Peyton Krebs hoping to find his place in Sabres' lineup

Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) – It was back on Nov. 4, 2021 when the Buffalo Sabres acquired forward Peyton Krebs from the Vegas Golden Knights as part of the Jack Eichel trade. Krebs was the prospect that general manager Kevyn Adams was holding out for, and it took until November for Vegas to finally include him in the trade.

Krebs was a slick-passing setup man at the junior level with the Winnipeg Ice, where he had 78 assists in 62 games in the two seasons before turning pro. Even in the AHL with the Henderson Silver Knights and Rochester Americans, Krebs had 31 assists in just 35 games combined.

In the NHL, it’s been a different story.

Former Sabres head coach Don Granato had a top-6 forward group that didn’t include Krebs. The next thing you knew, he was centering Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons on the second-best defensive line in the NHL.

Krebs learned a lot about being a two-way player, but his offensive skill eroded. In 215 NHL games, Krebs only has 20 goals and 46 assists for 66 points.

Last season, the 23-year-old was outscored by an 18-year-old rookie, Zach Benson, who put up 30 points to Krebs' 17 points.

Krebs is a very hardworking young player who is willing to sacrifice the player he once was to fit something the Sabres could use. But what exactly is that?

"First of all, he’s still a young player, and he’s still trying to find his way to some extent. But when I asked him about his season at the exit meeting, the first thing he said was, 'I truly believe I can be a really good 200-foot, two-way center, and I’m still working and I’m getting better,'" said Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams this past Thursday during his pre-draft press conference. "That was a little bit of a shift, because when he first got here, there was so much emphasis on offense. He had always been an offensive player, which is normal because most first-round picks that are centermen are usually talented offensive players. That doesn’t mean that we don’t think he has a chance to become a good offensive player, but I just it's think him embracing the role and him playing both sides, and wanting to kill penalties."

Adams believes that going forward, many will still be able to see the growth and improvement in Krebs' game.

"I like his competitiveness, I like his character, and I like his mature mindset of different ways to succeed in this league, not just on the offensive side. That, to me, was a telling statement," Adams said.

Krebs is a very big team-oriented player, who said he wanted to become part of the community and raise his kids here during his very first meeting with the media.

While so much was expected from this team last year, Krebs stills believes this a place for him to play hockey, while also raising his new family.

"I love coming to the rink every day. I love Buffalo as a city. I’m going to have my first kid here, so Buffalo’s home," said Krebs during his end-of-season press conference. "It’s exciting. We’re going to win a Stanley Cup, I know it. And once we do, the fans here will be fired up.

"It honestly wasn’t what we wanted this year. We want to be a playoff team every year, and that’s the standard. We didn’t achieve that."

Krebs was also just as disappointed in his own season when looking back on the year that was.

"I definitely didn't have the year I wanted offensively, and just overall," he said. "I know I need to be better, and I know I’m going in every day and giving 110%. I know it’s going to come eventually, if I do that. So it was a tough year, but you’re only going to get stronger from it."

It just seemed like Granato didn’t know what he wanted to do with Krebs, and the fact that Lindy Ruff is now the head coach doesn’t change the kid’s outlook.

"For me, no matter who’s the coach, I’m going to give it all I have each and every day. Coaches like guys that bring it every day," Krebs said.

Once forward Casey Mittelstadt was traded to the Colorado Avalanche just before the NHL Trade Deadline, Krebs' role changed again, as he had to step into the hole created there.

"It doesn’t matter who I’m playing with, because I had a lot of different linemates this year. Every game I was just trying to give it my best each and every shift, and make the most of my opportunities," Krebs said.

Krebs only averaged 12:30 of ice-time per-game this past year. He is one of the few Sabres players that are willing to mix it up with the other team, and come to the defense of a teammate.

"I was trying to be a player that was a pain to play against. Every time I was on the ice, I was trying to, there’s no doubt about that," Krebs said. "With all the different roles I had, I was trying to make the most of it."

One thing you don’t have to worry about is if Krebs is working hard this summer. He’s never shown to be a slacker.

"I think it’s a really big summer for me. It’s a big summer for all of us," he said. "I’m looking forward to growing a lot of strength, so in those corners, I’m not getting knocked off pucks easy and can I take that hit. It’s something I’ve really got to work on.

"I also want to shoot the puck more. I’ve got to work on my shot in different situations and being comfortable with that."

We know Ruff is going to hold players accountable, but are the players going to hold each other accountable? Every player that spoke during locker room clean out day in April said they need to hold themselves more accountable. Krebs was no different.

"We want that as a team within ourselves. There have been moments where, as a group, we didn’t uphold to that high standard. Now we have to make sure that we set that standard, and it starts in training camp," Krebs said.

"I love each and every one of these guys, and we know we’re going to be a lot better for this."

Coverage of the 2024 NHL Draft begins with the first round on Friday night. I'll be live from Las Vegas, while Brian Koziol and Brayton Wilson will be back in our WGR studios, starting at 7 p.m. ET.