What to do about Krebs?

[LGR4GM]

The Sabres have to move a forward already, right now, before signing Krebs. Either that or multiple of Helenius, Östlund, and Kulich need to start in Rochester. They have 14 forwards without Krebs already signed for 2026.

[dudacek]

Just now, LGR4GM said:

The Sabres have to move a forward already, right now, before signing Krebs. Either that or multiple of Helenius, Östlund, and Kulich need to start in Rochester. They have 14 forwards without Krebs already signed for 2026.

I think a lot of people are overlooking this when they post their trade and free agent wish lists.

The Sabres are effectively adding three players without making a move:

Danforth, Kulich and Helenius.

It’s pretty crowded in there

[tom webster]

Somewhere along the way, McLeod, Quinn and Krebs have become the new whipping boys even though their stats, both old school and analytically, say they were amongst the league’s best in their roles. McLeod and Quinn were both in the top ten in their roles league in scoring if you eliminate a team’s first line. Krebs gives you the versatility and mind set you need and is infectious.

The new narrative is to blame the Montreal loss on the entire forward group that didn’t score enough. Mind you this is a series that went to overtime in game seven despite the fact that apparently a lot of guys sucked.

Amazingly, all these guys played on a team that was amongst the best in the league. 

[SDS]

16 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I’ll get two. PM me your mailing address.

How did you know our cat yaks on the carpet every two days?

[Eleven]

8 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I think a lot of people are overlooking this when they post their trade and free agent wish lists.

The Sabres are effectively adding three players without making a move:

Danforth, Kulich and Helenius.

It’s pretty crowded in there

I don't see Danforth as part of the team going forward.

[SabresBaltimore]

No idea if this is true, but I heard a rumor Danforth had a setback and could be an LTIR candidate. That would free up 1 roster spot and a bit of cap space (albeit not much).  I know nothing about the guy, having never seen him play. 

Krebs feels like a "grass is always greener" guy, where everyone expects to get the same/more from some new player for less money/term than we'd have to pay him. Maybe that's true. I guess we'll see what happens.

[dudacek]

4 minutes ago, Eleven said:

I don't see Danforth as part of the team going forward.

He’s kinda like Kulich in that people forget what was expected from him last fall, and he’s even easier to dismiss because we’ve barely seen him.

But if he’s had no long-term damage from his injury, he’s a legit NHLer.

He’s actually not much different than Krebs: high-energy versatile Swiss Army type 10th forward.

Jarmo may be looking to him as a cheap and effective Krebs replacement if they move on from #19

[Eleven]

38 minutes ago, dudacek said:

He’s kinda like Kulich in that people forget what was expected from him last fall, and he’s even easier to dismiss because we’ve barely seen him.

But if he’s had no long-term damage from his injury, he’s a legit NHLer.

He’s actually not much different than Krebs: high-energy versatile Swiss Army type 10th forward.

Jarmo may be looking to him as a cheap and effective Krebs replacement if they move on from #19

They'd be cutting off Thompson's left and right arms and asking him to play with prosthetics.

[Mustache of God]

Krebs is the odd man out right now. Currently the Sabres have 14 forwards under contract and he'd be 15. Bodies need to be moved out. 

[triumph_communes]

1 hour ago, tom webster said:

Somewhere along the way, McLeod, Quinn and Krebs have become the new whipping boys even though their stats, both old school and analytically, say they were amongst the league’s best in their roles. McLeod and Quinn were both in the top ten in their roles league in scoring if you eliminate a team’s first line. Krebs gives you the versatility and mind set you need and is infectious.

The new narrative is to blame the Montreal loss on the entire forward group that didn’t score enough. Mind you this is a series that went to overtime in game seven despite the fact that apparently a lot of guys sucked.

Amazingly, all these guys played on a team that was amongst the best in the league. 

It’s quite simple. Krebs is good against sub par performance. His tenacity enables Tuch and Tage. It’s why it worked

 

he has very low hockey iq, always has, and against fast smart teams like Montreal he is a liability

 

We’re here to win the cup not make the playoffs. You can get what he gives elsewhere.  We don’t need top liners we have plenty of young guys who have overtaken him there already 

[SABRES 0311]

Keep Krebs. He's able to play up and down the lineup which seems kind of important considering injuries. He plays physical and has offensive abilities that most fourth liners probably don't have. He is also a veteran that knows the system and teammates. 4x$3.5mil

[tom webster]

Just now, triumph_communes said:

It’s quite simple. Krebs is good against sub par performance. His tenacity enables Tuch and Tage. It’s why it worked

 

he has very low hockey iq, always has, and against fast smart teams like Montreal he is a liability

 

We’re here to win the cup not make the playoffs. You can get what he gives elsewhere.  We don’t need top liners we have plenty of young guys who have overtaken him there already 

I can line up about ten experts tomorrow who will tear that second paragraph apart. Phillip Danault and Josh Anderson have made a career out of shutting down superstars let alone Tage and Krebs.

You are counting on guys who;

1) missed a whole season with a potentially career ending condition

2) a guy who hasn’t played a whole season since he was fourteen back in Sweden

3) a guy who has played played less than twenty games in the NHL

No serious team would do that. That is complete opposite of what you do if you want to win the Cup.

[#freejame]

We lost to Montreal more in part because Tage isn’t good enough to be a 1C on a conference final team than Krebs not playing well enough. Same with McLeod. I don’t understand why those who are taking heat that belongs to Thompson. 

[HILLsabre]

4 hours ago, oddoublee said:

If we bring krebs back at 3.5m - is a 7.5m 4th line to high or the new going rate for a 4th line? I don't know the right answer w krebs...I'm torn 

All depends if Sabres are looking for a true number #1 legit center OR resuming the deeper 4 line philosophy. Sabres will need to seriously upgrade at goaltender if they take this route as consistent scoring will remain a problem.

[RETURNTOGLORY]

Other than tying Tuch in points during the playoffs, I'm not a fan. Move on. 

[RPop]

40 minutes ago, triumph_communes said:

It’s quite simple. Krebs is good against sub par performance. His tenacity enables Tuch and Tage. It’s why it worked

 

he has very low hockey iq, always has, and against fast smart teams like Montreal he is a liability

 

We’re here to win the cup not make the playoffs. You can get what he gives elsewhere.  We don’t need top liners we have plenty of young guys who have overtaken him there already 

Low hockey IQ? For a guy who can move up and down the lineup. He’s a Lindy guy who hustles and completes every shift.  He’s a  3/4 line guy who has trade value. An Anaheim for example or Winnipeg would like to have him. Certainly if Norris is traded he stays. So my take on Krebs is Jarmo is likely seeing where he is at once a move for a trade happens. Is Krebs part of it? Who else gets moved? Then if space as part of 13 forwards he’s brought back at 3.5 avg.. 

[Night Train]

McLeod has never been my whipping boy. I viewed him as a 3rd line center and PK ace. 

54 and 53 points his last 2 years. 8 shorthanded goals. ..8 ! 

He fills the role I envision him. 

Now that Greenway and Tuch aren't here for the PK, He and Beck become very important. 

Edited June 29 by Night Train

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, Mustache of God said:

Krebs is the odd man out right now. Currently the Sabres have 14 forwards under contract and he'd be 15. Bodies need to be moved out. 

I remember posts like this from last summer.

Good times.

[TageMVP]

He stinks. Was suppose to be a big part of the Eichel trade and has turned into nothing.

Probly knows he sucks that's why he tries so hard 

[msw2112]

Krebs is a good all-around hockey player.  He plays with a lot of intensity and isn't afraid to get into the dirty areas.  He's a team-first guy.  He can grind in the 4th line, but he also has enough talent to play up in the lineup (which he obviously did) and he set up and/or scored several big goals.  He's still a young player who hasn't reached his full potential.  I like him and would like to see him on the roster, but I also understand that a team can't keep everybody and can't pay everybody, so if he ends up leaving and going to another team, I will wish him well personally, except when his new team is in direct competition with the Sabres.  I think he's highly undervalued by many on this board.  I've said this before, but he's often judged by the fact the was picked in the first round and that he was part of the Eichel trade (neither of which he had any control over), rather than what he has contributed on the ice.  If he had been a 4th round pick, people would love the guy.

 

2025-26 REGULAR-SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:  

Set new single-season career highs in games played (82), goals (12), assists (27), points (39), game-winning goals (4), plus/minus (plus-13), shots on goal (93), hits (198), blocked shots (41). 

Was one of four Sabres skaters to appear in all 82 games (Bowen Byram, Josh Doan, Jack Quinn). 

Ranked second among all Sabres skaters in hits and third in hits per 60 minutes (10.68; min. 10 games played).   

Tied for fourth on the team in game-winning goals.  

Matched Buffalo’s all-time single-season record for empty net goals (5) and finished the season tied for first with Tage Thompson in empty net points (8).  

Edited June 29 by msw2112

[Pimlach]

4 hours ago, nfreeman said:

I'd like Krebsie to return, and I think there is about a 65% chance that it happens, especially if Norris is traded.  I also think though as an RFA he is still a relatively low priority for Jarmo, after resolving the Hellebuyck situation and perhaps bringing in a decent-to-good UFA forward.

I’m with you.   Krebsie is likable, reliable, and is a Swiss Army knife type of forward that moves up and down the lines and contributes.  Given Maley is at 3M I can’t see spending over 2 for him but that could change if there are other roster holes.  

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, Pimlach said:

I’m with you.   Krebsie is likable, reliable, and is a Swiss Army knife type of forward that moves up and down the lines and contributes.  Given Maley is at 3M I can’t see spending over 2 for him but that could change if there are other roster holes.  

NO ONE wants to hear this but technically speaking, this roster has no holes. 

[Pimlach]

40 minutes ago, TageMVP said:

He stinks. Was suppose to be a big part of the Eichel trade and has turned into nothing.

Probly knows he sucks that's why he tries so hard 

[mjd1001]

1 hour ago, #freejame said:

We lost to Montreal more in part because Tage isn’t good enough to be a 1C on a conference final team than Krebs not playing well enough. Same with McLeod. I don’t understand why those who are taking heat that belongs to Thompson. 

The Sabres lost to Montreal because of the goaltending, not Tage.

Tage had 3 goals and 8 points in the Series. 

When he was on the ice, the team outshot and outchanced Montreal. His +/- looked bad some games more as a result of shoddy goaltending behind him than his own doing.

[Pimlach]

Just now, LGR4GM said:

NO ONE wants to hear this but technically speaking, this roster has no holes. 

I guess they could field a team right now, one that is younger than last years.  

That means no one brought in to replace Tuch in the top 6  and no veteran help if Norris goes down.