Peyton Krebs’ next chapter in Buffalo is already locked in.
The Sabres and the 25-year-old forward have agreed to a four-year extension worth $4.5 million per season, getting the deal done before arbitration ever became necessary. Elliotte Friedman first reported the agreement, and it pulls both sides out of the salary arbitration process.
Krebs earned the raise with a season that gave Buffalo plenty to like. He played 82 games and finished with 39 points, while also posting a strong plus-13 rating. When the games tightened up, he kept producing, adding six points in 13 playoff games.
He isn’t the kind of player who grabs headlines every night, but that’s not really his job. Krebs does the unglamorous work, and he does it without making a fuss - exactly the sort of complementary piece teams tend to hold onto.
The financial jump is meaningful, too. Krebs is moving from a $1.45 million contract to a far richer one, a clear sign the Sabres see him as part of what they’re building.
It also comes during a busy stretch for Buffalo. Jarmo Kekalainen is in the middle of reshaping the roster, and forward Jack Quinn is being shopped on the trade market.
There’s a Montreal angle here as well. Kirby Dach is one of the players who elected salary arbitration, with his hearing set for July 30. Krebs’ deal is the kind of outcome every team prefers: settle early, avoid the hearing, and skip the awkward public argument over value.
The situations aren’t identical. Krebs just finished a full, productive season, while Dach still comes with plenty of uncertainty.
But the message is the same. A deal before arbitration is the cleanest path forward.
For Buffalo, that path is now set with Krebs. For Montreal, the clock keeps moving on the Dach situation.
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For Montreal, the real significance is less about the headline value than the security it creates around a player the organization clearly wants to anchor its future. The deal does not begin until 2027-28, which means the Canadiens can plan well ahead while the rest of the league keeps sorting through a still-active market that includes several unsigned names, from Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko to Jason Robertson, Adam Fantilli and Connor Bedard. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Face A Tense Kirby Dach Decision This Summer
Kirby Dachs summer has taken a familiar turn for a young player still trying to establish his place in Montreal. He is the only Canadiens player to elect for arbitration, and his hearing is set for July 30, giving the club and the forward a narrow window to settle on a new deal before a third party steps in and decides the price.
For the Canadiens, the situation is about more than just one contract number. Dach filed after receiving a qualifying offer from Montreal, and the final figure could shape both his role on the roster and the teams flexibility if general manager Kent Hughes decides to explore trade options later on. For now, the clock is ticking, and Montreal still has time to work out an agreement before the hearing becomes unavoidable. [Read more 🡒]