A lot of NHL observers, many of them from outside Western New York, were ready to write the Buffalo Sabres off following their 0-3-0 start to the 2025-26 season. Perhaps it was an understandable reaction given the franchise's past 14 years of misery.
Then something unexpected happened: The Sabres suddenly became one of hockey's hottest teams, going 4-1-1 over their past six games to push themselves into the thick of the early playoff race in the crowded Eastern Conference.
Veteran winger Alex Tuch, who was among the players who drew harsh criticism amid the club's sluggish start, isn't surprised by Buffalo's rapid reversal of fortune. He's witnessed a clear indicator of improvement since the beginning of training camp.
"Our compete has been through the roof, honestly, since Day 1," Tuch told Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News. "Scoring wasn't there the first couple of games, but we're starting to find our scoring touch here. Everyone is chipping in, everyone is producing. It's been good to see and the compete level has been a lot higher (than last year), especially to start the season."
Of course, the Sabres have enjoyed plenty of modest hot streaks during the longest postseason drought in NHL history. The question is whether they can maintain this higher level of play for the remainder of the regular season to make the playoffs a long-awaited reality.
Alex Tuch's future with the Buffalo Sabres remains unsettled as free agency looms
Tuch, an alternate captain for the Blue and Gold, is taking on an important leadership role for the organization this season, but he's also an impending unrestricted free agent. He's in the final campaign of a seven-year, $33.25 million contract originally signed with the Vegas Golden Knights.
The 29-year-old United States Olympic roster hopeful seemed like a perfect building block when he was acquired in the blockbuster Jack Eichel trade. He was born in nearby Syracuse and grew up rooting for the Sabres.
It doesn't sound like a "hometown discount" is on the horizon, though.
Brian Bartlett, Tuch's agent, recently told Irfaan Gaffar and David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period the sides have put extension talks on the "back burner" after failing to reach an agreement before the start of the regular season.
"I think we've all kind of decided that it's best to just try to get some wins here," Bartlett said. "Alex is a leader on that team, both play-wise and kind of, you know, in the room."
Reading the tea leaves based on all the reporting on the situation since the offseason, it sounds like Tuch's camp is seeking a new contract with an average annual value (AAV) of at least $10 million, and Buffalo has so far not been ready to meet those demands despite a rising salary cap.
It creates a tension point for the Sabres front office, which has to balance this season's playoff chase with the fact it can't afford to lose Tuch to the open market for nothing at season's end.
One of those NHL's most fascinating questions is what general manager Kevyn Adams will do if the March trade deadline nears with his team in the postseason race and Tuch still unsigned. Trading him for futures (draft picks and prospects) wouldn't go over well with a tired fanbase.
That said, all the Sabres can focus on in the short term is trying to build off their recent run of vastly improved play. Tuch is right, the compete level in recent years was well short of an NHL standard, and the entire group has been far more competitive over the past few weeks.
Perhaps if Buffalo can prove its truly turned a corner after numerous iterations of rebuilding, Tuch may be willing to take a little less to remain with the franchise.
That's the best-case scenario for an organization that could use a sustained stretch of good news.