Sabres Take a Major Gamble With Pending UFA Alex Tuch

The Buffalo Sabres are about to take a serious risk with pending UFA forward Alex Tuch. The star winger who is due for a hefty raise is holding firm on his ask, and the Sabres aren’t ready to meet it. As a result, they could choose to trade him or retain him, knowing he could walk away for nothing on July 1. Reports are they’ve chosen the latter.

It’s a gamble, and the stakes couldn’t be much higher. With the trade deadline approaching and no long-term contract in place, Buffalo is choosing to keep its star winger for a playoff run.

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Tuch remains a central piece of the Sabres’ success this season. A team that started out poorly has suddenly found itself in the mix and under the guidance of new general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, Buffalo is riding momentum and pushing toward what would be its first playoff appearance in more than a decade.

According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, contract discussions have taken place, but two sides aren’t close. There’s reportedly a sizable gap, with Tuch believed to be aiming above the $10.625 million annual average value Adrian Kempe recently landed in Los Angeles.

That price tag would put Buffalo in a difficult spot and it’s hard to imagine Tuch randomly drops his ask when the season ends or that the Sabres bring theirs up if they aren’t willing to meet him there now. It would take a miraculous playoff run with Tuch hitting it out of the park production-wise for the Sabres to get there.

The challenge for the Sabres is that they’ve made it clear they aren’t interested in taking a step backward. Trading Tuch would be one of the bigger pivots of the season, essentially eliminating any chance of Buffalo being competitive. They’ve told other teams they won’t make a trade that weakens their current group, but what contender is about to give up a top player ahead of the deadline? They’ll want to move picks and prospects, which doesn’t help the Sabres this season.

Is Tuch Buffalo’s Own Rental?

Sadly, Friedman has suggested the Sabres are treating Tuch like an “own rental.” In other words, they figure they’ll only have him for a short time, but they’re going to use him to make a playoff run and then let him hit the market.

It sounds like the Sabres are willing to accept the risk that he could walk in free agency, which ultimately sets them back for next season and will look foolish if they are eliminated early. The organization doesn’t want to disrupt chemistry at the worst possible time, but they’re aware they could miss out on acquiring key assets in a trade.

It’s understandable that the Sabres question whether Tuch is worth elite-level money. It’s also understandable that they don’t want to weaken their roster while they are finally in a playoff spot. Will this gamble pay off? The best-case scenario is that it works and Tuch realizes he’d rather not be anywhere else, bringing his ask to a place both sides feel comfortable.

Next: Canadiens’ Top Trade Target is Off the Board: Plan B Locked In?