The injury bug continues to plague some of the Sabres’ best young players, and recently another long-term setback has come for the likes of Jack Quinn. Since returning to the lineup in late December, he has been a reliable scoring threat, and has been a massive part of the second line’s resurgence. Both JJ Peterka and Dylan Cozens have looked better since his return, and they have carried that momentum into a very productive recent stretch. As Quinn has gone down with injury once more, and will be out for six to eight weeks, his spot on the second line needs to be filled appropriately.
Head coach Don Granato has chosen to put rookie Zach Benson in this position recently, and while he is a solid candidate, there is another young player who has earned the right to play in that position. Peyton Krebs has found himself relegated to the bottom two lines for the past couple of seasons, and in that position has grown into a responsible two-way forward while adding some grit to his usual playmaking skill. As his play style has developed, he has shown he can take on big minutes, and I feel he deserves a bigger look than he is being given.
Comparing Krebs to Benson
Between the two of them, the experience factor clearly goes to Krebs as this is his third full NHL season while Benson is in his rookie year. As far as production this season goes, Krebs has 48 games played, three goals, nine points, and is a plus-4, while Benson has played 39 games and has produced four goals, 14 points, and is a minus-4. To this point, Benson has been used mainly in an offensive role being shuffled amongst the top three lines, while Krebs has been the staple center for the fourth line all season long. While both have great playmaking ability, Benson has gone on some very cold streaks despite being given a lot of opportunity, while Krebs has continued to be a reliable hitting and secondary scoring threat throughout.
While young players are offensively gifted and deserve chances to succeed, Krebs deserves the chance to prove he can be more than just a bottom-six player. He is a former first-round pick in 2019, and the Sabres acquired him as a big part of the Jack Eichel trade, yet he has not been given a chance to fully display his abilities since a tough rookie season. Since then, he has grown more defensively responsible, has gained better playmaking vision, and has added a physical element to his game that was nonexistent before. His newfound play style fits in perfectly with the likes of Cozens and Peterka, not to mention it would allow for some center versatility on that line since he and Cozens are the opposite handedness.
What Krebs Could Accomplish With a Top Six Role
Krebs has seen time on the power play and in the top two lines in his career, but he has not gotten any since his game has become so well rounded. Right now, he is on pace to finish with fewer than 10 goals and fewer than 20 points, but if he is given a chance to use his newfound abilities, those numbers could be raised in a big way. If he played alongside Cozens and Peterka for the duration of Quinn’s injury, he could definitely finish with at least 10 goals and 30-plus points. Peterka is on an absolute roll right now, and Cozens looks like he is finding his game once again.
The Sabres need scoring, and relying on a rookie like Benson (who only has one more goal than Krebs this season) is not the solution. Instead of using an underperforming player like Benson, or even the likes of Victor Olofsson, using a player that has simply been under-utilized would be a much more dynamic bet. Krebs has shown chemistry with Peterka before when they both played with the Rochester Americans, and he has shown he complements Cozens’ game since he is willing to play in the corners, and drive to the net on any play. From the chemistry, all the way down to the simple fact that Krebs has not been given the shot he has earned, putting him on the second line could provide the offense a big boost.
Promoting Krebs Now Is Perfect Way to Evaluate Him
The Sabres are not currently in a playoff position, and they likely will not be able to gain back the needed ground to change that unless they go one a big winning streak. Using the second half of this season to promote Krebs to the second line and really see what he can do would be a smart way to evaluate where he stands in the organization. Up to this point, he has shown potential for more than being a fourth liner, but may just need the right chance to become something greater.
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With his contract set to expire on July 1, the Sabres will have to decide how to pay the pending restricted free agent, or even if they want to retain him. If he succeeds in his promoted role, they could make a trade for a different player that may round out their roster, or know they can utilize him in better ways going forward. Alternatively, if he continues to produce at his usual rate, they will know exactly what type of player he is, and be able to offer him an appropriate extension. Should he become a bigger scoring threat, that will only help the Sabres in the long run. Should he remain simply a reliable bottom-six forward, the Sabres still will get plenty of value from him going into next season and beyond.
