Ralph Krueger’s ability to communicate with players, get the most out of them and motivate them as individuals and as a team are key reasons why he’ll be coaching the Buffalo Sabres next season, the team’s general manager said Wednesday.

The Sabres announced that Krueger will be the team’s 19^th head coach, filling a position left vacant when Phil Housley was fired at the end of another disappointing season for the team.

“Our main focus was to find someone who can communicate with our young players and get the most from them,” said general manager Jason Botterill. Krueger will meet with two of the team’s leading players, Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart, in Slovakia during the World Championship tournament next week, he added.

In a call with reporters, Krueger said he’s looking forward to the challenge of coaching the Sabres in a city where hockey is a priority. While visiting Buffalo, Krueger said he watched a playoff game, changing locations every period, and spoke with fans without them realizing who he was.

“I could feel the spirit of the city,” Krueger said. “I love the history, the architecture. I can feel it’s as hardworking community and it’s a place that my wife and I feel very comfortable coming to live.”

As for the future of the team, Krueger said there’s no reason the Sabres can’t be a competitive team sooner rather than later.

“This group is ready to become a contender and compete with anybody on any given night,” he said. “I’m confident we can become that kind of a team quite quickly. I like the way (Botterill) has been putting this group together,” adding that he won’t rely too much on analytics but will use player stats on the coaching side “without handcuffing players.”

This wasn’t the first time Krueger and Botterill have talked about leading the Sabres: Botterill confirmed he spoke with Krueger two years ago, but Krueger wasn’t available to join the team at the time.

“He’s a great communicator and has a history of being a strong leader,” Botterill said.

Krueger also has an “up-tempo style” and the two discussed the importance of not only motivating but developing young players already in the NHL, something the Sabres with a young core that includes players like Casey Middlestadt and Rasmus Dahlin.

Krueger does have some NHL coaching experience, leading the Edmonton Oilers during the lockout-shortened 2012-2013 season.

"The thing that we kept on coming back, though, was those high-pressure situations that he's been involved with,” Botterill said. “He's excelled in those environments. Trying to figure out how to motivate your team, there's certainly something there, but the fact that he can bring a group together, the fact that he can motivate a team in high-pressure situations was very intriguing for us."