On Tuesday the Buffalo Sabres re-signed Peyton Krebs to a two-year contract worth $2.9 million. The forward had been holding out the entire offseason after he rejected his June qualifying offer and became a restricted free agent (RFA).
The signing ends months of rampant speculation on Krebs’ future, as many assumed the two parties were destined to part ways even after he openly stated that he wanted to stay in Buffalo. However, letting him walk would have been a mistake, and the Sabres were wise to make a deal before the start of the regular season, giving them greater chances of success.
Krebs Has Been Criminally Underutilized
Since coming to Buffalo in 2021- the centerpiece of the Jack Eichel blockbuster deal – Krebs has had a curious existence with the Sabres. His continued presence would suggest that the team has big plans for him. However, how he’s actually been used gives the exact opposite impression.
Krebs has it all when it comes to skill. Though not exceptionally imposing, his speed, stick-handling, instincts, and work ethic made him a force in junior, and he was drafted 17th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2019. His 2021 season in the Western Hockey League was a sight to behold, as he led the league in scoring with 43 points in 24 games and was named Player of the Year. It was easy to see why the Sabres wanted him as part of the return for Eichel, but they’ve since forgotten that.
Krebs’ run in Buffalo hasn’t been all that spectacular to this point, and though he blames himself for that, it isn’t his fault. When the Sabres called him up during the 2021-22 season due to a rash of injuries, he was 20 years old and had just 25 total games of minor-league experience to his name. In spite of that, he rose to the occasion and turned in a solid rookie season with seven goals and 22 points in 48 games, showing that his potential hadn’t been lost in translation.
After that, the script was flipped on him. He struggled in his sophomore campaign (as one could easily expect from a 21-year-old), and head coach Don Granato sent him down the lineup. The move proved to be the right one, as veteran workhorses Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons helped shield him and taught him a more responsible, hardnosed style that made him a much better all-around player. However, Granato seemed to completely forget about him afterward and left him in that spot.
While contemporaries Dylan Cozens, Jack Quinn, and JJ Peterka were being put in key scenarios, Krebs had effectively been pigeonholed as a fourth-line prop because Granato either didn’t know what to do with him or simply didn’t care. He’s far too talented for such a menial role, and the Sabres were actively hurting his potential. Though he played to a plus-two rating last season, he was relegated to an average of just 12:30 of ice time (TOI) and just four goals and 17 points.
Ruff Brings New Opportunities
Granato was fired because he had no answers for his team’s issues, and his limited thinking in this particular case may have contributed to it. Though he rearranged the lineup many times in order to jumpstart the offense, he opted not to give Krebs a jolt and give him an opportunity. It’s possible that it wouldn’t have made a difference, but it might have.
Thankfully, successor Lindy Ruff is much more open-minded and many players will have improved chances at success under him. Krebs may be at the top of that list, and he could finally see his status in the lineup elevated and be given legitimate chances to contribute. Ruff values effort, determination and grit above all else, and the 24-year-old has proven that he embodies all of those things.
Related: Buffalo Sabres 2024-25 Player Projections: J.J. Peterka
The Sabres’ biggest issue last season was their passivity, and they were constantly knocked around because of their lack of assertion, but not Krebs. His time on the fourth line has seen him become something of an agitator, as the combination of his tenacity and fearlessness drove opponents crazy. That is the exact type of edge the Sabres as a whole are looking for, and it’s safe to assume that Ruff could see fit to give him more opportunities since he already fits the mold.
The Case for Krebs
General manager Kevyn Adams essentially blew up the team’s bottom-six this summer and rebuilt it from scratch. Beck Malenstyn, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, and Sam Lafferty were all brought in to give the Sabres that backbone they’ve been lacking, and there’s speculation that they could rank ahead of Krebs on the depth chart (from “Roster battles, new captaincy lead storylines to watch as Sabres begin camp,” The Niagara Gazette, 9/17/24). However, that would be puzzling for a few reasons.
For starters, all three of them are the same type of depth roleplayers that Girgensons and Okposo had been and won’t be expected to contribute much beyond that, whereas Krebs was only acting as one. He’s vastly more talented, and it would be strange to imagine him out of the lineup in favor of them, given how much greater an overall impact he could have. If put with teammates that will allow him to flesh out his offensive abilities, he could become a major threat for the Sabres while continuing his physical two-way play.
Another reason is simply financial. Even with the leeway they received from buying out Jeff Skinner in June, the Sabres don’t exactly have a plethora of salary cap space, and they’ll need as much as they can going forward. If their intention is to keep using Krebs in the same role, what was the point in bringing him back? Though his $1.45 million salary is perfectly manageable and wouldn’t be difficult to move, the Sabres could have just as easily kept that space open and found a trade partner for him.
The fact remains that while Krebs has been an important piece, the Sabres have yet to give him a true opportunity, and he hasn’t averaged more than 15:00 TOI through three seasons. It’s delusional to expect a young player to become a star when he’s received such little exposure. If Ruff moves him up to the second or third lines and gives him better linemates and responsibilities, there’s no reason to believe he can’t become the player he’s been expected to be and more.
What do you think the Sabres should do with Krebs this season?
