn't here any longer.

Don't remember where I read it but I did. Eakins is an arrogant little thing so I suppose MacT liked his attitude more.

Funny, he slams Yak and he has the same type of personality.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

This is a terrible idea and Krueger would, Justifiably, likely tell the Oilers to **** off.

 

[Wheathead]

People really think we'll fire another coach if the Oilers don't make the playoffs? That's insane. Step away from the glue.

Eakins will be given the chance to develop as a coach. We don't need the club to learn yet another system under another coach.

 

[BleedingOil]

shoulda never fired him

 

[Stoneman89]

People really think we'll fire another coach if the Oilers don't make the playoffs? That's insane. Step away from the glue.

Eakins will be given the chance to develop as a coach. We don't need the club to learn yet another system under another coach.

Never say never with this oerganization. They've done some pretty amazingly stupid things for a long time.

For the record, I thought Krueger got the short end of the stick last year, for reasons that were stated in excellent point form. But with a new GM, he is going to pick his own guy. I only hope Eakins learns to adapt and is given a better chance to succeed than Krueger was ever given.

And finally, to answer the question, Krueger would never come back here as an assistant after the way things went down, and the Oilers under MacT would never bring him back. To this point, he's remained classy and refused to gloat over their demise, while he remains competent enough to be on the payroll of Team Canada.