2022 Player Report Card: Peyton Krebs

Krebs impressed in his first season in the blue & gold.

Our 2022 Buffalo Sabres player report cards continue today with a look at forward Peyton Krebs.

Total Season Stats (Sabres): 48 GP | 7 G | 15 A | 22 PTS

Age: 21

Contract Status: Signed through 2023-24 ($863,333/season)

I’m going to be totally honest with you here: I had never really heard of Peyton Krebs before the Jack Eichel trade. When the trade became official, Alex Tuch was clearly the big piece coming back to Buffalo, right? Krebs seemed like a nice little bonus, but an overall unknown. He’d played all of 13 NHL games at the time and had one point. Sure, alright. A first-round draft pick with some promise.

He only played part of this season with the Sabres, but boy, did he live up to the promise. Between his time in Buffalo and Rochester, Krebs’ inclusion in the Eichel trade is looking smarter every day. He seemed to instantaneously gel both on and off the ice with his teammates & clearly brought a youthful, cheerful presence to the room. I can’t think of a time this season when I saw him without a smile on his face, and there’s something to be said for that kind of positivity.

There’s also something to be said for a player who is clearly excited to be in Buffalo. In his postseason comments, Krebs mentioned how happy he is to be here. I can’t recall the exact quote (full video is below), but he said something about how the trees are different here – and it made me laugh. Hey, whatever makes you happy, kid.

Of course, his on-ice production also helps. In addition to his 22 NHL points, he scored 15 points (4-11) in 18 regular season games with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, and added a whopping 11 assists in 10 Calder Cup playoff games.

Krebs truly appears to be something special, and the best part? He’s only 21 & has many bright years ahead.

Season Grade: A-