Buffalo Sabres center Peyton Krebs (19) skates with the puck during an NHL hockey game against the Dallas Stars, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, Dallas. (AP Photo/Jessica Tobias)The Buffalo Sabres reportedly signed forward Peyton Krebs to a four-year, $18 million contract extension on Monday, with an average annual value of $4.5 million. The team reportedly avoided a potential salary arbitration, keeping the former first-round pick in the club for the rest of the season till 2029-30. As per reports, Krebs was a restricted free agent after a career year in 2025-26, his fourth full season in Buffalo. The contract was signed by Buffalo Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen on July 13, 2026. The extension comes after the 25-year-old enjoyed the best season of his NHL career in 2025-26. According to NHL, Krebs recorded 12 goals and 39 points in 82 regular-season games, both career highs, and added two goals and six points during Buffalo’s 13-game playoff run. Buffalo Sabres sign a four-year contract extension to versatile forward Peyton Krebs during the NHL offseasonThe Buffalo Sabres have recently handed a four-year contract extension worth $18 million to veteran forward Peyton Krebs, with an AAV of $4.5 million. The versatile contract is under contract through the 2029-30 season. The extension comes after the 25-year-old enjoyed the best season of his NHL career in 2025-26. As per PuckPedia, Peyton Krebs is signed to a 4-year, $18 million contract with a cap hit of $4.5 million per season, playing for the Buffalo Sabres. His contract expires at the end of the 2029-30 season, making Krebs an Unrestricted Free Agent. His base salary is going to be around $3 million for the 2026-27 season.Financial CategoryPeyton KrebsAnnual contract$18,00,000NHL TeamBuffalo SabresAverage Annual Contract (AAV)$4,500,000Cap-Hit$4,500,000Base Salary for 2026-27$3,000,000This was also officially confirmed by Elliotte Friedman on Twitter/X. The NHL insider stated, “Peyton Krebs and Buffalo have settled their arbitration case with a 4 x $4.5M extension.” According to the NHL, Krebs recorded 12 goals and 39 points in 82 regular-season games, both career highs, and added two goals and six points during Buffalo’s 13-game playoff run.Speaking to the NHL, versatile forward Peyton Krebs stated, “I try to just bring that mindset that I’m gonna grind for pucks, I’m gonna be hard on the forecheck and get pucks to my teammates, try to make them better.” He further added, “I don’t change that whether I’m fourth line or first line.”Originally selected 17th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2019 NHL Draft, Krebs arrived in Buffalo as part of the blockbuster 2021 trade that sent Jack Eichel to Vegas. While his development was uneven over his first several seasons with the Sabres, the organization believes his breakout campaign signals greater offensive potential ahead.Earlier, Krebs led the team with 243 games played over the last three seasons. He was one of the seven players league-wide with 35-plus points and 200-plus hits as per the NHL. The Sabres believe that Krebs has the potential to keep the positive momentum going from last season as they aim to stay in the playoff race for 2026-27. It's worth mentioning that the Buffalo Sabres finally broke their long postseason drought during the 2025-26 season, and now they're eager to make even more progress under head coach Lindy Ruff.