Alex Tuch wasn't able to get on the ice for the first practice of training camp as he deals with an injury, but he did meet with reporters after the practice. He discussed a number of topics, including a potentially new long-term contract as he enters the final year of his current deal.
During the press conference, he was asked about what it meant to receive some votes for the Selke Trophy, which goes to the best defensive forward in the NHL. This was the first time in his career that Tuch received votes for the award and finished with 20 votes, including one second-place vote.
"It was a great honor," Tuch said. "Honestly, I want to be better this year. I want to get more and want to be considered Top 5 Selke [Trophy] candidate."
Last season, the five players who received the most votes for the award were Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Anthony Cirelli, Nico Hischier, and Jack Eichel.
Barkov is in a class all by himself and is easily the best defensive forward in the NHL right now after winning the award in back-to-back seasons. He has won over 55% of his face-offs over that time period and has had a Corsi For % over 60% for five straight seasons.
While Barkov is likely to be considered the favorite, Tuch can certainly make the case that he should be in the same group of the other players in the Top 5.
Alex Tuch is the Buffalo Sabres best two-way forward currently on the roster
There is no question that Tuch is the best defensive forward the Buffalo Sabres have and is a big part of their penalty kill, finishing second on the team last season with 170 minutes. This is an area in which his role has grown over the past few seasons, and he should continue to be a big part.
The increased time on the penalty kill also helped him lead the league in short-handed goals with six after having only three in his career prior to the 2024-25 season.
When looking ahead to this season, the best chance for him to jump into the Top 5 might hinge on the success of the team as a whole. Of the voting for the award, the Top 14 players were on playoff teams and Tuch was the player to receive the most votes of any player who didn't make the playoffs.
It logically makes sense for the two to be correlated because if Tuch shows he is one of the better defensive forwards in the league, the Sabres are certainly going to benefit, and it likely means more wins. This season could be shaping up to be a big one in Alex Tuch's career for a number of different reasons.