After Alex Tuch came to the Buffalo Sabres, he has made an immediate impact on the team. In this article, I took a deeper dive into his first season.
Alex Tuch came to the Buffalo Sabres in the trade that sent Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights. Peyton Krebs was also part of the deal but this article is dedicated to Tuch. When you get traded for an elite player like Eichel then there are big shoes to fill. Or are there?
Yes, some will say there’s a huge gap to fill but with what Sabres fans saw this season and with the players Buffalo has, there really isn’t. Players like Tuch gives fans of this franchise a lot of confidence going into next season.
Diving deeper into Alex Tuch’s first season with the Buffalo Sabres
Let’s start off with his stats. According to Hockey Reference, Tuch had 12 goals and 26 assists in 50 games played. He missed the first couple of months of the season because of surgery he had on his shoulder. If he was healthy for the full season, it’s possible he would’ve scored 62 points.
Alex Tuch and Cody Eakin just brought Rick Jeanneret onto the ice to celebrate with the team. What a moment. What a night @WKBW pic.twitter.com/ZjXQ72pnXB
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) April 2, 2022
Moving on from his stats, his attitude is perfect for this team. Buffalo unfortunately gets a bad rep but inside the Sabres locker room, it’s a completely different story.
Players like Tuch who want to be in Buffalo are why Sabres fans absolutely adore him. Whether it’s on the ice or off, he sets an example. The video above sums this up.
So what should we expect from Tuch? If he can play a full season, as mentioned earlier he can become a 20-25 goal forward. It’s also possible he’ll be either the captain or one of the alternate captains.
A lot can happen between now and October. But Tuch is one of the players on this team that gives Buffalo fans hope for next season and beyond. Something they haven’t felt in a long time.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)