Buffalo Sabres and Peyton Krebs agree to four-year contract extension

By Noah Lavoie — 14 July 2026 — 3 min read

The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Peyton Krebs to a four-year, $18 million contract extension, avoiding arbitration. The deal, announced on Monday, will pay Krebs $4.5 million annually. This agreement secures Krebs, who was eligible for arbitration, for the foreseeable future with the team.

Krebs, 25, joined the Sabres as part of the trade that sent Jack Eichel to Vegas. He has been with the franchise for five seasons and is coming off his most productive year in the National Hockey League (NHL), where he recorded 12 goals and 27 assists for a career-high 39 points during the regular season. He also contributed two goals and four assists in 13 playoff games.

Krebs’ Impact and Versatility

Last season, Krebs played in all 82 regular-season games. He began the season as a bottom-six player but concluded it playing wing on a line alongside Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch. This line started the playoffs together before coach Lindy Ruff adjusted the lineup. Ruff has referred to Krebs as the team’s “Swiss Army knife” due to his ability to play both centre and wing and his impact on the forecheck.

Krebs’ versatility allowed him to be utilized in various situations, playing an energy role on the fourth line and being elevated higher in the lineup during late-game scenarios. His strong work ethic has made him a valuable asset for the Sabres.

The commitment from the team with a four-year deal marks the longest contract of Krebs’ professional career, reflecting the Sabres’ valuation of his contributions. Krebs expressed his desire to remain in Buffalo, stating, “This is definitely a home for my family and I, and I’d love to be a part of this team as long as I can.” He also mentioned getting engaged and having his first daughter in the city, considering himself a Buffalonian.

Organizational Changes and Future Outlook

In addition to Krebs’ contract extension, the Sabres made other organizational moves. They traded Tyler Kopff to the Washington Capitals for prospect Zac Funk. Kopff, 23, split last season between the American Hockey League (AHL) and the ECHL, while Funk, 22, has recorded two goals and four assists in 25 career AHL games with the Hershey Bears and 28 points in 34 career ECHL games with the South Carolina Stingrays.

The Sabres also announced the hiring of veteran NHL executive John Davidson as senior adviser. Davidson, 73, has 18 seasons of experience as president of hockey operations for St. Louis, Columbus, and the New York Rangers. He is now reunited with Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen, whom he previously hired as GM in Columbus.

Davidson expressed enthusiasm about joining the Sabres, stating, “The momentum in Buffalo is palpable throughout the entire league and the passion from Sabres fans makes this opportunity all the more exciting.” The Sabres clinched a playoff berth last season, ending an NHL-record 14-season drought, and reached the Eastern Conference semifinals, where they lost to Montreal in seven games. This marked the end of one of the longest active streaks among North American major sports, ranking second only to the NFL’s New York Jets.

With Krebs’ signing, the Sabres now have 15 NHL forwards on their roster and approximately $4.1 million in cap space, according to PuckPedia. This flexibility suggests that further moves could be forthcoming. Krebs was the last internal contract the Sabres needed to address before the season, and his retention, along with Beck Malenstyn who signed a six-year contract, ensures important pieces of Buffalo’s culture remain with the team.

Source: sportsnet.ca