Girgensons is wrapping up his seventh training camp with the Sabres, a span in which he's had to impress upon five different head coaches. He entered this season with two objectives: to show Krueger his ability to play responsibly on defense, and to reignite his confidence on offense.
If Krueger's assessment of Girgensons' camp on Sunday is any indication, he's been successful to both of those ends thus far.
"Yesterday he was outstanding," Krueger said. "Number one, being a player who truly executes within the framework of what we need defensively, and he is a threat to score.
"… And he always works 100 percent from the start to the end of practice, so that gives him quite a consistent game during the games. You know exactly what you're getting from him shift in and shift out. He is] a very important body in our group."
Girgensons was tasked with one of the heaviest defensive workloads in the NHL last season. According to **[NaturalStatTrick.com**, just 15.93 percent of his five-on-five faceoffs were taken in the offensive zone - the lowest mark in the NHL. His 172:58 of shorthanded ice time ranked 16th among league forwards.
Though he prides himself on that defensive game, Girgensons expressed a belief that Krueger's system - which allows players to play instinctually on offense - will allow him to recapture his confidence on offense. He scored 30 points (15+15) in 61 games as a 21-year-old in 2014-15 but has fluctuated between 15 and 18 points since.
"We've definitely been given, by the coach, a little bit more freedom," he said. "Just kind of play the game, think on your own, work with your linemates, read off each other. I think that's the way hockey should be. It's great to see guys are getting more creative.
"… In the offensive zone, it's more up to players. Be creative, work for each other, create space. It's fun playing hockey like that."
Girgensons has made an impact in the offensive zone in each of his last two outings. Prior to his goal in Pittsburgh, his work on the forecheck against Columbus on Wednesday helped create a goal for linemate Tage Thompson, with whom he skated again at practice on Sunday.