The Buffalo Sabres have advanced to the second round after beating the Boston Bruins in six games. There are many reasons behind the Sabres' making it to the second round, and star forward Alex Tuch is certainly one of them. Tuch had a fantastic first round for the Sabres, as he recorded four goals, three assists, and seven points in six games. This included him scoring the game-opening goal in Buffalo's series-clinching Game 6 win over the Bruins. With how well Tuch has been playing this post-season, there is no question that he is showing the Sabres that they cannot afford to lose him this off-season. He brings far too much to the table with his high offensive skill and strong two-way play. As a result, it would be incredibly difficult for the Sabres to replace him if they ended up not re-signing him. This is especially so when noting that this year's free agency options are rather limited. Tuch was also once again very impactful for the Sabres during this year's regular-season. In 79 games for the Atlantic Division club, he posted 33 goals, 33 assists, 66 points, and a plus-24 rating. With numbers like these, it is clear that the Sabres need to work very hard to keep him in Buffalo.
