The Buffalo Sabres reportedly almost traded this forward before he signed his new contract.
The Buffalo Sabres reportedly almost traded this forward before he signed his new contract.
Earlier this week, the Buffalo Sabres signed Peyton Krebs to a two-year, $2.9 million contract ($1.45 million AAV). With this bridge deal, the Sabres now have the young forward locked up until the completion of the 2025-26 campaign. The former first-rounder will now look to break out from here.
While the Sabres have Krebs signed, it appears that Buffalo almost went in an entirely different direction with the 23-year-old.
During the latest episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman shared that the Sabres considered trading Krebs before getting this contract finalized.
Here is what Friedman said on the matter:
"A couple days ago, I had heard that Krebs might be traded. It was pointed out to me that Krebs was not in that frame of mind.”
While Krebs was a prime trade candidate for the Sabres, Friedman noted that the young forward made it abundantly clear that he wanted to remain in Buffalo.
Here's what Friedman said on the matter:
"He was like, ‘I don’t want anything out there that makes it indicate that I want to be traded. Ultimately, the deal got done.”
Now that Krebs is signed and sticking around, he must earn a spot in the Sabres' lineup for the start of the season. The Sabres notably gave their bottom six a significant boost this offseason, adding Jason Zucker, Ryan McLeod, Sam Lafferty, Beck Malenstyn, and Nicolas Aube-Kubel. Thus, Krebs has serious competition heading into the new season and will need to impress from here.
Krebs appeared in 80 games last season for the Sabres, recording four goals, 17 points, 67 penalty minutes, 108 hits, and a plus-2 rating.
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