Alex Tuch contract talks

[nucci]

22 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

I highly doubt that is the case; even if he hates how the Sabres have been of late he most certainly still would likely have an underlying desire to stay here.

Maybe but if the Sabres want to sign him and Tuch wants to sign with the Sabres, seems like it wouldn't be too difficult to agree on a contract.

[Demoted]

23 hours ago, Thorny said:

Given the recent history of the franchise I struggle with the breakdown that only leaves room for beneficial outcomes 

If I had to guess it more so looks like a case where we will lose a player we want unless we make the playoffs 

...and that player goes on to win the Cup.

[thewookie1]

16 minutes ago, nucci said:

Maybe but if the Sabres want to sign him and Tuch wants to sign with the Sabres, seems like it wouldn't be too difficult to agree on a contract.

Money

[That Aud Smell]

4 hours ago, darksabre said:

I guess. I'm not sure I care that he has some local connection. It's not like he's a superstar like Tim Connolly was/could have been.

He's more Donald Audette. Which is... fine. 

He might feel like Audette-value to you?

But those are extremely different players.

[oddoublee]

4 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

I think Tuch is a step above Donald Audette. He is a winger than two of the past 3 years has scored between 35 and 40 goals. He led the league in short-handed goals last year. He has been the best forward in plus minus on the team... Deep into the positive territory on a team that has been negative. He's one of the best forcheckers in the league. 

Right now today, Tuch is one of the best all-around, every situation, top six wingers in the league, that can do pretty much everything and play in any position for any team. Hes not a game changer but he's just a half step below that category for a winger.

The problem is right now he's at his peak. You have him this year in that peak year no matter what happens. Next year you might get 95 to 98% of what he has to offer now as he enters his early thirties. The year after that it might be 90 to 95%. After that, who knows how quick the decline will be. 

That's why I have doubts about extending him. You'd love him for two more years, you have him for one. Once you get into 3 and 4 years out, I have no idea what he's going to be but I'm confident he won't be exactly what he is now.

Tuch > Audette.    And I loved Audettes value to the team he played for

[Brawndo]

I would take this with a huge grain of salt, but 11 million dollars is too much

At this point it, the best path forward maybe trading him. 
 

Retain 50%, yes I know who the owner is, and see what happens. 
 

I would also make sure all suitors have Jarmo’s Cell as he is making the trade. 

[mjd1001]

38 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

I would take this with a huge grain of salt, but 11 million dollars is too much

At this point it, the best path forward maybe trading him. 
 

Retain 50%, yes I know who the owner is, and see what happens. 
 

I would also make sure all suitors have Jarmo’s Cell as he is making the trade. 

I agree.  I know the cap is going up, but as much as in an earlier post I said how good he is, he's on of the top wingers in the league...I have no interest in paying him anywhere close to $11m per year when he is going to be in his 30's to START the extension.

Maybe, MAYBE if it was a 4 year extension, but even then...steep price for what I he is likely to be in a couple years.

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

I would take this with a huge grain of salt, but 11 million dollars is too much

At this point it, the best path forward maybe trading him. 
 

Retain 50%, yes I know who the owner is, and see what happens. 
 

I would also make sure all suitors have Jarmo’s Cell as he is making the trade. 

11 million x 5yrs maybe. But that's an overpay,  Adams specialty

[DarthEbriate]

He could almost buy his own ship for that.

[sabremike]

1 hour ago, mjd1001 said:

I agree.  I know the cap is going up, but as much as in an earlier post I said how good he is, he's on of the top wingers in the league...I have no interest in paying him anywhere close to $11m per year when he is going to be in his 30's to START the extension.

Maybe, MAYBE if it was a 4 year extension, but even then...steep price for what I he is likely to be in a couple years.

I'll put it to you like this: The Sabres could offer another team Dahlin, Tage and their unprotected first for a comparable vet from another team and the trade doesn't happen because the guy uses his NTC to block it. Tuch would basically be impossible to replace.

[Porous Five Hole]

3 hours ago, Brawndo said:

I would take this with a huge grain of salt, but 11 million dollars is too much

At this point it, the best path forward maybe trading him. 
 

Retain 50%, yes I know who the owner is, and see what happens. 
 

I would also make sure all suitors have Jarmo’s Cell as he is making the trade. 

We are at game four and talking like this trade will be a known formality is bonkers.  It’s podcast fodder that we should not be paying attention to.  Hence your grain of salt comment with any of it.  
 

BUT, let’s entertain the idea.
If a trade, retaining 50% makes a lot of sense.  It means an acquiring team only needs to fit 2.375MM onto their cap making Tuch literally the most premium deadline add in the league.  The haul would be enormous.  
 

I’m not fond of kicking off the Jarmo era with trading a very useful player who grew up a Sabres fan.  It’s the exact opposite of what I would do. But if Tuch will not accept 10MM X 6, I totally get it. 

[PerreaultForever]

For me, if I was GM, it's a no brainer. I give Tuch my best offer before the deadline and if he doesn't take it I move him for what I can get. That is the only way to operate with everyone and it doesn't matter how the season is going. You do not want to repeat the Ullmark mistake and get nothing, and you do not want to grossly overpay out of desperation like they did with Skinner. 

I want Tuch here and I think Tuch is good, but he's not THAT good and there are limits. You need future money for Benson etc. and you can't run a franchise bending to overpay demands. 

Remember, if he is a homer, he can always come back in free agency even if traded. 

[Trettioåtta]

Right now, I would be more excited to sign Benson to an 8 year extension than Tuch. And I like Tuch.

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, Trettioåtta said:

Right now, I would be more excited to sign Benson to an 8 year extension than Tuch. And I like Tuch.

This team 100% needs to lock up Zach Benson before July 1 so they can do an 8yr deal. 

[DarthEbriate]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

This team 100% needs to lock up Zach Benson before July 1 so they can do an 8yr deal. 

They need to prove to him that they're not a floundering mess that might lead him to want out like JJP. Part of not being a floundering mess could be a Tuch extension....

 

Another way to show you're not a mess would be to not have a lame duck head coach and coaching staff (minus Appert) and to get a real GM who players are willing to give a hometown discount because they know he can get things done. The palm trees and taxes Sabres tax is partially an Adams tax because he's been inept.

[mjd1001]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

This team 100% needs to lock up Zach Benson before July 1 so they can do an 8yr deal. 

So the cap is a real thing and the Sabres aren't too far away from it. Remember, next year they're dealing with an accelerated hit due to Jeff Skinner, but even after that it doesn't go away what they still owe him. 

With that being said.. another thing to consider... Do you sign a big dollar, long term contract extension with Tuch.... Knowing that Benson appears to be a real player and you're going to want him here... And he's going to be more important to this team over the next 8 years then Tuch will? 

Sure, you can make moves in other places... But there's only so many dollars to go around.

[LabattBlue]

….but but but the cap is going up at a crazy rate, so just sign whatever ridiculous contracts you want.  No worries.  
 

/sarcasm off

[LGR4GM]

13 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

So the cap is a real thing and the Sabres aren't too far away from it. Remember, next year they're dealing with an accelerated hit due to Jeff Skinner, but even after that it doesn't go away what they still owe him. 

With that being said.. another thing to consider... Do you sign a big dollar, long term contract extension with Tuch.... Knowing that Benson appears to be a real player and you're going to want him here... And he's going to be more important to this team over the next 8 years then Tuch will? 

Sure, you can make moves in other places... But there's only so many dollars to go around.

It's why signing Greenway to 2 years is a mistake. I'd move on from Greenway and Quinn if asked today. There's 8 million and change. 

Sabres have an estimated 20 million in space for next season. 

Edited 4 hours ago by LGR4GM

[mjd1001]

14 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

It's why signing Greenway to 2 years is a mistake. I'd move on from Greenway and Quinn if asked today. There's 8 million and change. 

Sabres have an estimated 20 million in space for next season. 

That $20m though, you have to have Benson and Doan and Tuch and Kesserling.  Bryson, Malenstyn and Krebs are also up...maybe you don't bring them back but if you don't, you still have to pay their replacements.

I know Tuch is CURRENTLY the best all around forward on this team, he plays the most minutes and in every situation. But looking at that list above, He'd be my last choice to sign a 6-8 year extension.

14 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

It's why signing Greenway to 2 years is a mistake. I'd move on from Greenway and Quinn if asked today. There's 8 million and change. 

Sabres have an estimated 20 million in space for next season. 

I never liked that Greenway deal.  To me even when healthy, on some games he brings a bit to your team, but on others he is invisible.  

A guy who is always hurt, who half the games he does play is a non factor...I just always thought that money was allocated elsewhere better.

And Quinn?  His leash has got to be gettng really short.  The last season-and-a-half I thought he was the only guy on this team that HURT the team more than Cozens.  He has to start showing he isn't that player anymore.  I don't see it yet.

Edited 4 hours ago by mjd1001

[JohnC]

23 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

I agree.  I know the cap is going up, but as much as in an earlier post I said how good he is, he's on of the top wingers in the league...I have no interest in paying him anywhere close to $11m per year when he is going to be in his 30's to START the extension.

Maybe, MAYBE if it was a 4 year extension, but even then...steep price for what I he is likely to be in a couple years.

If Tuch doesn't get signed because the organization rejects the costly extension, then it sets this franchise back further than you can imagine. For a franchise that lacks credibility, what message does it send to players like Dahlin and Tage who are trying to push this franchise towards respectability? My fear is that Tuch takes the Reinhart strategy and waits for his current contract to expire. The cap is going up. So it's not a surprise that the contracts will increase. There has been a recent spate of top-tier players signing and establishing the market value. Tuch is not in the top-tier but he is in the next tier. And on this roster he is a central player for us. The market will soon be more firmly set for a Tuch caliber of player. And it will not be cheap. You either pay the market-value or you go by the wayside. When your franchise is already stuck by the wayside you are not in a position of strength. Get a deal done!

[Brawndo]

Josh Doan is also a RFA next year 

[LabattBlue]

While I would like to see Tuch get re-signed, in no way do I support giving him a blank check and bending over Adams & Pegula. 

[sabremike]

I can't believe nobody has caught on to the fact they were likely cynically lowballing Tuch trying to take advantage of the fact he's a local guy who would like to stay, he saw right through it, was insulted, and this was his response.

[tom webster]

Everyone is reading way too much into this. It’s really a case of an exploding cap and everyone, other than McDavid wanting to maximize their market value. Kempe and Tuch are almost in this together and my guess is that both will sign for a comparable number. LA has finally gone over $10M so it shouldn’t be too much longer. If you think Tuch is a top three forward, $11M is not out of line. 

[Ogelthorpe]

I don't care if the cap is going up. Bad teams overpay players. In no world is alex tuch a 8 figure salaried  player.. BYE