Mike Harrington: Alex Tuch's commitment to Sabres has not wavered. Will they commit to him?

The hockey calendar whizzes on as the Sabres chase a season it seems they will never catch. They are back on the ice Saturday night in KeyBank Center and Friday means we’re just two weeks away from the March 7 NHL trade deadline.

That’s when we should get clarity on players who have been floated about as trade chips for weeks: Jason Zucker, Jordan Greenway, Dylan Cozens, Bowen Byram and Henri Jokiharju.

But what about Alex Tuch? The 28-year-old winger is having an excellent campaign with 19 goals, 24 assists and a team-best plus-15 rating. He’s signed through next season at a very reasonable $4.75 million but only has a modified no-trade clause that allows him to nix a deal to five teams.

Tuch can create offense, kill penalties and has 66 games of postseason experience with Vegas from 2018-2021, including the 2018 run to the Stanley Cup final. It stands to reason he would bring interest from teams looking for playoff depth, and the rumor mill is grinding with mentions of him for Tampa Bay, Los Angeles or perhaps even a reunion with the Golden Knights.

The Sabres remain a long-term project, last in the East this season and carry an uncertain future. Might Tuch go chasing a Cup this season to set him up next year for a contact extension or a big payday in free agency?

“I’m still heavily committed to this organization, and that’s it. No other thoughts on my mind. None,” Tuch said in a chat this week with The Buffalo News. “So whatever happens, happens going forward, but I’m still heavily committed to this organization. And I’m fine still being heavily committed and being a part of this after the deadline is over.”

When I asked Tuch how he processes the fact he’s already won in his career compared to what he’s going through now with the Sabres, he quickly shot down the theory. The exchange went like this:

“How do you balance a season like this with the winning you’ve done before ...”

“(interrupting) I haven’t won.”

“You’ve gone deep (in the playoffs) and gotten close.”

“Yep. Got close. I haven’t won, though. That’s different.”

You want more guys with that mentality in your dressing room and not fewer. And for all we’ve heard from general manager Kevyn Adams about wanting guys to be Buffalo Sabres, can he ask for a better one than a guy who grew up neighbors with Tim Connolly and wanting to wear the goathead jersey like Ryan Miller, Brian Campbell and Maxim Afinogenov?

Adams needs to hold on to Tuch unless some unforeseen blockbuster comes the Sabres’ way. Tuch is a core player, and don’t forget he was the key acquisition for Jack Eichel. He’s not Eichel, nor was he ever advertised to be, but he’s a clear veteran top-6 forward.

Coach Lindy Ruff also has been impressed by how dangerous Tuch has become in short-handed situations. Tuch has three short-handed goals − one of eight players in the league with three or more − and has produced enough scoring chances in those spots with his quick stick and puck thievery that he easily could have more.

“I think he’s grown in areas that I’ve wanted him to grow,” Ruff said. “Some of his attack has been rush attack, too, and trying to get more O-zone attack around the front of the net.”

Tuch knows weird things can happen in the NHL. When he was traded to Buffalo on Nov 4, 2021, he was coming off a strong playoff performance and had roughly 4½ years left on his contract. He joked that he was on Long Term Injured Reserve due to a shoulder injury and he wasn’t even aware players on LTIR could be traded.

“I just don’t focus on this at all. You never know what’s going to happen,” Tuch said. “You’ve seen it. Only so many guys with the big no-move clauses are really safe. We’ve already seen (Mikko) Rantanen and (Martin) Necas get traded (in last month’s Colorado-Carolina shocker). That was huge.

“You just focus on the day to day and enjoy it. You never know how long it’ll last for the guys in the locker room that you’re with. I’ve lost and gained a lot of good friends during the deadline, too. It’s part of the business, and the quicker you realize it, the easier it gets.”

Tuch and the Sabres can’t even talk contract extension until July 1, and it stands to reason he would be in line for a hefty raise starting in 2026-27. Maybe the Sabres just push all this into next season. They really don’t have to make a decision now.

“That’s something that I try to harp to everybody in this locker room is focusing on right now and I’m going to do that,” Tuch said. “I was put in the position from Year One in Minnesota. Each and every day, I was playing to stay in the lineup and not get sent down. And I think that helps a player a lot when you’re playing for something to lose early in your career.”

Tuch acknowledged priorities change over the course of a career, both on and off the ice. He’s had experience on winning teams. And now he’s married with a 14-month-old son.

“You have to learn to adapt but you have to stay committed to your tasks, too,” he said. “Instead of playing to stay in the lineup, you’re playing for the next contract, playing to stay with the team and in the city that you’re at, playing for your family.”

Tuch said he used the time over the 4 Nations break to heal physically and spend quality time with his family. But he also pondered the Sabres’ current situation.

“Use it as motivation going forward and to try to be better,” he said. “Try to help my team, try to do whatever I can do to be better.”