The Buffalo Sabres were looking to make strides towards breaking their long playoff drought. The Sabres are 14-14-4 this year, which places them on pace for just 82 points, and gives them the worst record in the Eastern Conference. As the team tumbles towards another subpar season, they may begin selling pieces, including pending UFA Alex Tuch.
The team has already made one major move so far this season. The Sabres have fired general manager Kevyn Adams. He had been with the Sabres organization since 2011. Adams took over as the general manager in the summer of 2020, after spending time in other roles, including as an assistant coach. In the time Adams had been involved with the franchise, either as a coach or in management, the Sabres never made it to the playoffs. He made some massive trades during his time in the front office, including sending Sam Reinhart to the Florida Panthers and the Jack Eichel trade to the Vegas Golden Knights. One of the players he got in return for Eichel was Tuch.
Now, Jarmo Kekalainen will be tasked with turning around the franchise. He has a solid history in building teams. While working as the director of player personnel for the Ottawa Senators, he selected players such as Marian Hossa, Martin Havlat, and Ray Emery. As an assistant general manager with the St. Louis Blues, he drafted Alex Pietrangelo, TJ Oshie, and David Perron. Most recently, he was the general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he helped the team win its first playoff series back in 2019.
Now he has to make decisions regarding multiple players on the Sabres, with a primary one being Tuch. The American-born forward is in the last year of his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. If Kekalainen does move Tuch, these are the best destinations.
Could the Wild keep adding players?
With the 18th overall selection in the 2014 NHL Draft, the Minnesota Wild selected Tuch. After time at Boston College, he made his NHL debut with the Wild in 2016-17, playing in six games. In the summer of 2017, he was traded to the expansion Golden Knights, ending his tenure in Minnesota. Still, the Wild should be looking for a reunion with their former first-round pick.
The front office in Minnesota just made a massive trade as the Wild landed Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks. This move improves an already stout defense for the Wild. The team is fifth in the NHL in goals against per game, allowing just 2.61 goals per game. It could also improve a penalty kill that is 22nd in the NHL. Hughes has offensive firepower as well, which is needed for the Wild. They rank 20th in the league, scoring just 2.91 goals per game.
Moreover, the team lost scoring options in the Hughes trade. Marco Rossi had amassed 13 points for the club in 17 games. That was tied for seventh on the team in points. Zeev Buium was sixth on the team with 14 points from the blue line. The Wild need to add another forward on the top two lines, and Tuch would be the perfect fit. The biggest question becomes what the Wild would be willing to give up, and how they keep Tuch under contract. The Wild are already slightly low on draft capital to trade. They would need to shed salary, plus give up prospects, to make this happen.
Still, they need to make this deal work. Minnesota is currently the third-best team in its division, behind the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars. They may be the third-best team in the NHL right now as well. Regardless, they need to make sure they have enough firepower to get through the Avs and Stars to even make it to the Western Conference Final.
Tuch would be a solid addition to the Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers have been to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, and lost both times. Their major issue has been goaltending, and the team hopes they have solved some of that as the Oilers traded for Tristan Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins. The club still needs help on defense, though. While they are eighth in the NHL in shots against this year, the group is also 20th in opponent high danger scoring chances created. This means while opponents may not be shooting a ton, when they are, the shots are coming from high-danger areas. This is part of the reason the team is 26th in the NHL in opponent goals per game.
Moreover, the forward group, as a whole, is bottom ten in the NHL in defensive efficiency, while the team has also struggled on the penalty kill. They need a solid two-way forward who can not only keep the offense running at its high level, but also provide a major impact on the defensive side of the ice.
Tuch would be a perfect solution. He could join the second line on the right side, replacing Matthew Savoie and playing alongside Leon Draisaitl. The team could also place him on the top line, allowing Zach Hyman or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to move down a line. Regardless, Tuch is a physical forward who has shown his ability to play on the penalty kill in the past. Adding him could change the look of the defense and put the Oilers in a position to finally win the Cup.
Tuch heads to the Nation's Capital
The Washington Capitals missed out on the Quinn Hughes sweepstakes. It may be a blessing in disguise for the franchise, considering the compensation needed to get Hughes. The Capitals are already a great defensive unit. They are second in the league in goals-against per game, but have struggled on the penalty kill, which is an area Tuch could help out with. Furthermore, the team has a bunch of young prospects they need to protect for the future. This includes Ryan Leonard at the forward position, while they have Cole Huston and Ryan Chesley on defense. A trade for Tuch does need to protect their future, and not give away the top-level prospects the front office has collected.
Regardless, the team has draft capital, with first-round picks in each of the next three drafts, plus second-round picks in 2027 and 2028. With how well Kekalainen has drafted in the past, pulling in draft capital may be worth it for their new general manager. They also need forwards who can impact both the present and the future. Currently, two of their top four point scorers are forwards, with the other two at the blue line, while just four forwards have over 20 points this year.
Tuch would not only be a solid short-term rental, but the Capitals will be in a position to sign him long-term. If Alex Ovechkin or John Carlson retire or move on, they will have enough cap space to keep Tuch long term. The Capitals need another veteran forward to pair with Tom Wilson, Dylan Strome, and Pierre-Luc Dubois should their captain call it a career. Tuch could be that answer. Meanwhile, the Caps have struggled to get past the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference. A player like Tuch could help them finally break past the Canes and get back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2018.
