Jarmo Kekalainen is staring down one of the toughest calls he’s had to make since taking over as GM of the Buffalo Sabres - what to do with Alex Tuch. The big winger is playing out the final year of his contract, and while talks of an extension have been swirling since the offseason, there’s still no deal in place. With the trade deadline looming, the question is on the table: do you risk losing Tuch for nothing this summer, or do you hold the line and make a push for the playoffs?
Here’s the thing - the Sabres aren’t in a position to punt on this season. Not now.
Not with the way they’ve been playing since mid-December. Buffalo’s been one of the hottest teams in the league over the past six weeks, and with the franchise staring down a 14-year playoff drought, this isn’t the time to get cute.
Yes, it’s standard practice around the league to move players approaching free agency if there’s no extension in sight. The Rangers just did that with Artemi Panarin, sending him to the Kings for a conditional third-rounder and arguably L.A.’s top prospect, Liam Greentree.
That’s a solid return for a rental. But the Rangers are in a different boat - they’re looking ahead, not clinging to the now.
Buffalo? They’re in the thick of it. And moving a player like Tuch - who’s not just a top-six forward but a tone-setter in the locker room and a guy who embodies the identity the Sabres have been trying to build - would send the exact wrong message to the team and the fanbase.
If the Sabres were to trade Tuch, it would have to be for someone who can help right now. Not a pick.
Not a prospect. A forward-for-forward deal that keeps the engine running.
And those kinds of trades are rare at the deadline, especially when you’re talking about replacing a player of Tuch’s caliber.
Kekalainen’s been here before. Back in Columbus, he faced a similar situation with Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky both playing out the final year of their contracts.
Instead of dealing them for futures, he doubled down, added at the deadline, and watched the Blue Jackets win their first - and still only - playoff series in franchise history. That move didn’t come without risk, but it paid off in a way that changed the trajectory of that team, at least for a moment.
That’s the kind of swing Buffalo needs to consider. This group has earned the right to see how far they can go.
You don’t want to mortgage the future, sure - and no one’s saying you should - but this team doesn’t need another first-round pick or a B-level prospect. What it needs is belief.
Continuity. A shot at breaking through.
Alex Tuch is a huge part of that. His impact goes beyond the scoresheet.
He’s a leader, a local guy who wears the crest with pride, and a player who fits the mold of the team Buffalo is trying to become. Trading him now, just to avoid the possibility of losing him in July, would undercut everything this team has built over the past few months.
The Sabres are in a playoff race. A real one.
And for once, they’re not selling at the deadline - they’re fighting for something. That matters.
And that’s why, contract or no contract, Alex Tuch needs to be part of this run.