Buffalo Sabres

Top Free Agent Seen as Oilers’ Ideal Offseason Acquisition

Is Alex Tuch the ideal offseason acquisition for the Edmonton Oilers?

by
Jackson Weber
May 16, 2026

The Edmonton Oilers are about to embark on what could be an extremely busy and important offseason.

There has never been more urgency to win led by Connor McDavid than right now, given his short-term contract and the fact that he’s going to turn 30 in January.

As a result, we’ve already heard plenty of talk about the Oilers’ desire to be bold in the coming months, and one way to do that would be by signing top unrestricted free agent Alex Tuch, who Allan Mitchell of The Athletic recently listed as a top target for Edmonton.

Mitchell wrote:

“The Oilers need a veteran goal scorer with size on the wing. Tuch scored 33 goals in 2025-26 and is the best of this type available. Tuch is 30 and should have several seasons of good production ahead of him. If Tuch plays on a line with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl as his center, a 40-goal season would be possible. The team would need to offload a veteran with significant cap to make the money work, but Tuch would be worth the investment,”

The 30-year-old Tuch is playing out the seventh and final year of the seven-year, $33.25 million extension he signed with the Vegas Golden Knights back in 2018. He racked up 66 points (33 goals, 33 assists) in 79 games this regular season and has added seven points (four goals, three assists) in 11 playoff games so far for the Buffalo Sabres.

Alex Tuch Oilers trade — Alex Tuch Oilers

Tuch, as Mitchell mentioned, would come with a hefty price tag, likely in the $10 million range. The Oilers would almost certainly have to find a way to shed Darnell Nurse’s contract in order to make a play for the star winger, though recent reports suggest that might be more plausible than anyone would have thought not too long ago.

Some might find it risky paying that much for Tuch, but if Edmonton wants to significantly improve its roster for 2026-27, there aren’t many better options than a big, fast, and skilled forward who has topped 59 points in four consecutive seasons.

Next: Oilers Want Next Coach to Be Harder on Their Players