The Buffalo Sabres head into their four-game road swing still trying to shake off an uneven start, and the first stop hands them an immediate storyline: Alex Tuch.
Buffalo opens the trip in Washington, where the former Sabres forward now leads the Capitals with five goals and sits second on the team with seven points. For a Buffalo group that has struggled through the first month - sitting at a .500 record while fighting for production at even strength and on the power play, with shaky stretches in goal from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Colten Ellis - the matchup brings both a familiar face and a fresh reminder of what they lost.
Tuch hasn’t hidden how much Buffalo meant to him, even as he embraces his new situation. On Friday, he said, “I thought we had a very special group there, (facing the Sabres) will be a little bit different.
In Vegas, I was treated as the younger guy. In Buffalo…..as an older guy, it’s a little bit different.
You’ve got a lot of guys that I mentored and I spent a lot of time with, and we were a really close group.”
He also joked about the first Sabre he expects to come at him. “I’ve gone into the corners with those guys in practice so many times, it’s going to feel normal.
I’m waiting to see which one is going to be the first to give me a little cheap shot. My money’s on (Zach Benson).”
Tuch told Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic that he never wanted to leave Buffalo, but the sides never got to the point where a deal could be finished and ending his career with the Sabres was not in the cards. Reports last summer said the 30-year-old was seeking an eight-year max contract worth more than $10 million per season. That conversation likely grew more complicated after LA’s Adrian Kempe landed an eight-year deal with a $10.625 million AAV in November.
Buffalo’s strong second half last season also changed the equation. The Sabres were unable to move Tuch at the time and kept him as an own-renta.
The two sides never came close on an agreement, and that eventually led to a sign-and-trade with Washington in late June. Buffalo received a third-round pick, while Tuch got the contract he wanted: eight years at $10.5 million.
“I’ll just have a big dumb smile on my face just thinking about playing against those guys. Love them to death and miss them, but really happy where I am right now.”
Tuch said. “It was a sad day when I knew I wouldn’t be continuing to do that, but I’m really excited about this new chapter and I’m really loving it here.”
Buffalo could also be without Jiri Kulich, who took a puck to the head area at practice Friday. Lindy Ruff said Kulich is not in Washington and is going through additional testing, though the coach is optimistic he could rejoin the team for the California portion of the trip.
Owen Power leads all Sabres defensemen with eight points.
In Other News...
Sabres Suddenly Have A Jiri Kulich Concern They Didn't Expect
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Kulich's status is now something Buffalo has to monitor closely as the club prepares for a road trip, with his availability suddenly in question. For a team trying to stay organized in a tight Atlantic race, even a single unexpected setback can ripple through the lineup mix and special-teams plans in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Fans Need To Face The Truth About Devon Levi
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The harder truth for Sabres fans is that the numbers behind that start do not point to a dramatic goaltending breakout so much as a different team context around him. Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen have produced similar underlying performance, but Edmonton has given Levi far more offensive support than Buffalo has been able to provide Luukkonen, which makes the comparison more complicated than the win-loss column suggests. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Just Got A Tougher Test From Washington Tonight
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Justin Sourdif is also on track to come back after sitting out the last two games with an illness of his own, giving Washington another option up front for tonights matchup. For Buffalo, it means a sturdier challenge than the one the Sabres might have expected if the Capitals were still shorthanded, especially with both players having helped Washingtons early-season performance. [Read more 🡒]