Last week, the Buffalo Sabres hosted the NHL Scouting Combine and, alongside preparing for their ninth pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the team is also focusing on various potential prospects ahead of the NHL Draft in Los Angeles later this month. Meanwhile, GM Kevyn Adams is putting considerable effort into managing the team’s free agents.
Among the most talked-about players since the season ended are restricted free agent winger JJ Peterka and defenseman Bow Enbyram. Additionally, veteran Alex Tuch might also be on the move. According to James Mirtle of The Athletic, if Tuch and the Sabres can’t agree on a contract extension, he may play out the final year of his current deal.
Tuch, 29, originally signed with the Vegas Golden Knights as part of the Jack Eichel trade and has since scored 106 goals in 281 regular-season games for the Sabres. Coming from Syracuse, New York, he’s motivated to help Buffalo break their playoff drought that dates back to 2011.
Tuch holds a strong position in negotiations as he, along with Tage Thompson, has been one of the Sabres’ most reliable scorers. With the salary cap increasing and his seven-year contract coming to an end, Tuch aims for a significant raise from his current $4.75 million salary. However, Buffalo might still consider trading him, even though Tuch has limited no-trade clauses covering five teams.
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Fan Take: This news is crucial for hockey fans because it highlights the Sabres’ critical offseason decisions that could shape the team’s future competitiveness. The handling of star players like Alex Tuch may signal Buffalo’s ambitions and affect the balance of power within the league moving forward.
