The Buffalo Sabres saw more than a few players take part in their first full season in the NHL. Peyton Krebs was the most obscure of the group.
Buffalo Sabres forward Peyton Krebs found his niche on the fourth line, often centering Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons. While it was Krebs’ first full season in the league, having played in just 57 games the previous year, it was easier to focus on rookies like Jack Quinn, J.J. Peterka, Owen Power, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and late in the year, Devon Levi.
This left the second year player in Krebs in more obscurity most of the time, though his role is no less important. Krebs had just 26 points this past season, with nine goals, and 17 assists, but his defensive game was another story. He logged 93 hits, and he was pivotal in opposing scorers in check.
But Krebs also showed flashes that he could become the Buffalo Sabres top man in winning faceoffs. In 2021-22, his faceoff win percentage was a miserable 35.2%. This past season, it improved to 45.1%; still not near where we’d like it to be, but given its vast improvement, it’s safe to project that number will keep trending north.
Buffalo Sabres center Peyton Krebs will take a step forward in 2023-24
Despite his pedestrian numbers offensively and his defense-first role in 2022-23, don’t be shocked if Krebs’ overall points output increases. If there was one major thing his line did well in the previous season, it involved putting so much pressure on his opponents that they had a tough time getting out of their own zone.
Sure, the Buffalo Sabres often allowed breakaways and odd man rushes, but if you recall the 2022-23 season correctly, many of those came off turnovers and careless mistakes from the scoring lines. When the trio of Krebs, Okposo, and Girgensons was out there, it was often another story, and now that we know Krebs will only grow with experience, look for him to help create turnovers and scoring opportunities in the zone for the upcoming season.
Chances are, we will see Krebs potentially line up alongside a variety of players in 2023-24. There is a chance he lines up with Okposo and Girgensons once more, but there is also Jordan Greenway, perhaps Tyson Jost, and maybe even someone like Lukas Rousek, and all three players are more than capable of pinning opponents into their own zone.
Source: Are Peyton Krebs, Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka the keys to Sabres taking another step? by Lance Lysowski, BuffaloNews.com