Tuch is reportedly looking for more than $10 million per season on a long-term deal.
The Buffalo Sabres have a legitimate chance of ending their NHL-record 14-year playoff drought, but what the club does to improve their postseason chances between now and the March 6th trade deadline is uncertain. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indicated on last week’s 32 Thoughts podcast that the Sabres should be hesitant to tinker with the club’s roster for fear of messing up their momentum, but Buffalo faces a deadline when it comes to winger Alex Tuch, who is a pending unrestricted free agent this summer.
The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta indicated on The Sheet with Jeff Marek on Friday that the lines of communication between Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen and agents Brian and Scott Bartlett remain open, but that there still remains a significant gap in the price that the 29-year-old winger is looking for and what Buffalo is willing to pay the pending unrestricted free agent, and that nothing at this point is imminent.
Other Sabres Stories
Tuch has reportedly been looking for more than $10 million on an eight-year deal, similar to the contract signed by LA forward Adrian Kempe earlier this season, and the Sabres, going back to a report from Pierre LeBrun of the Athletic before the season, have not been willing to go down that road.
Another possible path was expressed by The Athletic’s Chris Johnston, who said that he believes the Sabres will be a buyer before the March 6th trade deadline, but does not know how aggressive Kekalainen will be. The new Sabres GM said at his opening press conference in December that he would not make any moves just to snap the club’s 14-year playoff drought, but that was before the club won 10 straight games and climbed back into the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo
THN.Com/Free