BUFFALO, N.Y. – They walked into the room more than a dozen strong, each carrying their own recipe for winning. Ralph Krueger’s goal was to combine the best ingredients – a sprinkle of Rochester’s defense, a dash of Cincinnati’s offense, a spoonful of his own special teams – and cook up one cohesive dish to feed the whole organization.



“We’re building Sabres hockey here,” Krueger said.



The meetings, which took place ahead of the team’s Prospects Challenge in early September, were comprehensive. The entire coaching staffs for Buffalo, Rochester and Cincinnati, including assistants and video personnel, sat down for free-flowing conversations about game plans, practice sessions and player relationships.



“It’s always a great opportunity when you get a bunch of guys together in a room that study the game for a living,” said Cincinnati coach Matt Thomas. “It was just a lot of...