5. Peyton Krebs – Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres expressed interest in several of Calgary’s impending UFA’s like Noah Hanifin, Elias Lindholm, and Chris Tanev over the summer, and while the Sabres slow start may have them questioning those moves, there’s no doubting they need to inject more experience and veteran leadership into their lineup. While the likes of Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Owen Power are obviously untouchable, if the Sabres could upgrade at several positions, a player like Peyton Krebs could potentially be had by the Flames.
The Okotoks, Alberta native has shown flashes in the NHL, but has yet to produce like many believed he would, as he has just 16 goals and 49 points through his first 146 NHL games between Vegas and Buffalo, making him a great candidate for a change of scenery. At 22 years of age, one of the NHL’s former top prospects still has time to settle into his role and if the Flames want to continue getting younger alongside the likes of Zary, Pospisil, Coronato, and Pelletier, there could be no better option than Krebs.