- While former GM Kevyn Adams held contract talks with pending UFA winger Alex Tuch, it appears they were using Tage Thompson’s deal ($7.14MM AAV) as a benchmark, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in his latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link). Considering the escalation that’s coming to the Upper Limit of the salary cap in future years, that number is certainly too low relative to what he could get on the open market. New Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen has said that working out an extension with the 29-year-old will be a top priority but clearly, there’s a big gap to bridge based on where talks left off. Tuch enters play today with 11 goals and 18 assists in 32 games.