When the Kootenay Ice were in the throes of a franchise-altering roster rebuild in the fall of 2018, their coach, James Patrick, heard a different version of the same question from agents, coaches and even his brother, Steve, a fellow retired NHL player.
“When is Peyton Krebs asking for a trade?” recalled James. “ 'There’s no way he’s staying there. When is he asking out?’ Even my brother, whose son went through the WHL and was drafted by Philly, said, ‘If that’s my kid, there’s no way I’m keeping him there.’”
Patrick had no such concerns. Krebs was at the center of the Ice’s plan, a dynamic, then-17-year-old center with the work ethic and drive to be a catalyst for change for a franchise that was relocating to Winnipeg the following season under new ownership.
The Ice traded established 19- and 20-year-old players for draft picks and raw underage prospects. Everyone around the Western Hockey League knew Krebs was going to experience some difficult moments during his draft-eligible season. He never wavered in his commitment, though.
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Krebs took over as team captain and, through a relentless drive to improve and push his teammates, spearheaded a culture change that helped transform Winnipeg into one of the top teams in the WHL. That trying season, in which the Ice finished with a 13-45-7 record, required resolve and courage but did not prevent Krebs from becoming a first-round draft choice, 17th overall, by the Vegas Golden Knights in June 2019.
There are some parallels to the situation Krebs now finds himself in. During a phone call before dawn Thursday, Krebs learned he was traded from the Stanley Cup-contending Golden Knights to the rebuilding Buffalo Sabres. Instead of pushing for ice time against established all-stars, Krebs was sent to Rochester to acclimate to his new role as a key cog in General Manager Kevyn Adams’ plan to patiently build a roster with bright, talented, young players who embrace the challenge that lies ahead.
“The thing that got me excited was when I talked to Kevyn,” said Krebs, now 20. “He seems like a great communicator. He’s excited about building a team. I went through the same transition with the Kootenay Ice to Winnipeg Ice and we got new owners. Just that fresh start when I had it back then with the new owners and how excited they were to get going is a lot what I see here in Buffalo.”
Even at 16, Krebs acted like a professional. Every drill in practice was performed at full speed. He cared about his diet and sleeping habits. His self-discipline far exceeded what coaches typically see from junior players, Patrick said.
Patrick, who spent six of his 21 NHL seasons as a defenseman with the Sabres from 1998-2004, estimated that he stops practice once a week, particularly early each season, to remind players that gliding through drills isn’t an option. Everything must be done at full-bore, no matter the portion of the on-ice session. He never had to worry about Krebs, though.
As a rookie with the Ice in 2017-18, Krebs had 17 goals and 54 points in 67 games despite playing with the expectations of being selected first overall in the WHL bantam draft. He had an uncanny ability to find time and space in the offensive zone, making up for any deficiency in his game. When Krebs pinpointed defense as a weakness, he plotted a plan to improve and developed into a reliable two-way force. Krebs' development was the blueprint for how the Ice wanted to build a team.
Too many players on the roster didn’t match Krebs’ work ethic and difficult decisions needed to be made. Before the 2018-19 season, Kootenay management knew Krebs was going to be the next captain. But no one would have blamed Krebs for expressing frustration when it became apparent the club was going young. A big season offensively would bolster his draft stock and solidify him as a high first-round draft choice. A down year could have impacted his hockey career for the worse.
Opponents were using defensemen up to three years older and 40 pounds heavier to try to intimidate Krebs with a big hit every time he touched the puck.
“Peyton said, ‘I don’t want to go anywhere, I want to turn this around, I want to be part of the solution and I want to fix this,’ ” said Patrick, who is amid his fifth season coaching the Ice. “Now that whole year as a 17-year-old, every shift he was on the ice, he played against the other team’s 19- and 20-year-olds. Every team’s game plan was, we have to stop one player on their team and let’s run the (heck) out of him. Let’s do everything we can to make it miserable and hard for him.
“As frustrating as it was, I kept saying, ‘You keep competing and battling as hard as you can. This will make you better. You will be better for this.’ He did. There was frustration. There were tears. But he battled his (tail) off.”
The attention didn’t prevent Krebs from showing he was an elite draft-eligible prospect, as he totaled 19 goals and 68 points in 64 games for the 13-win Ice. NHL Central Scouting’s midseason rankings had Krebs as the No. 8 North American skater for the 2019 draft. Then came another bout with adversity.
Shortly after the Scouting Combine in Buffalo, Krebs suffered a torn Achilles that led to his fall in the draft to Vegas.
Krebs stayed with Golden Knights winger Mark Stone while recovering from the surgery and, upon receiving approval to return to the ice, rejoined his teammates in Winnipeg. He had 60 points in 38 games as the Ice finished 18-5-1 during the Covid-19-shortened 2019-20 season.
“I definitely learned a lot about myself and the work it takes,” said Krebs. “I got to be in an NHL environment while I was injured and learned a lot from those guys, and I’ve taken it throughout my career. I think it matured me definitely. You can never take a day for granted on the ice because that injury, you never know what could happen.”
Krebs was in the playoff bubble with the Golden Knights in the fall of 2020, joined Sabres prospects Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn with Team Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championships, and reported to Vegas training camp before capping his junior career with 43 points in 24 games with Winnipeg.
He was on track to help the deep, playoff-hardened roster in Vegas that had championship aspirations but suffered a broken jaw in his fourth NHL game last May. Krebs spent most of his summer near the team facilities, training alongside Max Pacioretty in pursuit of a full-time role with the Golden Knights in 2021-22.
Meanwhile, the public feud between Eichel and the Sabres was coming to a head. A trade seemed imminent in late July and Krebs was being mentioned as a possible return for Buffalo. Three months later, Adams was pursuing Vegas’ top prospect.
“Peyton Krebs was someone we had targeted and worked extremely hard to get in this deal,” Adams acknowledged when the trade was complete.
Krebs had one assist in 13 games with the Golden Knights, including only 10 shots on goal while averaging 13:44 of ice time in nine this season. He’s a center with top-six potential who was on a team with a dire need for a playmaker at that position, yet Vegas gambled on Eichel rather than wait for Krebs to develop into the difference-maker many project him to become.
The Sabres are now well-stocked with young players and draft picks, including three first-rounders in 2022. Their NHL roster includes Cozens, Casey Mittelstadt, Rasmus Dahlin, Victor Olofsson and Rasmus Asplund, among others. Krebs joined Quinn and JJ Peterka in Rochester, while the prospect pipeline includes recent No. 1 draft choice Owen Power and 2019 first-round selection Ryan Johnson.
“I love Krebs’ game,” an NHL scout said of Krebs' move to the Sabres. “He won’t be the highest skilled player, but his work ethic, compete and difference-making play will be a huge addition.”
But Krebs went from the Vegas Strip’s Cup-contending main attraction to the latest rebuild in Buffalo, where a Sabres organization has been criticized for its handling of the Eichel situation and fans are tired of waiting for the club to contend. Krebs will have to use his time in Rochester to prove he’s ready for a full-time NHL role.
While Krebs conceded there were “mixed emotions,” he also expressed excitement for what’s next, no matter how challenging it may be.
“I know he heard his name in these trade rumors,” Patrick said. “It’s still a shock and it’s still painful, but he’s the kind of kid that give him a day or two. He’ll refocus, set his sights and say, ‘OK, this is what I’ve got to do, this is where I want to be and this is how I have to get there.’”
