When the Golden Knights selected Peyton Krebs with their first pick in the 2019 NHL Draft they knew they got something special. The very first time we saw Krebs after becoming a Golden Knight, he showed it.
Just a few days after having his Achilles tendon slit with a hockey skate, Krebs heard his name, stood up, hugged his family, and then walked down the steps of Rogers Arena, onto the stage, and slipped on his Golden Knights sweater as the Golden Knights 1st Round pick.
He’s done nothing but impress ever since.
Krebs managed to recover from that gruesome injury in less than six months, returned to play in the WHL, and as an underaged player nearly cracked the Canadian World Juniors team that went on to win the Gold medal.
He then put up 60 points in 38 games with the Winnipeg Ice before the season was canceled due to COVID. That didn’t stop Krebs though. He joined the Golden Knights for Training Camp ahead of the 2020 Playoffs and was selected to join the team in the bubble.
Next he won a silver medal at World Juniors, which he parlayed into a spot in VGK Training Camp ahead of this season, then a place on the Silver Knights where he tallied five points in five games. Finally, due to a goofy rule, the 20-year-old Krebs was forced to return to the WHL to finish out this season, which is where he recently pulled off what might be his most impressive feat yet.
The captain of the Winnipeg Ice, Krebs is one of two players on the team who was selected in the NHL Draft and he’s the only one to go in the 1st round (the other is a Flyers 6th rounder). It’s no secret he’s the best player on the team, so when the Ice had an emergency situation, they called on Krebs.
Tuesday night the Ice were without four defensemen from their normal lineup. So, they turned to Krebs, the 17th overall selection in the 2019 NHL Draft, a forward, who leads the entire WHL in points, to fill in on the blue line.
That was a little bit different. First time playing D since Atom (under 11 year-olds). It was fun though, I had a good time. I think that was the most nervous I’ve been before a game, I didn’t want to get dipsy-ed between the legs. –Krebs on IceTV Postgame
Krebs may have been nervous internally, but externally, he didn’t show it.
He scored a power play goal, played more than half the game, and set up the game-winning goal in overtime. As a defenseman!
Both of my brothers were D-men… and I also played with Bowen Byram quite a bit so I just wanted to kind of try to do something like him, try to be like him I guess, or that was the goal at least. –Krebs on IceTV Postgame
The win extended the Ice’s point streak to 12 games, which they pushed to 13 on Wednesday in a back-to-back, a game in which Peyton Krebs added four points and was named 1st Star of the Game, also playing as a defenseman.
He reminded me of Bobby Orr out there. –James Patrick, Winnipeg Ice head coach on IceTV Postgame
Anywhere you put him, Peyton Krebs will produce. He’s literally never played in a league or tournament, since the age of 14, where he hasn’t produced at least a point per game. AHL, WHL, World Juniors, Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Alberta Cup, and probably one day the NHL, Krebs scores.
He’ll finish out his season with the Winnipeg Ice and then return to Vegas to really begin his journey with the Golden and/or Silver Knights.
He comes with one more tool in the shed though, one he probably didn’t even know he had, though one the Golden Knights hope they are never in a position to have to see.
***
Oh, and as if doing all of this as a defenseman wasn’t enough, Krebs played the game with a chin full of stitches after catching a high stick in an earlier game.
mary kay gauron
Already have our Krebs sweater, ready and waiting! Been watching him for awhile. Talent, skill, and personality!
THE hockey GOD
did someone say BOBBY ORR ????
say no more
LVsc
Krebs played the wing in the world Jr. tourney, and in Knights training camp before the bubble, and also played on the wing in Henderson. He is a center, but so far the vgk seem to be grooming him to play the wing. The spot between Stone and 67 should be his ultimate destination, but no matter where he plays, he is a very good prospect, and definitely better than Glass .
vgk have 26 goals from the dmen, 27 from their centers, and 67 from their wingers.
A Fan
Interesting. Gusev is on a unconditional waiver for a buyout.
Walt23
anyone who has watched Devils games knows why he was basically cut from the team. He does not check, does not hustle, and will only shoot from the perimeter.
Gallant was right about him. He saw him in practice and said no way.
Daryl
That sounds like several curre.t VGK players lol
THE hockey GOD
in practice he skated in perfect circles, almost as good as the guy who drew those circles during biden’s fake campaign rallies.
Daryl
Considering Biden only had about 15 people at each rally it would be easy to make those circles
THE hockey GOD
lol
LVsc
Vgk have allowed the fewest goals in the league, 88. They have scored a decent amount, 120, but the PP is the big problem with vgk. They have only 20 PP goals, and most of the good teams in the league are at about 30 to 35 PP goals.
thus, they may have possibly squandered at least 6 to10 pts in the standings because of their weak PP.
will McCrimmon address that problem this weekend? the answer may determine their fate this season.
sb
A team that is a serious contender will score one PP goal per game. 82 game season, 82 PP goals. That’s standard measurement of good teams. The fact that the Knights are scoring less, about 0.5 PP goals per game, is an alarm bell going off. The GM and President both know this. No team will win the Cup at that rate. VGK are missing that all-important Number 1 center for Stone/Pac and the PP. Stephenson is very good and should be w/Tuch. [Stastny was NOT ‘The Answer’ but his 44 pts walking out the door hasn’t helped and hasn’t been replaced]
Tim
Ken first off your comment on your latest podcast trade any prospect to win the cup doesn’t fly with me. Krebs has to much upside to trade him for some 30 center hoping you can win the cup. In fact I’ll say that about many of our prospects. If you notice Jack Dugan is leading the Silver Knights in points ( 20 ) no surprise he’s a big strong kid who led the nation in scoring. You can’t trade the future panicking to win the almighty cup. We’ve got our first and New Jersey’s second which is almost a first so I’d have no problem giving up those two to pickup a real center. What you don’t have you won’t miss trading prospects you will miss hence Nick Susuki.
Ken Boehlke
If not now, then when?
Tim
Ken the old saying wait until next year but I mean it. You have to live in the real world and were not built to win this year to many teams have much more firepower. Yes getting a center depending on what center would help Patch and Stone. Getting a third line wing to go with Tuch and Stephenson would again increase our odds. We have no cap room and it would all hinge on trading Fleury which wouldn’t be easy. The fourth line Nosek and you pick the other two. For me Holden, Reeves, and Fleury would be looking at Vegas in there rear view mirror.
jinklu
Please stop with the trading Fleury talk. It’s old and tiresome. He is not going anywhere. It was well documented before the season began when that nonsense first started and was so prevalent. He cannot be traded without his approval. That won’t happen. He likes playing for the Knights as well as Vegas and wants to stay for the year remaining on his contract.
Daryl
I’m a huge MAF fan and believes he is better than Lehner, BUT if this team has any chance at winning the Cup they need to trade MAF. They can’t trade Lehner so that option is out the window. This team needs certain players to compete and they can’t do that holding MAF contract. This is where management really screwed up. They never should have signed Lehner until they had a deal in place for MAF. They never should have signed Petra and that horrible contract. They never should have resigned with more money Reaves and Holden. Management has made some great deals, like Stine, but they have majorly screwed themselves with these other deals
THE hockey GOD
i see no reason to trade the future for present, because the present demands are far too high
pass, get a third or fourth line player instead, if one is available.
That is what the VGK seem to do best.
Howard
This take is dead spot on, but VGK Front Office has been increasingly weakening this team year after year. Stone trade was its best move, Pacs trade was ok, the rest have been horrible moves. I agree, our young kids have a lot of talent and the goal is to remain competitive – you don’t trade them unless for a relatively young top center with more than 2 years remaining on their contract, if possible.
VGK FO if they had some creativity, can make trades to help them this year without selling the farm. I’ve mentioned one on this site 2 times now, so no reason to keep harping on it.
Gary
You’re saying Martinez was a bad trade? I beg to differ. Stephenson for a 5th round pick was bad too?
Tim
Well I’m raddling away I’ll touch on Peyton Krebs which I have before. He’s having a great year in Canada playing against inferior talent. The NHL is so lame to force kids to play down instead of up if they have the talent. Basically the kid loses a year of development and they don’t give a shit to protect there flunky Junior league. I’m 75 and have been involved in sports all my life and never have I seen this nonsense. In normal situations which the NHL is not you as a player strive to play up whether your a sophomore wanting to play varsity on your high school team or in Triple A trying to get to the show. No coach has ever said your to good kid I’m sending you down if thats not lunacy what is.
DC
Tim is right. You don’t develop the quickness and skill needed at a higher level by playing 2-3 stages below at a lower level.
Mike StG
Recommend this podcast also from Lindsay Brown. She has interesting thoughts on VGK’s current challenges, including not producing on PP and defensive breakdowns.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-knight-cap/id1486618393?i=1000516476867
Pistol Pete
Mike, thanks for linking the podcast. Started with discussing the Coyotes current streak. This is not quite the same team as the first four games in the series. Hopefully the VGK get off to a strong start tonight. Arizona is hungry to make the postseason.
LVsc
Martinez a game time decision. Whitecloud is likely going to return next game.
DeBoer talked about fixing their poor starts in the first 10 minutes of games, but not a word about the poor PP. I guess he does not want to put his SJ buddy Spott, on the spot.
Pistol Pete
Ken, appreciate the insightful piece on Krebs. He can’t make the roster soon enough.
DOC (Go Knights Go)
Krebs should be a good one for the future.
But right now, we have work to do.
There will be no easy games left on the schedule.
3 teams fighting for 1st ….. 4 other teams fighting for the 4th and final PO spot.
Panda needs to lead the way tonight!
Sullivan
He proved everyone wrong by recovering fully from his injury, should’ve gone top 10. Steal of the draft.
phantom major
Blues leading Minn 7-1…. not even halfway thru the game..Looks like the Binnington effect is underway again
that means that Arizona will be desperate tonight for a win.
DOC (Go Knights Go)
yep, like I said the other night ….. if Binnington gets back to form, the blues can be right back into it quickly!
Jake
I saw Krebs skate his first practice with Vegas, not long after being cleared…very impressive skater, smooth, elusive.
phantom major
see, they read this stuff too. when we criticize them for the PP, they start getting serious about it, and they score right away
phantom major
what happened to that vgk team that used to play 60 minutes? they are now just a spurt team. they play great for a spell, then go into a shell. inexcusable to let a weak team like Coyotes to come back on them like that.
they still need a trade to spark the team.
Ken Boehlke
When was there a VGK team that consistently played 60 minutes since the Expansion Team?
jinklu
IMO not since Gallant was fired, DeBoer was hired and the so-called management of McCrimmon made the two egregiously long and cap killingly expensive contracts for mediocre players.
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