ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Peyton Krebs has always been a competitive person; just ask his brothers.

What You Need To Know

  • Peyton Krebs, acquired in the Jack Eichel trade, says he was somewhat surprised by the trade
  • Krebs saw on social media that his name was dangled in trade talks, but was told by a Vegas staffer not to expect a trade
  • Krebs says he's happy to be part of the Sabres young core, and says Stanley Cup champions are built by designing rosters around young talent

"We had an undeveloped basement as kids," said Krebs of his older and younger brothers. "I think my parents did that on purpose so we wouldn’t wreck everything. It was pretty fun. We had some good battles there."

Peyton's brothers played defense, so he gravitated toward playing offense. While Peyton dabbled at goalie and defenseman, he mostly stuck to center. He played well enough to earn first-round consideration as a draft prospect in 2019, even when a sliced Achilles tendon dampened his outlook. Peyton slipped to the 17th overall pick, and the Vegas Golden Knights pulled the trigger.

"It was definitely a hassle at times," said Peyton of his eight-month recovery period. "During the draft, I was on a scooter wheeling around. I was lucky to have a good family around me, and good friends to get me through it."

After two years in the Vegas organization, Peyton turned into one of the top prospects in the NHL. He also became trade bait for Jack Eichel when the Sabres put their captain on the trade block.

"I can see my name’s out there. If Vegas is in the mix, I’m going to be right up there to be traded," he remembered. Peyton read rumors on social media, but didn't think he would be shipped out to Buffalo. 

"At the start of the year, I had one of the people in management tell me, ‘I don’t think the trade’s going to go through. It’s not going to happen. Don’t be worried about it,’" he said. "That gave me some ease."

That ease was fleeting; when the Sabres traded Eichel to Vegas, Peyton was the big piece coming back.

"It’s tough in the moment, for sure," he said. "You’ve been with a team for not so long, and you’re just getting started. The best thing right now is that I’m early in my career and I can start a legacy now with Buffalo."

Peyton said his future teammates reached out just after they woke up, since the trade was early in the morning. Jack Quinn went a step further, taking him out for chicken parmigiana for his first meal as a Rochester Amerk. Peyton and Jack have known each other for years: they played for Canada at World Juniors and were both first-round selections at the 2019 NHL Draft. Both players have become blue-chip prospects in the Sabres system, and try to get the best of each other during practice.

"I want to battle against Quinner against every shift if I can. Or JJ (Peterka)," he says. "Or any of the guys that are out there. Shoot on Upy (Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen). Makes me want to drive even harder every day. Before practice, we’re shooting pucks down in the room. Quinner’s there every morning, so I want to be there every morning and shoot pucks."

The Sabres hope that competitive streak builds a foundation for the future, with Peyton Krebs at its center.

In the video above, Krebs discusses his upbringing and journey to becoming a top NHL prospect.

In the video above, Krebs talks about getting drafted and rumors leading up to the trade.

In the video above, Krebs discusses the shock of the trade and his time so far in Rochester.