Identifying the weak links as well as the strong points of a hockey club are some of the most important tasks that an NHL general manager (GM) has to do. Analyzing a roster and picking it apart to see which players are performing to the standard that has been set for them, and which ones are underperforming so much that they may be better off with a change of scenery. In the case of the Buffalo Sabres, there are a number of players who could do with a new home outside of the Queen City, but three in particular have been disappointing as a whole.
Let the Peyton Krebs Experiment End
It is time to admit it. Enough time has passed, and enough chances have been given to Peyton Krebs to know exactly what kind of hockey player he is. He is no longer the highly touted prospect from the Jack Eichel trade in 2021, as he has settled more into the role of a fourth-line grinder type with a pesky edge. Unfortunately for him, the Sabres have another younger player who does exactly what Krebs can do, but better: Tyson Kozak.
Krebs used to have flashes of great playmaking ability, and still some good finishing capacity as well. It needed to be pulled out of him, but he did have it at times. Unfortunately, in recent seasons, those flashes have dwindled significantly, and he is only visible when he is making poor decisions, and occasionally getting scrappy. With his offensive contributions this season being dismal at zero goals and only seven assists, his faceoff percentage below 50% and on pace to take more penalties this season than any other before, Krebs is the first candidate for the Sabres to trade away, so someone like Kozak can have that spot and play it better.
Jordan Greenway Is Not Providing Value
Continuing on the trend of “forwards who do not provide much value”, Jordan Greenway has been one of the poster boys for this mantle in the past couple of seasons. His issues lie in the fact that he cannot stay healthy, and that when he is healthy, he does not do much. When the Sabres acquired him back in 2023, he was meant to be a physical presence and a defensive asset that could occasionally contribute on the scoresheet. He was exactly those things for a few games, but since the majority of the 2023-24 season, he has mostly been a dud.
In the two seasons since then, Greenway has only played a total of 48 games, has scored four goals, amassed 11 points, and is a minus-11. Even now, he is only able to play a few games at a time due to an injury that he is playing through. The Sabres do not need him so desperately that he should be playing through an injury, but for some reason, he is. It is high time that they accept that other players like Josh Doan, Beck Malenstyn, or even Josh Dunne can do what Greenway does, and the Sabres can move on from him.
Owen Power Is Lost… Beyond Lost
I am so sick and tired of watching Owen Power play hockey for the Sabres this season. Yes, I will be one of the people to admit I recognize the skill potential he has, but it has been one of the toughest things in the world to see him make mistake after mistake, and lose the confidence of his coach. Night in and night out, Power is one of the team’s biggest liabilities, and it is extremely noticeable. For every good play he makes, there are about five poor decisions that would make anyone in their right mind forget that a good play was even made.
Power lacks the confidence to be the hockey player he is supposed to be, and it is destroying him. He hesitates in the offensive zone, he is weak in front of his own net, and he just will not shoot the puck for some reason. These are definitely among the reasons that he has seen his ice time diminish from his career average of 22:28 to 20:48 this season, why he is used less frequently on the second power-play unit, and why he is not featured as a primary penalty killer anymore.
Power was supposed to be a top defender, having been drafted first overall in 2021, but he has yet to show signs that he is progressing towards that. Year after year has been regression, and that means it would be better to move him and look to add something else that will add some actual value to this team.
What To Add? What To Subtract?
If the Sabres move these players out, the reality is that they have replacements in-house for most of them already. Krebs is a fourth-line center and is immediately replaced by Kozak. Greenway is a bottom-six winger that already has his job done by Malenstyn or Dunne, and Power is playing third pairing with Jacob Bryson, so Bowen Byram is already doing what Power should be. If any of these players get moved, it would be to simply clear out roster space or be used in a package to address their other two greatest needs: a top-six goal-scoring forward or a legitimate starting goaltender.
Related – Sabres Need to Make a Choice On Their Goaltending
Trading any or all of these players away immediately makes them a more serious hockey club. Considering how much they continue to lose and not improve, something needs to be done. Sadly, with GM Kevyn Adams sitting on his hands waiting for the hand of God himself to reach in and save the season instead, it is unlikely that any of these moves will happen until it is too late. Maybe if they did something… anything at all, they could still save the season.
