Whatever you thought of Tuch's value before the playoffs, it appears to have taken a hit after the Buffalo Sabres power forward went without a point and was a minus-10 in a seven-game loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the second round.
BUFFALO - It was moments after losing in overtime to the Montreal Canadiens when Alex Tuch and the rest of the Buffalo Sabres remained on the ice at KeyBank Center and raised their sticks and saluted the sold-out crowd.
For Tuch, who is a pending free agent, it might have been one final goodbye.
The Syracuse, N.Y., native has spent the past five seasons in Buffalo and made it clear that he would love to remain a part of the Sabres going forward. But in a free agent class that is devoid of superstar talent, both he and the team realize that this could be in his best chance to strike it rich on the open market.
"I have no idea. We just lost Game 7, so I’m not sure with respect to that," said teammate Tage Thompson when asked by The Hockey News if he expects to see Tuch back in Buffalo next season. "I don’t think anyone is thinking about that. But I can tell you that I’d love to have him back.
"He’s the ultimate teammate. He’s a leader on this team. He drives the bus for us. Guys in this room look to him. He’s vocal. He plays the game the right way. He’s a big, big reason we were where we were. I would love to see him come back, but obviously there’s a business side to. I don’t know where his head’s at. Right now, I think we’re not even thinking about that."
Tuch, who arrived to Buffalo from Vegas in 2021 as part of the Jack Eichel trade, reached the 30-goal mark in three of the past four seasons. As a power forward who can put up offense, he is a an intriguing — if not incredibly rare — player. And early estimates are that Tuch could fetch north of $10-million annually to the right team.
Back in December, when Jarmo Kekalainen took over the GM duties, the Sabres made it clear that they did not want to lose Tuch. But with July 1 now less than two months away, the window for doing so is closing.
“We appreciate him, we like him, we want to get him signed," Kekalainen told reporters in December. "I think that’s been clear the whole time. Now we just have to agree on a number that works for both sides.”
That number remains a mystery — especially now.
Whatever you thought of Tuch's value before the playoffs, it appears to have taken a hit after Buffalo went out in the second round. While Tuch scored four goals and seven points in a first-round win against the Boston Bruins, he went without a point and was a minus-10 in a seven-game loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the second round.
As one hockey reporter joked on X following the overtime loss, "Term and pay just went way down."
There was, however, an explanation for Tuch's ineffectiveness against Montreal. Reporters have been speculating that Tuch, like a lot of players in the post-season, was playing through an injury. If so, it would explain why he looked slower on the ice and couldn't find the back of the net.
Even Thompson admitted that he was sympathetic for Tuch.
"I feel for everyone. That’s why it’s a team sport. Not everyone is going to have their best every single game," said Thompson. "That’s why you lean on guys. That’s why we’re such a good group. You see guys struggling or down, you pick them up. He’s done that for us a lot this season.
"That’s when you look around the room after a loss like that and you feel pain. You just see all the guys and all the sacrifices and the hard work they’ve put into the season — not for themselves but for the guys sitting next to them. And a guy like Tuchy has done that 10-fold. Everyone in this room has."
Tuch did not speak to reporters following the Game 7 loss to Montreal. That time will come when the Sabres hold their end-of-season locker cleanout.
As to whether he is back in Buffalo next season, we'll find out soon enough.