Sabres were far better off keeping fringe forward around

While Peyton Krebs may not be a full-time starter in 2024-25, thanks to the way the Blue and Gold stacked their bottom six, there’s no doubt the Sabres were better off keeping him. As we now know, there was one point in which we thought general manager Kevyn Adams would send Krebs elsewhere, but, fortunately, it didn’t happen. 

Not because I’ve suddenly changed my mind about Krebs thanks to his awesome game vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets, but because of the overall value he can still bring to the Sabres. Krebs, should he find himself in even a part-time role with Buffalo, could flourish under head coach Lindy Ruff since their respective styles mesh. 

Under former head coach Don Granato, that wasn’t the case, and we need to give Krebs credit for simply surviving for two full seasons under the previous bench boss. Krebs’ game comprises a defense-first, hard-hitting mentality, and it’s something he’ll display under Ruff while Granato’s style limited that. 

Had the Sabres instead traded Krebs, what would they have realistically gotten for him? He hasn’t been productive offensively over his two-and-a-half seasons in Buffalo, and failing to live up to his status as a former first-round pick further tanked his value. 

Peyton Krebs could evolve with the Sabres under Lindy Ruff

If Kevyn Adams acquired a mid-to-late-round pick for Krebs, would he have gotten more value? Yeah, maybe that draft pick would evolve into a steal, but the odds are against them. Instead, pairing Krebs with a coach whose style meshes with his was the best thing that could have happened, and it may be what he needs to break out. 

Now, when I say ‘break out,’ I’m not saying he’ll evolve into a 50-plus-point forward or anywhere close. Instead, ending the year with something between 30 and 35 points is realistic, with double-digit goals and roughly 20 helpers. 

Under Granato, Krebs was regressing offensively, even if he provided decent value on the Sabres bottom six. But imagine a situation in which Krebs can become an adequate points-producer while maintaining his hard-nosed style of defense-first play. 

With Ruff behind the bench, Krebs could at least resemble the player he was supposed to evolve into at the NHL level. There’s a more physical style of play to this team, and it’s also a squad that, given their better bottom six, should spend more time getting the puck into the offensive zone, and that may finally highlight Krebs’ abilities.