Sabres might be ready to move on from once-important veteran

The Buffalo Sabres could be moving forward Alex Tuch this summer as he’s entering the final year of his current contract.

Tuch, who notched 36 goals this season, has one more year left on his deal with the Sabres worth $4.75 million. That’s a highly palatable cap hit for any team seeking a solid top-six-scoring winger.

So, the question is: Why would the Buffalo Sabres move Alex Tuch?

James Mirtle explored this situation in a piece published in The Athletic on June 9. In the piece, Mirtle discussed how rumblings at last week’s draft combine suggested that the Sabres could be interested in moving Tuch rather than risk losing him for nothing next summer.

That’s a tough spot for GM Kevyn Adams to be in. On the one hand, he’s under pressure to make sure he adds enough pieces to make the team competitive next season. On the other, he can’t afford to lose one of his most valuable assets for nothing.

Mirtle didn’t get into any specifics about who would be interested in trading for the 29-year-old forward. But one would have to imagine that just about every suitor could be kicking the tires on Tuch.

Teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, and potentially rebuilding clubs like the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks might be keen on landing Tuch.

Now, I will go out on a limb and say that Tuch doesn’t get moved this summer. The Sabres will try to get an extension done. But if Tuch goes unsigned into the regular season, the likelihood that he gets dealt at the trade deadline will increase exponentially.

What the Buffalo Sabres could get for Alex Tuch

There’s no indication of what the asking price for Alex Tuch could be at this time. In my estimation, a player like Tuch could fetch at least three pieces: A roster player, a mid-round draft pick, and a prospect or a later-round pick.

Putting that into perspective, the Sabres would need to get someone who could take his spot in the lineup. That would mean a younger player perhaps not yet proven as a scorer.

The second piece could be something like a second-round pick. I don’t see Tuch fetching a first-round pick now. But if he has a great year, and the Sabres deal him at the trade deadline, the Sabres could fleece a contender by nabbing a first-rounder.

Lastly, a prospect would likely be a mid-tier prospect, one who projects as a solid NHLer, but not the next Connor McDavid.

Those three pieces could get a deal done for Alex Tuch. The Sabres don’t have cap issues and don’t seem to have any shoddy contracts. So, the Sabres don’t need to dump any bad contracts. Quite the opposite, if the Sabres took on a bad contract in a hypothetical Tuch deal, that could land them a first-rounder.

Ultimately, I wouldn’t bet on Alex Tuch getting traded this summer. But if the organization feels that there’s no way he will sign before the start of next season, Sabres fans could be in for a surprise.