The Minnesota Wild helped usher in a new era on NHL contracts on Tuesday by re-signing superstar Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year, $136 million contract extension. Now it's time for Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams to finalize a new deal for Alex Tuch.
Last week, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported the Sabres and Tuch's camp were engaged in discussions but "aren't in the same ballpark" with the numbers. That's in large part because the winger's side sees a "double-digit AAV as realistic" given the NHL's rising salary cap.
Kaprizov, one of the league's best players, getting $17 million annually confirms that hypothesis. Past comparable contracts no longer apply. It's a whole new world, and front offices will have to prepare for players asking significantly more than they did just 12 months ago.
Buffalo can't afford to lose Tuch to unrestricted free agency next offseason for nothing. It's time to make sure the Syracuse native remains in Western New York for the foreseeable future.
The Buffalo Sabres can no longer deny the NHL's new economic realities, so it's time to re-sign Alex Tuch
Adams has repeated a singular line, or a close variation of it, countless times during his five-year tenure as Buffalo general manager: We want players who want to be Sabres.
He's used that stance to explain away concerns about why the franchise isn't a more active competitor in the league's trade and free-agent markets. He's also doubled down on it as the reasoning for re-signing ineffective players like Jordan Greenway and Jacob Bryson.
Adams has used that intangible factor at every turn, but the Tuch negotiations are going to create a tension point where those words will be used against him.
You aren't going to find a player in the entire NHL who better encapsulates the "wants to be a Sabre" shtick better than the 29-year-old forward. He grew up a few hours down the thruway, rooted for the Sabres as a kid and has repeatedly stated his desire to remain with the organization.
"Everyone in here knows I love Buffalo," Tuch recently told reporters. "I love being a Buffalo Sabre, and I would love to be here long term."
If you're not going to pay someone making those comments, who will you pay? It's a fair question.
It's time for Adams, and perhaps more importantly team owner Terry Pegula, to stop being cheap. You aren't going to seriously compete if you're going to nickel and dime every contract, especially when it comes to your core players in this new contract era.
Yes, Tuch is already nearing 30 and will be close to the end of his career by the time his next deal ends (assuming it's an eight-year extension). It doesn't matter. The Sabres are regularly more than $5 million away from the cap. What difference does an extra $1.5 million in the winger's contract make?
Tuch is coming off a 2024-25 season where he set a new single-season NHL record for blocked shots by a forward (113) while still scoring 36 goals. Those type of high-impact two-way players don't come available too often. If Buffalo doesn't want to pay him $10 million, a real Stanley Cup contender will.
The diehard Sabres fans who've stuck by the team through its 14-year playoff drought have given the franchise countless chances to turn things around. Watching a fan favorite like Tuch leave for free agency next summer might be the final straw, though.
It's time for Adams and Pegula to do what must be done: Re-sign Tuch. Now.