Following a heartbreaking Game 7 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the playoffs, the Buffalo Sabres face a monumental question mark regarding one of their core leaders. According to a report from The Hockey News, pending unrestricted free agent Alex Tuch may have played his final game in a Sabres uniform.
Tuch, a Syracuse, N.Y. native, has spent the last five seasons in Buffalo after arriving from Vegas in the 2021 Jack Eichel blockbuster. While Tuch may want to remain with his childhood team, the upcoming free agent class lacks superstar talent, positioning the power forward to potentially strike it rich on the open market.
Back in December, newly appointed Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen emphasized the team’s desire to lock Tuch down. “Now we just have to agree on a number that works for both sides,” Kekalainen stated at the time. However, with July 1 rapidly approaching, that number has become a major mystery, largely due to a polarizing postseason performance.
While Tuch performed well with seven points in a first-round victory over Boston, he was completely held off the scoresheet and went a glaring minus-10 during the seven-game defeat against Montreal. While speculation suggests Tuch was playing through a significant injury that hampered his speed, the rough series could impact his ultimate leverage.
Despite the playoff struggles, Tuch’s teammates remain firmly in his corner. “He’s the ultimate teammate. He’s a leader on this team. He drives the bus for us,” star forward Tage Thompson said. “I would love to see him come back, but obviously there’s a business side to it. I don’t know where his head’s at.”
With Tuch hitting the 30-goal mark in three of the past four seasons, his rare combination of size and offensive production will make him a hot commodity if Kekalainen cannot bridge the financial gap before the summer market opens.
Now that the Sabers have broken through and did well in the playoffs, they could be a “destination”.
Play hardball with Tuch and offer a $9M x5 contract, tops!
Let Tuch walk and get his $10M+ elsewhere.
Sign Anders Lee, Marchmant or McMann
Tuch is not worth Buffalo paying this guy more than $10-11 million a year until he’s 37 years old. Pack your bags Alex. You’re playing elsewhere next season.
Well this Hab series didn’t help him. Hurt or not you have to produce something. He did not , if he wants 10 million or more I’d say see ya , 9 million 6 years is as far as they should go . And I think that is an overpay . # 94 looks to break in and with plenty of assets to trade for a goal scorer let him go.
If Alex Tuch becomes an unrestricted free agent, there’s likely to be intense competition to secure his services, given that he still has several prime years ahead of him. I estimate his next contract will fall within the $8MM to $10MM range annually, as I’m skeptical about the claims suggesting his AAV could exceed $10MM. Ultimately, pending the market dynamics (location) and team interest will dictate his AAV, making it intriguing to see where Tuch ends up this summer.
Tuch is a huge winger, And, A great player, He was a major part of Buffalo’s success this season, He’s also the Sabres best forward, I do believe however Buffalo will lose the upcoming bidding war.