Sabres OT Hero and Oilers’ Trade Target In Middle of Chaotic Finish

Alex Tuch torched the Edmonton Oilers in overtime on Tuesday, as the Buffalo Sabres pulled out a 4-3 win. Edmonton was rolling, and the Sabres were leaking goals, but the Sabres seem to have the Oilers’ number this season, as does a prime trade target of Edmonton’s, Alex Tuch.

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It was the only goal Tuch scored, but he was plus/minus +2 on the night and had good chances, including an assist called back on a questionable glove pass. He’s a player the Oilers have had an eye on for some time, and his situation in Buffalo is intriguing. He’s a pending UFA, looking for a very big contract.

Related: Oilers-Sabres Trade Back in Spotlight as Savoie Surges and McLeod Stalls

Despite the win over the Oilers, the Sabres are struggling again in 2025-26. They continue to baffle analysts and insiders over their lack of progression as a roster and their continued stay in the bottom of the NHL standings. Tuch has 26 points in 30 games, including 11 goals. He’d be a fantastic top-six option alongside one of Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, but the question about his being purely a rental or being someone the Oilers might want to re-sign is a real holdup in chasing down a potential trade.

His current $4.75-million cap hit is beyond attractive, and if the Sabres retained at 50 percent, he would be just $2.375-million on Edmonton’s books to close out the campaign. He’s potentially the best bargain on the market.

Ruff Snaps After Blown Calls vs. Oilers

Head coach Lindy Ruff spoke with the media following the Sabres OT win and was livid with the officiating. First, asking why McDavid’s goal 10 seconds into the third period wasn’t blown down as icing, he was right. It was a missed call, and frankly, it wasn’t a close call either.

He was also upset about the hand pass call that overturned another Sabres goal.

The Oilers, meanwhile, did themselves no favors in that loss. They mounted a fantastic comeback in the third, but played a very uninspiring first 40 minutes, then took penalties in the third that halted their momentum. In overtime, they completely lost coverage, Evan Bouchard being right in the middle of the overtime mess, and the cause of the first goal against.

The Oilers scraped out a single point, but it was not their best effort, particularly after trending in a positive direction. “Every team in the league now is a good team, you look at the standings and they’re probably closer than they’ve ever been, maybe ever. No team is really out of it… There are no bad teams anymore, that’s just the way it is,” said Zach Hyman after the game.

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