Buffalo Sabres 2025-26 Player Grades: Peyton Krebs

With the 2025-26 season in the books, it is time to be retrospective while keeping an eye toward the future. Expectations are already high for 2026-27, and part of that has to do with the contributions of those on the current roster.

One of the more underrated contributors this season has been Peyton Krebs. In this series, we assign player grades for those who made significant contributions to the Sabres this past season. Krebs is one of the more interesting young forwards on the team, especially given his noticeable growth.

Production

At first glance, Krebs’ 12 goals and 39 points are nothing much to write home about. But when you look at it in the bigger picture, it is a marked jump. He improved in every category, perhaps his most impressive move being to a plus-13 in the plus-minus category. Krebs took on a bigger role overall, and his production saw an accompanying boost.

It is perhaps better to look at the back stretch of the season following the Olympic break. In 25 games following the break, Krebs had 14 points good for a .56 points-per-game pace. Compared to his first 57 games (.22), he more than doubled his production pace.

Krebs began earning more ice time, sometimes even centering the top line with Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson. He doesn’t have a lot of flash to his game but has enough skill to work with virtually anyone throughout the lineup.

Intangibles

Krebs really stood out because of his versatility and the way he agitates opponents. He goes into the dirty areas, plays with tenacity, and causes problems for opposing players in their own end. He’s also not afraid to get his hands dirty, pushing, shoving, and even fighting at times.

The 25-year-old center was brought up slowly by head coach Lindy Ruff, and the progress is tangible. He is a defensively responsible center who can play at both ends of the ice. He may never be a true No. 1 center but his versatility and playing style have more than earned him a place in the lineup.

Overall Grade: B+

The Krebs of the second half may slip into A- territory but this is a whole season grade. The stretch run and his efforts in the playoffs (six points in 13 games) have proven him to be a valuable contributor for the Sabres.

His pestering style of play fits nicely with what Zach Benson, Josh Doan, and Beck Malenstyn have done to change the overall tone of the team. In a perfect world, Krebs will fill in as the third-line center, but he can play wing as well, something that may become more of a necessity given the current roster’s structure.

Can He Continue to Grow?

The Sabres have a few things that require addressing in the offseason, and Krebs has earned himself an extension. What that number will be could dictate some of what happens this season, but the Sabres clearly have a valuable two-way piece in the bottom half of their lineup.

If Tuch departs, the Sabres may count more heavily on Krebs beginning next season. His drive and willing to go into the dirty areas make him an asset on a young team with a lot of skill. It is just a matter of figuring out where he fits.