Since getting acquired in the Nov. 2021 Jack Eichel blockbuster, Peyton Krebs has proven his worth to the Buffalo Sabres and earned a permanent place for himself despite learning on the go. He’s struggled to produce at times and has battled inconsistency, but his team hasn’t always given him the best chance of success.
Dating back to the second half of last season, Krebs has been regularly placed in the bottom-six and has frequently been on the fourth line. Though he’s largely benefitted from that role and has shown that he’s perfectly capable of handling it, his talents are being wasted by the lack of opportunities he’s received, and the Sabres will have to move him up in the lineup at some point (from “NHL prospects I was wrong about: Jan Mysak, Tyler Kleven, Peyton Krebs, more”, The Athletic, 8/17/2023).
Lower Role Has Helped Krebs Find Himself
Krebs solidified his spot on the Sabres’ roster after debuting at midseason of the 2021-22 campaign due to a rash of injuries. He had only 13 NHL games and 25 AHL games to his credit at that point, but he rose to the occasion and turned quite a few heads along the way, recording seven goals and 22 points in 48 games. The following year, however, it seemed that his inexperience caught up with him. His play sputtered, and he scored just three points in the first two months of the 2022-23 season.
Rather than send him back to the minors, coach Don Granato paired him with Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons at the bottom of the lineup. It may have seemed like a punitive measure at the time, but it proved to be exactly what the doctor ordered for the 21-year-old. The veteran stalwarts gave Krebs badly needed guidance and were able to flesh out underdeveloped parts of his game. With their help, the previously one-dimensional scorer transformed into a tenacious, defensively reliable forward.
His plus/minus rating of minus-8 might not have been very impressive by itself, but it was a considerable improvement over the minus-20 he posted a year earlier. It, in turn, gave a boost to the Sabres and helped alleviate the defensive struggles they endured all season, particularly from forwards.
Krebs also began to showcase a newfound penchant for grit and disruption, something he wasn’t exactly known for previously. At 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, he’s far from the most imposing player on the ice. But he doesn’t shy away from physicality and has become something of an agitator, earning immense admiration from fans in doing so. This was on full display on Oct. 6 when he got the normally stoic Sidney Crosby to drop his gloves in a preseason match with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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Granato’s decision ultimately paid off, and the centerman has flourished in his new placement. But the Sabres can’t make the mistake of limiting him to the bottom-six, and that will have to change at some point.
Sabres Need To Provide Better Opportunities
The Calgary native has carved a niche for himself as a scrappy, energetic grinder, but that may have caused fans to forget how talented he is as well. Selected 17th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2019 draft, he had a stellar junior career with the Kootenay/Winnipeg ICE and was named the WHL’s 2021 Player of the Year after leading the league in scoring. Possessing the rare combination of speed, skill and vision, he’s a natural playmaker and was already drawing comparisons to big-name players before getting drafted.
In Buffalo, Krebs has shown flashes of brilliance in the offensive zone but has struggled to maintain consistency, which can be attributed to both inexperience and his placement in the lineup. It’s common for younger players to be put on the lower lines with veterans while they learn their way, but now that he’s grown and is in his third season, the Sabres need to start elevating him.
Make no mistake about it. Girgensons and Okposo have been perfect for Krebs, and he wouldn’t be where he is without their tutelage. But his continual pairing with them limits the amount of offensive opportunities he receives. Both are defensively oriented and don’t generate many scoring chances because it’s simply not what they’re on the ice to do. Krebs has come to fit the same mold, but his undeniable offensive acumen is being wasted, and the Sabres would be foolish to pigeonhole him.
His promotion to the top-six would have an obvious benefit. Playing alongside the likes of Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Casey Mittelstadt and others would allow him to showcase his natural ability and have a greater (or at least more ostensible) impact. Though his play is oriented towards passing, he’s shown himself to be a capable finisher as well and would work well alongside any of the team’s big weapons.
Related: Sabres’ Greenway Supplies Grit For Skilled Team
The Sabres already have one of the best offenses in the NHL, anchored by their usual top line of Thompson, Tuch and Jeff Skinner. However, Granato saw fit to shake things up early in the season, and they found success with other combinations as well, making it even easier for Krebs to hypothetically mix in. He could play set-up man to the likes of Thompson or Skinner just as easily as he could be a finisher for Mittelstadt or Tuch, making the team’s attack even deeper.
Sabres Need to Utilize Krebs’ Skills
Krebs is in the final year of his entry-level contract and will become a restricted free agent (RFA) next summer. It’s hard to picture Buffalo not retaining him at this point, and he seems to have no desire to leave either, but that shouldn’t be taken for granted. With a bigger role and more important minutes, he can make them all the more dangerous offensively while also not sacrificing the strides he’s made with his positional play. With yet another weapon in their arsenal, the Sabres’ goal of returning to the postseason this year will become all the easier.
