Alex Tuch and Lindy Ruff are staring at Buffalo's next big summer call.
The rumor angle is getting louder now. Chad DeDominicis says all signs point to Tuch playing for a new team next season, with a sign-and-trade looking more and more possible.
That lands because this is not some fringe winger on the edge of the roster. Tuch just put up 33 goals and 66 points in 79 games for the Sabres.
He was one of Buffalo's most complete forwards all year. NHL.com shows he also finished at plus-24, which tells you this was not empty offense piled onto a weak season.
The contract clock is what gives the rumor real push. PuckPedia lists Tuch as a 2026 unrestricted free agent after the 7-year deal with a 4.75 million cap hit expired at the end of 2025-26.
That leaves Buffalo in a tight spot. Daily Faceoff and Sportsnet both reported there has still been a gap in talks, which is why the idea of a move before he walks for nothing has real traction.
" Last quick article of the night from me. It's no surprise, of course, but all signs point to Alex Tuch having a new team next season.
I mentioned a week or so ago that a sign-and-trade was on the table, and we appear to be headed that direction. "
-
One of the NHL's top goal scorers appears destined for a major offseason move
This is the part that changes the story. If the Sabres believe Tuch is heading to market anyway, then a sign-and-trade starts to look less like panic and more like asset control.
That would be a major call because Tuch is not only productive. He is 30, he plays with size, and he has become one of Buffalo's most trusted two-way pieces since arriving from Vegas in the Jack Eichel trade.
" …all signs point to Alex Tuch having a new team next season.
I mentioned a week or so ago that a sign-and-trade was on the table, and we appear to be headed that direction.”
His profile is exactly why another club would want this. A contender would not be buying a project here. It would be buying a proven top-six winger coming off one of the strongest seasons on Buffalo's roster.
That is also why this hurts more for the Sabres. Buffalo finally got the kind of season from Tuch that should make keeping him easy, yet the outside reporting still points to real separation between the two sides.
Ruff's team had Tage Thompson at 40 goals and Rasmus Dahlin at 74 points, so the offense is not empty. Still, taking Tuch out of that mix would leave a real hole on the wing and in the room.
That is why this rumor sticks. Alex Tuch is too good, too established, and too close to the open market for Buffalo to sleepwalk through the next few days.
If the gap stays where it is, the sign-and-trade chatter is only going to get louder, and the Sabres may have to decide fast whether they are extending a core winger or cashing him in before someone else does.
Should the Sabres move Alex Tuch in a sign-and-trade if no deal gets done?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Matthew Tkachuk's latest comments about Canada are causing a major stir across the NHL
