Sabres Came Close to Trading Young Forward

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.

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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.

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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.