It has been talked about for almost a full calendar year, and in a few weeks, the Buffalo Sabres and their fans will get a definitive answer to whether Alex Tuch will be returning for the 2026-27 season. Unfortunately, all indications are that he will be playing somewhere else and leaving in free agency.
At this point, it really isn't surprising that Tuch leaves, as he is easily the best player in this free agency class. The Sabres might be the closest team to a Stanley Cup among potential suitors, but they don't have the cap space to offer him the contract he is expected to sign, which will be max-term with an AAV around $11 million.
When looking around the league, these are four teams that make sense as landing spots for Alex Tuch, as they have the cap space while also expecting to be competitive next season.
*All salary cap space amounts courtesy of Puckpedia
Toronto Maple Leafs
The first team certainly would sting for the Buffalo Sabres and their fans, but it makes a lot of sense from the Maple Leafs' perspective. They are coming off a disappointing season and will want to get back into playoff contention as quickly as possible.
The Maple Leafs have a new general manager in John Chayka, and he will want to make a statement, and there isn't a better way to do that than to sign the top free agent. While they don't have the most cap space, they do have over $22 million, and that is more than enough to get a Tuch deal done and add a little more.
As for Alex Tuch, he would join a top line that consists of Auston Matthews and be a perfect fit next to the Maple Leafs' captain. The last place Sabres' fans would want to see Tuch go is Toronto, but there are plenty of reasons that it makes sense.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins were one of the big surprises last season under Dan Muse in his first season as head coach. They would make the playoffs for the first time in three seasons before losing in the first round to the Philadelphia Flyers.
For the Penguins, their window seemingly is closing with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin getting to the end of their careers. However, it would make sense for them to essentially go all out to give each player one more chance at a Stanley Cup.
The Penguins have the fourth most cap space available in the NHL with almost $38 million, so they are in a great position to offer Alex Tuch one of the biggest contracts and outbid almost every team.
Edmonton Oilers
This is certainly a pivotal offseason for the Edmonton Oilers after they suffered a first-round playoff exit to the Anaheim Ducks. They essentially have one more chance to show Connor McDavid they can build a Stanley Cup caliber roster.
For the Oilers, they are in the toughest spot and not much better than what the Buffalo Sabres have in terms of their salary cap. Right now, they have around $14.5 million, but could move players like Darnell Nurse to create the needed cap space.
Similar to the Maple Leafs, the Oilers are in a position where they need to make a statement and prove to their superstar that they want to win. Alex Tuch certainly does that and would be a great addition to this offense.
San Jose Sharks
Even though the San Jose Sharks haven't been to the playoffs in seven straight seasons, they might be the team with the best chance to sign Alex Tuch away from the Buffalo Sabres. The first is that they have the most cap space of any team in the NHL and can certainly give Tuch the biggest contract of any team in the league.
While they haven't been in the playoffs for a while now, they look to be a team ascending after 86 points and were only four points back of the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. One of the big reasons was the emergence of Macklin Celebrini, who finished with 115 points after 63 points as a rookie.
The Sharks are one of the younger teams in the NHL and certainly could use a veteran like Tuch to be a locker room leader. If Tuch believes the Sharks are a team on the rise, this seems like an easy sell and a perfect fit.
The Buffalo Sabres still have about three weeks as the only team who can exclusively negotiate with Alex Tuch. However, it seems like Tuch is destined to free agency and if he gets there, then plenty of teams will be calling with an offer.
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