Buffalo’s choice to keep Alex Tuch at the trade deadline looked bold in the moment. In hindsight, it reads a lot more like a costly swing that never paid off.
The Sabres held onto a top-six winger in his prime instead of cashing in on the kind of package players like that usually bring in February. Tuch was a proven 30-goal scorer with a heavy two-way game, the sort of forward who can pull back first-round picks and premium prospects when the market is right. Buffalo had that leverage, and instead of turning it into future assets, the front office chased the immediate push.
There was some logic to it at the time. The Sabres went on to win the Atlantic Division, then beat the Boston Bruins for their first playoff series win in 14 years. But the run stopped in the second round, where they fell in overtime of Game 7 against the Montreal Canadiens.
Tuch’s postseason run didn’t change the equation much. He finished with seven points in 13 playoff games and, by the end of it, had not made a major imprint in the biggest moments. Now that it’s August, the full picture is even clearer: he stayed, then landed an eight-year, $84 million deal with the Washington Capitals in a sign-and-trade.
That deal brought Buffalo back David Kampf, who eventually signed overseas, along with a third-round pick. Compared with what Tuch would have commanded at the deadline, that return looks small.
The Sabres clearly put a premium on getting back to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. They ended the drought and gave their fan base something to grab onto. But in doing so, they passed on a chance to sell high on a player they probably already knew was going to price himself out of Buffalo.
In Other News...
Former Sabres Standout Jay McKee Just Reached A Meaningful Next Step
Jay McKees path back up the coaching ladder has been a long one, and it now has a clear next stop. The former Sabres defenseman, who spent more than a decade building his reputation in junior hockey, was named head coach of the Hamilton Hammers in May, giving him the lead role with the New York Islanders new AHL affiliate. For McKee, it is the kind of promotion that rewards patience as much as pedigree, after years spent learning how to manage players and handle the daily grind behind the bench.
His rsum in the OHL gave him more than experience, too. McKee won a championship with the Brantford Bulldogs and has pointed to the mentorship he received from Lindy Ruff as an important part of his development. Now he gets the chance to translate that background into the pro game, a meaningful step for a coach who has steadily worked his way toward this opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Land In Unexpected Logo Fight That Fans Will Debate
A logo dispute that has lingered for years has now put the Sabres in the middle of an odd corner of the hockey world. The NHL has been in contact with the Cherry Creek School District since 2019 over Smoky Hill High Schools buffalo head mark, which bears a resemblance to Buffalos familiar design, and the matter has become more than a simple art-room debate over who drew what first.
Discussions picked back up in 2026 around a possible royalty-free agreement, but no deal is in place yet. If permission is not granted, the school intends to keep its nickname and colors while moving ahead with a new logo, a compromise that would preserve the identity fans know while quietly ending the visual link that set off the dispute in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Owen Power Is Raising A Big Sabres Question Again
Owen Powers 2025-26 season has brought the conversation around his place in the Sabres lineup back into focus. The former first-overall pick is still logging heavy minutes and remains a key part of Buffalos blue line, but his offensive production has dipped from where it was a year ago, which naturally changes the way his impact gets judged.
For the Sabres, the bigger issue is the one that has followed Power since he arrived in Buffalo: what exactly should his ceiling look like, and when does he start matching it more consistently? He has helped anchor a defense that has held up better in some areas, yet the sense remains that there is still more to unlock from a player the organization expected to become a cornerstone. [Read more 🡒]