The 29-year-old winger is in the final year of his contract and will become an unrestricted free agent next July.
The Buffalo Sabres 8-4 victory over Ottawa on Wednesday may have temporarily alleviated some early season on the club after a troubling 0-3 start, but the uncertain future of the club has become a factor in negotiations with winger Alex Tuch. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Sabres struggles have caused agent Brian Bartlett to pause negotiations with Buffalo on a new contract.
The veteran winger was eligible to sign a new deal on July 1. Both GM Kevyn Adams and Tuch indicated that there was mutual interest in getting the 29-year-old extended, but the cost of a new deal might be going up based on recent signings of players who would hit the free agent market, and the shrinking number of big name players available next July.
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"It's a little tricky to get into to the nuances and negotiations publicly, so I want to be careful there, but we could get a deal done today if it's the right deal," Adams said last month at the opening of training camp."It's just a matter of working through something that makes sense for both sides. That's the best way to say it. No matter what, deals are never easy to get across the finish line, but we're going to work at it, and he's a priority."
Pagnotta indicated that Tuch’s representatives have not closed the door on resuming negotiations with Buffalo, but a big factor will be the direction of the Sabres franchise. A report from The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun last month indicated the two sides were far apart on a price point of an extension, and Pagnotta say there are indicators that after the deals to Kirill Kaprizov, Kyle Connor, Mitch Marner, and Mikko Rantanen, that the “Sabres Tax” to re-sign Tuch could exceed $11 million per season.
Tuch has a modified five-team no trade clause on his contract, which may become a factor if a deal does not get done deeper into the season and as the March 6th trade deadline approaches.
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