The Buffalo Sabres are looking to end their 14-year playoff drought this season, and if they’re going to do so, it’ll be in large part due to the contributions of Upstate New York native Alex Tuch. The 29-year-old winger has been stellar for the Sabres since arriving from Vegas as part of the Jack Eichel trade, and after scoring 36 goals and 67 points last season, the power forward is in line for a significant raise from his current $4.75MM AAV. A pending unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career, Tuch’s contract situation will be one of the key storylines to watch for the Sabres this season.
As of right now, nothing appears imminent, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Pagnotta reports that the Sabres “want to lock [Tuch] up” by signing him to a new contract, but “haven’t gotten to that point yet.” With the trade of J.J. Peterka to the Utah Mammoth this past summer, Tuch’s contributions will be even more important to the Sabres immediate and long-term future. The only major bump in pay for next year on the Sabres’ books, at this point, is the increase of Jeff Skinner’s buyout cap hit from $4.4MM to $6.4MM, so it appears the Sabres will have the financial flexibility to afford a new deal for Tuch – whether he re-signs will likely come down to the preferences of the player.