Peyton Krebs may have found his role with the Buffalo Sabres in 2022-23, and he will expand on it in 2023-24 as a defensive forward.
Shortly following the Buffalo Sabres 2022-23 season, I wrote a piece stating that Peyton Krebs will become a “game changer” for the team in 2023-24. And while I don’t see Krebs scoring a ton of points for the Blue and Gold, I also implied in that article that Krebs’ points total could increase, and if so, it should surprise no one.
One part of me says that Krebs will be a frequent catalyst that can set a sequence in motion, and a shorter, faster sequence could give him more than a few secondary assists. The other part of me says that, even when Krebs sets that fair share of sequences in motion, his doing so won’t pop up on the stat sheet.
But since we’re making bold predictions for the upcoming season, I want to focus on Krebs’ potential points accumulation. We know he will get his hits, and that he will see ample time on and improving the penalty kill. Krebs will also make life tough for opposing forwards when he’s on the ice with Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons, but we don’t know how many points he’s capable of.
Prediction: Peyton Krebs gets 25-plus assists for the Buffalo Sabres in 2023-24
While it’s tough to imagine Krebs scoring 25 points total (he had 26 last season) playing primarily a defensive forward role on the fourth line, it’s possible nonetheless not because of scoring sequences with Okposo and Girgensons, but with him being a sequence starter. Krebs should be doing this more often in 2023-24, and with a high-octane scoring line entering the ice after he recovers puck possession, quick sequences are likely.
Enough of these will help Krebs rack up the points total and give him at least 25 (if not more) assists on the season if we’re going bold here. No, he still won’t score over 10 goals, but if the Sabres convert quickly thanks to Krebs, then 35-40 points can definitely happen. Realistically, I got Krebs in the 25-30 point range thanks to his projected role, but that doesn’t mean he won’t score more in the right situations.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)