Sabres Player Playoff Spotlight: Peyton Krebs

The Buffalo Sabres currently hold a 3-1 series lead on the Boston Bruins, and it is thanks to some stellar efforts from a number of their players. Key among them has been forward Peyton Krebs, who has blossomed into one of the better all-around players for them this season and postseason. With him being such an important player for them, he deserves a bit of a highlight for his efforts.

Peyton Krebs: Culture Guy

All throughout the regular season, the Sabres have highlighted when their players read their lineup cards or show off any part of their personalities. Krebs has been one of the most willing players in recent years to do this, and it rubs off on his teammates. Listening to postgame interviews, or even just hot mic moments of them on the bench, every single one of them feeds off one another, and Krebs is one of the few guys really at the center of it all.

Krebs is the kind of guy off the ice to keep things light, crack jokes, make fun of his teammates, praise those same teammates, and ultimately be that bright voice in a room. On the ice, he is one of the most dedicated team players the Sabres have; always being the first one into scrums, scrapping and dropping the gloves to defend someone else regardless of size differential, and always being the most excited one there is when someone else is scoring. Whether he is physically on the ice for it or not, Krebs can always be seen beaming from where he is, completely excited for his teammates. That’s the kind of guy that builds a culture and sticks everyone together like glue.

Krebs Can Score Too

When Krebs is not being the “hype man” for his teammates, he has been a very good scoresheet contributor during this postseason. Despite being ranked 6th lowest on the team in average ice time (14:10), he currently sits tied for second most points with Bowen Byram, having amassed five points (two goals and three assists) and is tied for the team lead in plus/minus with a plus-7 (also with Byram). Krebs has not been one to pass up big opportunities this series, and he is playing well above his typical pedigree.

Krebs is the balancing agent for the Sabres’ top line where he has commonly played with Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch. He functions as an alternate centerman to give them options in the dot, and it creates more offensive chances for them. He is the proverbial “dog let off his leash” that runs around the length of the ice bothering the opposition, and he has seen the fruits of his labor pay off big time against the Bruins.

Krebs Still Has a Ton Left in the Tank

Krebs has always played like a workhorse and has skated like every single shift is his last one, and it is translating to production in the postseason. Seeing that reward is fantastic not only for him, but for the team as they continue to get great depth scoring from everywhere on their roster. Krebs doesn’t look ready to slow down on his scoring pace just yet, and nobody should expect him to.

On top of all of that, Krebs is the type of player that functions on the principle of “just go”. He is an excellent reactionary player, and his natural vision allows him to just see the ice and go make a play. With the Sabres needing their depth players to continue being valuable pieces of their offense while their power play is on hiatus, don’t expect to see Krebs slow down by any means, whether it is for this series or any potential future ones.