What will the Sabres end up doing with Alex Tuch?
The Buffalo Sabres are undoubtedly a team to keep a close eye on from now until the 2026 NHL trade deadline. With the Sabres being red-hot and improving their playoff odds, it would not be surprising in the slightest if they look to add to their roster.
Yet, at the same time, they are also facing a major decision with star forward Alex Tuch.
Tuch is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), and questions about his future in Buffalo have come up because of it. This has remained the case even with the Sabres' fantastic play over the last several weeks.
With Tuch being one of the Sabres' best forwards, their top goal should be to sign him to a long-term contract extension. The 29-year-old winger is exactly the kind of play that the Sabres should be aiming to keep around as they look to cement themselves as a legitimate playoff team.
Yet, if the Sabres and Tuch still do not have a contract extension finalized once the trade deadline is about here, that is where things could get interesting. In that scenario, the Sabres would need to decide if they are willing to run the risk of losing him for nothing through free agency during the summer. If they are still in a playoff spot once March is here, they could very well keep him even without a contract extension finalized.
However, at the same time, Tuch also has a lot of trade value and could get the Sabres a good return in a possible move.
Nevertheless, it is going to be very interesting to see what happens between Tuch and the Sabres ahead of the deadline. Getting him signed to a contract extension would be huge and the ideal move, but time will tell what happens on that front.