The Alex Tuch situation has become one of the defining storylines for the Buffalo Sabres as they barrel toward the 2026 NHL trade deadline. With Tuch set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and reportedly seeking around $10.5 million per season on his next deal, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen is staring down a franchise-altering decision: pay up, trade him, or keep him as a rental for their own playoff push.
And make no mistake - Buffalo is pushing.
Despite recent turbulence, the Sabres have made it clear they’re not interested in taking a step back. According to reports, the front office has told rival teams flat-out: “We’re not making our team worse.”
That’s not just a throwaway line - it’s a declaration of intent. For a franchise that’s spent the better part of the last decade selling off assets and planning for the future, this is a very different tone.
This is a team acting like a buyer.
Now, that statement did raise some eyebrows around the league. But the underlying message is this: Buffalo isn’t going to sacrifice a key piece like Tuch just to collect picks or prospects.
Not when they’re finally in the thick of the playoff hunt. Not when the fanbase is engaged in a way it hasn’t been in 15 years.
And not when the locker room, by all accounts, is energized and believing.
The conventional wisdom in the NHL is pretty straightforward - if you can’t sign a pending UFA by the deadline, you move him. You don’t risk losing that kind of asset for nothing in July.
But this isn’t a conventional situation. Tuch isn’t just another expiring contract; he’s a core piece of what’s made this Sabres team click.
Through 56 games, he’s put up 48 points (22 goals, 26 assists) and has been a fixture in all three phases - 5-on-5, power play, and penalty kill. He brings size, skill, leadership, and a connection to the city that’s hard to replicate. The 6-foot-4 winger from Syracuse has become a face of the franchise and a tone-setter on the ice.
Trading him now - especially for future assets - would create a hole that Buffalo simply doesn’t have the depth to fill. And with the team already dealing with a growing list of injuries, that’s a risk Kekalainen can’t afford to take.
The Sabres limped into the Olympic break, dropping three of their last four games. That stumble, combined with the wear and tear of the season, has highlighted some glaring needs. First and foremost, they could use another top-six forward with offensive punch - someone to help lighten the load on Tuch and Tage Thompson, and to breathe life into a power play that’s been frustratingly ineffective.
On the back end, injuries have taken a toll. With Conor Timmins out and depth defenders like Michael Kesselring, Zach Metsa, and Jacob Bryson struggling, the burden has fallen heavily on Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson, and Bowen Byram. Those four are logging huge minutes nightly, and the fatigue is starting to show.
So yes, Kekalainen is working the phones. He’s looking to add, not subtract.
And that’s why moving Tuch for futures just doesn’t make sense. Unless a contending team comes to the table with a legitimate “hockey trade” - think a younger, established NHL player under contract beyond this season - the Sabres are better off holding onto Tuch and reassessing in the offseason.
That’s where the “own rental” concept comes into play. It’s not ideal, but in this case, it might be necessary.
Buffalo’s playoff drought is the longest in the league, and this season represents their best shot in years to end it. Trading away one of their most important players in the middle of that run would send the wrong message - to the fans, to the locker room, and to the rest of the league.
There’s no easy answer here. But what’s clear is that Buffalo is done waiting.
They’re not playing for next year. They’re playing for right now.
And unless something dramatic changes, Alex Tuch is going to be a big part of that push.