As the Sabres continue to play better and move up in the standings, they may be looking to make a move before the trade deadline to push for the postseason. One player that has had speculation before the season started was Peyton Krebs.
Krebs thus far has had an improved start to the year, compared to what many were saying before the season began. He has been a steady part in Lindy Ruff's lineup. Does his play though still mean he can stay in the lineup or be a trade asset for a team still possibly looking for another forward?
He currenly has only seven points on the year but his value has been on the defensive end and adding physicality to the center area of the ice. He was won 55.9 percent of his faceoffs this season. It would be a positive trend and would show that Krebs went up nine percent since last year.
Peyton Krebs also has 35 hits on the year which proves his value in the lineup
Against the Sharks, the center was able to tie the game in the first period off a snapshot. Buffalo won the game 4-2 in an important three-game win streak. Krebs is averaging about 12 minutes of ice time per game.
He should be looked at by other times looking to add depth to their third or fourth lines. His contract is also extremely cap friendly to Buffalo and would be for any other team looking to take on the contract. It currently sits at $1.45 million.
The Sabres may continue to look for more offensive firepower and Krebs does have his limits with goal scoring. If they want to find a complement to Tage Thompson, they may look for a more prolific center who can score between the pipes.
Krebs more than likely will continue to be the easiest trade asset and one of the Sabres will likely move on from unless he vastly improves his offensive ability. He has played well for Lindy Ruff, but it may not be enough for him to prove his value on the third or fourth line.
After a win against the Dallas Stars, Krebs said of center, Ryan McLeod, "He’s a great guy off the ice and he works hard, he plays the right way." Mcleod currently averages more minutes than Krebs and could be skating Krebs out of a spot.
The question for Buffalo is, will the Sabres be trading Krebs for draft capital or a push for the postseason. His play and the play of the team will determine how it goes down.