What does the Tuch trade look like?

[LGR4GM]

7 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

tonight it was obvious that something has to give with the Tuch situation!

you simply cannot have a guy wearing an A out on the ice playing like it's Sunday afternoon game of shinny. 

Here are the teams I’m contacting and seeing if they have any interest in Tuch

 

1. New Jersey Devils

With Hughes out long-term, they could use another forward. Would they consider moving Anton Silayev? Probably not — Casey feels like the more realistic target.

 

2. Montreal Canadiens

Reinbacher is their top RHD prospect and likely too rich for them to move, but maybe they’d consider dealing their top LHD prospect, Engström.

 

3. Vancouver Canucks

Their best prospect, Willander, is almost certainly untouchable. But Kudryavtsev might be available — a shutdown type who already has some NHL games under his belt.

 

4. Utah Mammoth

They’ve got both Simashev and Lamoureux — massive defenders who are either in the NHL (Simashev) or close to it (Lamoureux). Maybe they’d view Tuch as the kind of piece that could help push them into the playoffs.

 

With Tuch being the top prize in this year’s UFA market, hopefully the Sabres can capitalize and land a better prospect than you’d normally expect for a player on an expiring deal.

 

Why are you trading for defense prospects? You know how many defense prospects we have? I can't imagine a worse scenario than taking a top 6 forward and trading him for ANOTHER defense prospect. No. 

[kas23]

I don’t care if the player is a forward or a defender. I just want the player to bring energy and effort each night.

[Weave]

1 hour ago, Carmel Corn said:

I'm starting to believe that the Tuch situation will evolve into the worst case scenario.....meaning nothing happens at the deadline and he walks away for nothing in return.  GMKA may not trade Tuch because he foolishly believes the team can still contend for the playoffs and will therefore hang onto to him at the deadline.  Another team will sign Tuch in the off-season and we are left empty-handed.  

I consider this as Kevyn's parting gift before he gets lynched by the fans....that or Pegula extends or promotes him.

We won’t be in the mix at the deadline, so that is when he’ll be moved.

I have stated many times since the tank started that a GM that waits until the deadline to move a pending UFA is being negligent with the asset as that is when the asset’s value is predominantly draft picks.  I might be inclined to sway from that stance in this instance because I believe the intent was playoffs this season.

Thinking on it for half a moment longer, no I am not going to sway from that stance in this instance.  KAs evaluation of the teams potential, and the likelihood of signing Tuch is so far off that I am going to stick with the word negligence.

[JP51]

On 11/11/2025 at 3:40 PM, Taro T said:

One of Adams rare wins.

I would go with saves... Like he picked the dud... then saved it in the end... LOL... but I do get your point 🙂 

[SabreFinn]

We can't keep paying players big money while the on ice effort is worth half the money. If Tuch plays like a  5milj. AAV but wants to be paid the dubble there is nothing to do except a trade. A first round pick and a prospect is what we will get in that case. The hard thing is to find a replacement. We don't have a replacement in the system, we could get lucky and find another ufa like Zucker, but most likely we need to trade Byram or Power to get what we need. 

[quill]

The thought of making any further trades with Adams at the helm terrifies me, but why would we want to trade someone like Alex Tuch who competes, scores, and isn't afraid to get his hands dirty ... when we should be talking about trading a jellyfish like Quinn for whatever we can get for him, like even for a low scoring grinder type player who could play a significant role if we were ever to make the playoffs. 

[DarthEbriate]

You'll get a lot more for Tuch if you trade him now, particularly if an extension is part of the deal. The new team gets 3/4 of a season.

If you wait until the deadline and he's decided to go to UFA, you're getting a playoff contender's late 1st and a tweener like Rosén who you add to your lineup next year -- and could be good down the road.

 

Something like: inquire to FLA about Samoskevich (key piece - will be RFA at the end of the season perfect for Sheevyn, but he plays like Doan), BBQ Luostarinen (cap piece, but valuable to playoff teams and someone you could easily move at the deadline if need be), and ... their 2028 1st is the only one they have left. They want to get back on pace before 2026, because Tkachuk might not be enough. Panthers have plenty of cap next year with Bobrovsky coming off the books, plus Tuch would sign for $7M there.

[Pimlach]

Tuch is on a 28-30 goal and 65 point pace.  Pretty good considering all the injuries, instability, and line changes.  He is a +1 and he has been solid defensively and on the PK.  But many fans here think that he is not playing good hockey. 

I also thought that the home town connection would help get him signed to a good contract  BEFORE the season started.   Good meaning coming in at 6-7 years at $8M.  I actually thought Tuch would take a bit less to help him get out of Buffalo if needed.  

Now the Kempe deal is pointing to even more years at $10-11M.    That is too much for a last place team that is facing another rebuild.  

Given that the Sabres are looking at a new GM, new head coach, and another retool at the minimum, I would now consider trading him before the deadline.  

I do think he is one of the better players on the team and his play this year is pretty much who he is.  I also think this contract stuff is a distraction for him, and his wife probably wants out too.  Vancouver is her home town BTW.  

 

 

 

[Thorny]

4 hours ago, Carmel Corn said:

I'm starting to believe that the Tuch situation will evolve into the worst case scenario.....meaning nothing happens at the deadline and he walks away for nothing in return.  GMKA may not trade Tuch because he foolishly believes the team can still contend for the playoffs and will therefore hang onto to him at the deadline.  Another team will sign Tuch in the off-season and we are left empty-handed.  

I consider this as Kevyn's parting gift before he gets lynched by the fans....that or Pegula extends or promotes him.

I’d imagine there’s communication to Adams that he cannot save his job by making the playoffs in year 6, therefore to approach the roster as if the long term aim is what matters 

If he’s as much of a puppet as everyone says, he should have no problem attempting to operate under those parameters. Success rate another issue 

[Crusader1969]

13 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Why are you trading for defense prospects? You know how many defense prospects we have? I can't imagine a worse scenario than taking a top 6 forward and trading him for ANOTHER defense prospect. No. 

I want them to trade for a guy who could come in and play now, or at least really close.   
that knocks Bryson off your game day roster and then you will have the chance to trade Power in the offseason in a real hockey trade for a top 6 

[sabremike]

A proactive organization would be sending out feelers to see what teams would be willing to give up for Tuch while calculating the odds he signs and acting accordingly.

But this is a reactive organization, so they will trade him at the deadline for a comically bad return.

[Huckleberry]

7 hours ago, sabremike said:

A proactive organization would be sending out feelers to see what teams would be willing to give up for Tuch while calculating the odds he signs and acting accordingly.

But this is a reactive organization, so they will trade him at the deadline for a comically bad return.

Or just tell Tuch, we trade you and talk again in the offseason ? 🙂

[mjd1001]

53 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

Or just tell Tuch, we trade you and talk again in the offseason ? 🙂

Yep.

Sabres get an asset, Tuch gets a playoff run.

Its not like it seems he is giving them a hometown discount.  If they are going to have to 'pay up' for him now, they can do so in the offseason. If he wants to go someplace else, he can just not sign here anyway.

If the Sabres are out of it, no reason to sign him now, trade him and see where things take you. ESPECIALLY if you have a new front office in the offseason. Terry can tell that front office how much he likes Tuch (if he does) but let it be up to the new front office. Don't sign too many people in advance and let the new front office have little/less roster options to work with.

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, Huckleberry said:

Or just tell Tuch, we trade you and talk again in the offseason ? 🙂

Tuch can sign 8yrs with the team he's on b4 July 1.

He can sign 6yrs on or after July 1.

[mjd1001]

12 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Tuch can sign 8yrs with the team he's on b4 July 1.

He can sign 6yrs on or after July 1.

I know negotiations don't always work like this...but that is all the more reason to not rush to sign Tuch now to a big dollar contract. That is one way it is in HIS interest to not push for top dollar to get those 2 more years.  

If the Sabres sign him for 8 years at $10.5, they are dumber than any of us thought..when no one else can sign him for more than 6.  Those 2 extra years he will be 36 and 37 years old.  No rush to sign him to guarantee you are taking a $10m+ cap hit on a player that age....at least in my opinion.

Of course, I'm one of the ones who is in no rush to sign him...and as much as I think he's the 2nd or 3rd best player on this team right now, and I LIKE him as a player, I'm not going to be heartbroken if he isn't here next year.