Krebs' Future With Sabres In Doubt
Buffalo’s bottom-six upgrades may leave the 23-year-old RFA without a spot
Krebs' Future With Sabres In DoubtThe Buffalo Sabres acquisition of center Ryan McLeod from Edmonton on Friday was another move made by GM Kevyn Adams to upgrade the club’s bottom-six. The additions of Beck Malenstyn, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Jason Zucker, and Sam Lafferty is a noticeable upgrade from a group last year that included former Sabres Eric Robinson, Victor Olofsson, Zemgus Girgensons, and Kyle Okposo, but the new acquisitions have possibly left restricted free agent center Peyton Krebs on the outside looking in.
Krebs was a highly-regarded prospect and former first-round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights who was acquired in the Jack Eichel deal in November 2021 and was known as an excellent playmaker when he was drafted 17th overall in 2019. After the trade, the Calgary native split time between the rebuilding Sabres and AHL Rochester, and over the last two seasons, the 23-year-old’s role has mostly been as an irritant and energy fourth-liner instead of an offensive role.
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After the deadline deal that sent Casey Mittelstadt to Colorado, former head coach Don Granato moved Krebs up to the third line, playing mostly with rookie Zach Benson and veteran Jeff Skinner, but did not have much success finding his offensive legs, with just five points (1 goal, 4 assists) in the final 20 games of the season.
Krebs is a restricted free agent this summer, but with the addition of McLeod and Malenstyn (likely penciled in as the club’s third-and-fourth line centers), Krebs may be relegated to a role as an extra forward. There reportedly was interest in the pesky center from clubs is issues up the middle like the Philadelphia Flyers at the deadline, so the Sabres could find takers if they are interested in moving him, but it is also possible that he could be part of a larger deal for a possible top-six forward later this summer.
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