Oilers and Panthers Trade Clash: 3 Teams Linked to Alex Tuch

Next summer’s NHL free-agent crop has taken a massive hit in recent months. Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprizov, Jack Eichel, Kyle Connor, Adrian Kempe, and Martin Necas all signed lucrative extensions, depleting what was projected to be a star-studded class.

As a result, many believe the top player still available could be Alex Tuch—a 6’4″, 219-pound power forward producing close to a point per game, in the prime of his career, capable of immediately transforming a team’s top six.

While the Buffalo Sabres are red hot—winners of seven straight games—and want to keep Tuch long-term, they don’t appear close to a deal as the calendar flips to the new year. Consequently, his name continues to circulate in the rumor mill, and a recent article in The Athletic suggested that the Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, and Los Angeles Kings could pursue him as their top trade target in the coming months.

Allan Mitchell wrote on Edmonton:

“Tuch is a big power winger with speed who can thrive with elite skill. The Oilers could use him on the top line with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman, allowing Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to center the third line. Tuch’s size is ideal for the rigors of playoff hockey, and Edmonton doesn’t have that kind of presence on the roster currently. A perfect plug-and-play for the Oilers,”

James Mirtle on Florida:

“Big, fast, physical, and loves the hard areas of the ice: sounds like a Florida Panther. His reasonable cap hit would fit nicely into the Aleksander Barkov LTIR space, and he can help improve a power play that’s been struggling at times. Only question is, do they have the future assets to pull it off?”

The 29-year-old Tuch is a pending UFA in the seventh and final season of the seven-year, $33.25 million extension he signed with the Golden Knights in 2018, before being sent to Buffalo as part of the Jack Eichel blockbuster.

Who’s Best Positioned to Land Alex Tuch?

Of the three suitors, Los Angeles could provide Buffalo with the strongest package of young players, draft picks, and prospects, while having the cap space to absorb his full salary and a potential extension.

Edmonton and Florida are both cap-strapped and would need to juggle multiple pieces to make a deal work, though the Oilers hold an edge—albeit slight—in draft capital (2027 first-round pick) and prospects over the Panthers.

Newly hired GM Jarmo Kekalainen very well may hold onto Tuch, especially if Buffalo continues its winning ways. That said, if he realizes an extension isn’t likely, a trade becomes a legitimate possibility, and these three contenders will be at the forefront of his sweepstakes.

Next: Oilers Pitched to Go All-In on Trade for Kraken Star Forward