LAS VEGAS – Alex Tuch was stretching on the logo at center ice in T-Mobile Arena following the morning skate Tuesday, surrounded by the rest of the Buffalo Sabres, when one-by-one, the team coaxed others to join him.
Cody Eakin, a teammate of Tuch’s on the Las Vegas Golden Knights during their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018, was first to move to the middle. Then came Peyton Krebs, a first-round draft choice of Vegas in 2019 who played 13 NHL games with the club before he was traded with Tuch to the Sabres in the blockbuster deal that sent Jack Eichel to Vegas.
“To watch and play with guys like (Rasmus Dahlin) and (Peyton Krebs) and (Dylan Cozens) and see them develop and become the superstars that I think they are destined to become is an exciting time,” Tuch said.
This was going to be an emotional return for Tuch and Eakin. They played a combined 93 playoff games for the Golden Knights and were part of the expansion group that turned Vegas into a hockey town.
The vibe was different for Krebs, though. The 21-year-old forward got to reunite with former teammates – particularly Mark Stone and Max Paciorietty, both of whom took him under their wing – but Krebs wasn't on Vegas' NHL roster for long. He was buried on the depth chart on a veteran-laden club determined to win a Stanley Cup.
People are also reading…
Krebs’ role is far different with Buffalo. He’s been a fixture in the Sabres’ top six since arriving from Rochester in late December, showcasing a blend of speed, tenacity and play-making that quickly earned the trust of coach Don Granato.
The Sabres' retiring play-by-play man made one final jaunt west with the team this week, attending a Sabres "Road Crew" event for the first time since before the pandemic.
“I think, for me, I was playing a lot different role in Vegas than I am here,” Krebs said after the skate. “There are a lot of great players, and I wasn’t that guy that maybe was going to go (prevent) a goal in the last minute. … Now I want to be that guy that goes and scores. I believe I can do it and it’s exciting for me, for sure.”
Krebs averaged 16:34 of ice time over his first 10 games with the Sabres, a sizable increase from the 13:01 he played in Vegas, and he totaled three goals and five points. He’s skated at left wing and center, and his resolve under pressure led to a spot on the Sabres’ top power play.
When Krebs first arrived in Buffalo, he deferred to teammates too often. It’s common for young centers to think pass first early in their NHL careers. However, he has the self-awareness to understand that it will be important to use his left-handed shot to keep opponents honest, and he’s been more active in the offensive zone in recent games.
Entering Tuesday night, Krebs had multiple points in two of his last four games and his ice time increased significantly during that span, including 19-plus minutes in each of the first two games on this road trip.
Granato watched a significant amount of video on Krebs before and after the trade. It was important for the coach to scout the strengths and deficiencies in the next member of the Sabres’ young core. And what Granato has seen from Krebs over the past five weeks bears no resemblance to the forward’s games with Vegas.
Even if you don’t know his name, you know his style: Mellanby practically invented the way we watch hockey as executive producer of "Hockey Night in Canada" from 1966 to 1985.
“I went back and watched his games, even in Vegas, even from earlier in the year, and he’s a completely different player just watching him with us,” Granato said. “His stride is different, the way he carries himself is different, he’s got another level of confidence that he belongs. And (he’s) making more plays, much more dangerous. … He’s making plays at a high level and he’s fit in very well with us.”
Krebs’ job with the Golden Knights was to not make a mistake, he joked Tuesday morning. Aside from early this season when Vegas was ravaged by injuries, Krebs was more of a depth player. And, like most prospects, he needed to adjust to the speed and strength of NHL competition.
This led to a slow start offensively for Krebs. He had only one assist during those 13 games with Vegas, a primary helper on a goal by Tuch in the spring, and he wasn't always executing.
Krebs has made several remarkable, highlight-reel plays with the Sabres, including a pair of superb assists on goals by Tuch. The details in Krebs’ game are precise, most notably on defense. When there’s a turnover, Krebs quickly bolts to Buffalo’s end of the ice to try to get the puck back, a sign of the work ethic that’s led to his increased role on the Sabres.
“Obviously, any time you come into the league, you want to produce right away,” Krebs said. “You come from playing a lot of minutes and coming into Vegas, there’s a lot of great players. I definitely learned you can’t take anything for granted. It’s not an easy path up. I’m not going to be straight into getting 100 points, whatever it is.
Balkin, 16, was playing in a high school hockey game in Connecticut game against Brunswick School when his neck was cut by an opponent’s skate during an on-ice collision. Balkin was rushed to a local hospital, where he died from the injury.
“You look at some other guys that are the best players now, it took them some time for them to get going. I obviously don’t want that. I want to be the best player I can be from the start, but playing those 13 games and getting to know the league a bit, you see you have to stick with it and if you keep grinding every day it’s going to come. I definitely learned you can’t stop getting better every day.”
It took a change of scenery, but Krebs is showing why he was considered a top 10 prospect leading up to the NHL draft in 2019. He only dropped to pick No. 17 because of a partially torn Achilles tendon in a workout following the scouting combine. Krebs’ return to Vegas, the team that gambled on his potential following the injury, is another opportunity for him to show what the Golden Knights lost in the trade.
“It’s really good to see him have the confidence, because the ability’s never lacked,” Tuch said.
More questions
Casey Mittelstadt will be evaluated by the same surgeon who performed his undisclosed surgery in December after the 23-year-old experienced soreness that forced him from the Sabres’ game Sunday in Colorado. Mittelstadt wasn’t available to play Tuesday in Las Vegas and the conversation with the doctor will determine next steps.
Separate upper-body injuries, albeit similar in nature, have limited Mittelstadt to only seven games this season.
“Obviously, he left the game, he had some soreness, and before we do anything, we want to make sure we’re doing the right things with that,” Granato said. “So, he’ll have a conversation with the surgeon, and we’ll go from there.”
