Some players fall to the wayside fast, and it’s something we’ve seen this season with Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn. The Sabres were so impressed with Cozens that they had no problem dealing him to a division rival in a blockbuster trade, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they showed Jack Quinn the door at some point this offseason.
Meanwhile, another player fans debate about hasn’t produced as many points as Cozens or Quinn, but he doesn’t need to score goals or be a playmaker to stay relevant. No, this player’s been a defensive forward for a while now, but he’s pitched in enough offensively to give me hope that he may eventually increase his niche.
That’s right, Peyton Krebs has officially impressed me with more than just his defensive ability. While he only has nine goals and 24 points in 73 games, Krebs has become one of the better assets out there at the faceoff circle, snagging 50.4 percent and 289 of his draws across a decent 13:42 of average total ice time.
Peyton Krebs could have a spot as the Sabres perennial glue player
Peyton Krebs could be the Sabres new version of Zemgus Girgensons, someone who will never give you over 30 points a season, but his hustle, compete, willingness to land and take hits, and score the occasional goal are all comparisons we can draw to who was once the longest-tenured player on the Blue and Gold.
Playing in the middle six is Krebs’ ceiling in the NHL, and players like this can find themselves playing for roughly a half-dozen NHL teams. But if the Sabres were smart, they’d keep Krebs in the bottom half of the middle six and, ideally, on the fourth line, and let him keep growing into his role as one of the league’s grittier players.
You can see Krebs’ value reflected in the fact that he’s fourth on the team with an 89.1 on-ice save percentage at even strength among players who have suited up for at least 52 games for the Sabres. His on-ice shooting percentage of 12.1 is eighth on the team, and sixth among Sabres forwards, impressive considering how well this team’s been scoring in 2024-25.
Sabres can thank the hockey gods they hung onto Peyton Krebs
Overall, Peyton Krebs looked like the weak link in the Jack Eichel trade. While Alex Tuch has found success in Buffalo and is a top-line player, Krebs didn’t warrant the same returns. Last season was particularly painful, as he put up just four goals and 17 points, and his face-off win percentage sat at an ugly 46.3.
Nobody would’ve blamed the Sabres if they wanted to move on from Krebs at the end of 2023-24, but he returned this season facing low expectations. And no, his points production doesn’t look great, so if you judge players on points alone, you’re not impressed.
But if you consider all the little things he does right, which has helped the Sabres at least regain respect following that debacle of an 0-10-3 stretch, you’ll see his value.
Should Krebs finish the 2024-25 season strong, there’s no doubt in the world that he’ll return in 2025-26 with higher expectations to play solid hockey in all three zones. If he does that, he’ll solidify his spot on this team with a longer-term, yet cost-effective deal. And the Sabres should be grateful.