Annual expectations thread 2022/23: #89 Alex Tuch

[dudacek]

It would be hard to find a statistical category where Tuch wasn’t among the most prominent Sabres last year, and we’re not just talking the obvious things like goals and points. Hits, blocked shots, takeaways, zone entries, possession, retrievals: he was among the more productive forwards in all areas, especially when you take into account the fact he only played 50 games.

He also led all regular Sabre forwards in +/- and average ice time.

The most notable blemish on his season was probably consistency: he had 22 points in his first 22 Sabre games, but 16 in his final 28 and he faded a bit in the end with just 5 goals in his last 33.

https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=160632

Tuch blew into Buffalo like a creation of fan fiction: big, fast, competitive, genial, and the epitome of happy to be here.  He’d barely finished his first press conference before Sabres fans wanted to anoint him captain and offer him their daughter’s hand in marriage.

Despite the fact he scored at a career pace over his 50 games in Buffalo, Don Granato made it crystal clear that he expected more from Tuch than to be the likeable middle-6 foot soldier he had been in Vegas. He said Tuch had the tools to be a first-line power forward and used him that way: PP, PK, and top line matchups.

Training camp began with hints that Donnie would be removing Tuch as one of three cogs on the first line and instead see what chemistry he could create with others while driving a 2nd scoring line.

What do you expect from Alex Tuch this year?

(This concludes the summer expectations series. Thanks for participating)

[GASabresIUFAN]

25g 35a.  2nd line PF.  
 

 

[Weave]

Very good #2 RW who will be asked to do it all, and will deliver.

[LGR4GM]

A Mitts - Cozens - Tuch would interest me. 

[Pimlach]

I picked #2.  Low 20’s in goals and low 50’s in points.  I see him having his “career years” down the road when we are a strong team.  
 

He will be a fan favorite, a power forward somewhere in the top 6.  

[DarthEbriate]

Tuch's arrival changed the complexion of the team, but it still took the return to health of all the goalies and VO to get the wins. Tuch will have a fantastic season. The question is: in March he was on Thompson's wing, but by the end of last season, VO's shot was back and he was on the 1st line. I go with the latter. VO will break 70 points (I think he barely outscores Thompson to lead the team). Tuch anchors a 2nd line and is in the upper 50s.

Because we cannot ever forget the past, don't kill it even if we don't have to: Tuch plays more games than Eichel this season, but Eichel scores a few points more than Tuch.

[NAF]

On a cup contending team Tuch is a second line player. I really like him, and am happy he's on the team, but his ceiling is a 70 point guy. Expecting more than that is unreasonable.

[mjd1001]

It is hard to say much else other than 20-25 goals and about 60 points in a full season. He has a body of work now in the NHL and that would appear to be the player he is.  Any upside surprise to that production would be welcome, but if he goes well beyond that it indeed would be a surprise.

On a note related to Tuch, I don't remember but was he nursing an injury toward the end of the year. Not only did is production dip slightly, but look at his ice time.  Coming off the injury he had when he was traded to the Sabres, his first 25-30 games with the Sabres he had a noticably higher ice time per game than he did the last 20 games.  Toward the end of the year, he had a couple games with under 15 minutes of ice time, and most games he was in the 16-18.5 minute range.   In the earlier part of the season, he has several games with well over 20 minutes per game.

Was he injured during the last month or so to cause the limiting of ice time? Or does anyone know of an obvious reason I'm missing or forgetting about?

Edited September 30, 2022 by mjd1001

[nfreeman]

I chose option 2 on scoring and no on captain.  I like Tuch, and I expect him to be the #1 or #2 RW for the foreseeable future, but I don't think he has quite the offensive toolbox needed to get to, say, 65 pts.  I think he'll contribute 52-57 pts, a solid 200-foot game, good forechecking and 2ndary scoring on a top scoring line, good play in all situations and leadership -- and overall that is a player that I'm quite happy with.

As for the captaincy, I wouldn't be unhappy if he gets it, but I kinda don't like giving it to someone who just arrived last season.  It feels like it would be a bit too similar to when they gave it to Craig Rivet immediately after trading for him -- i.e. it was an admission that the existing team, still reeling from Black Sunday the previous summer, needed a heart transplant because they didn't have enough heart in the room when he arrived.  I think I'd rather give it to KO or Cozens or Dahlin or one of the other holdovers.

[Norcal]

I expect Tuch to still have the fire burning just as hot as when he got to town, maybe hotter. 

I think he will break 80 points this season and score 30 goals along the way. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Option 1 on Q1.  

He will have a career year 70+ points and do it all while making a statement that this is becoming his team.

No on Q2.

I assume you mean wearing the 'C' on his sweater.  I think no to the 'C' that will be KO, but Tuch will likely be wearing an 'A' along with Dahlin.

Depending how things go with KO after this season Tuch could be wearing the 'C' next season.  If KO signs on as a player for another year he will wear the 'C' and Tuch and Dahlin will wear the 'A's again next season.  The season after that I suspect Tuch will wear the 'C' with Dahlin an 'A' and Cozens the other 'A'.

I don't suppose that was part of the poll questions ...

[steveoath]

7 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

A Mitts - Cozens - Tuch would interest me. 

I am hoping for a 2nd line like this, would be really tough for other teams to try and negate the Thompson/Skinner line AND this. Cozens/Tuch could be a great physical tandem.

[dudacek]

How many NHL players can match Tuch’s combination of speed and strength?

Asking a serious question here.

His physical dominance versus the Canucks battered blueline was something to behold.

We still get posters worrying about the Sabres size, but it was an eye-opener watching Thompson Tuch Power Samuelsson and Dahlin live and seeing how there was no one Vancouver had capable of physically cancelling out any of them on a purely athletic level.

Like you are getting down to our 6th guy before they could literally find a match, and I am including Tyler Myers in that.

[ddaryl]

Hmmmmmm, I've recently come to realize I have never seen Alex Tuch and Dave Grohl in the same room together

 

[Thorny]

9 minutes ago, ddaryl said:

Hmmmmmm, I've recently come to realize I have never seen Alex Tuch and Dave Grohl in the same room together

 

I’ve always seen the guy from Always Sunny. Here he is talking about one of his goals 

[ddaryl]

8 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I’ve always seen the guy from Always Sunny. Here he is talking about one of his goals 

 

Should start a new thread... 

Who does Alex Tuch look like... There seems to be a few options

Edited November 8, 2022 by ddaryl

[SwampD]