Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch blocked 113 shots last season, which set a new NHL record for a forward. Oh yeah, he also scored 36 goals, and it's that type of elite all-around production that makes him a valuable fantasy hockey commodity ahead of the 2025-26 season.
ESPN's Greg Wyshynski selected Tuch as one of the 10 NHL players fantasy managers should target in every draft leading up to the new campaign. He noted there's even a chance the 29-year-old American can take his numbers to another level this year.
"That he spent a good amount of minutes with star center Tage Thompson certainly helped and hopefully will help again this season," Wyshynski wrote. "There's room for improvement, like on the power play where he had a paltry 11 points."
It's worth pointing out Tuch missed the start of Sabres training camp because of an injury, but so far there's no concern about his availability for the start of the regular season in early October.
Why Alex Tuch provides so much value for the Buffalo Sabres and fantasy hockey managers
Few players in the NHL can match the 6-foot-4 winger's across-the-board impact.
Since joining the Sabres in the blockbuster Jack Eichel trade during the 2021-22 season, Tuch has scored a shade under a point per game (243 points in 281 contests) to go along with 62 special-teams points, 745 shots on goal, 135 penalty minutes, 290 blocked shots and 231 hits.
Every league is different, so a few of those stats matter in every format and others only count in more complex scoring systems, but the reality remains the same: If there's a fantasy hockey category for skaters, there's a strong chance Tuch is going to chip in.
Normally, a player with that type of deep involvement would cost managers a high draft pick, but that's not really the case with the Syracuse native. His average draft position (ADP) is currently 134, or the 12th round in a 12-team league, according to Yahoo Sports.
That's incredible value for a player who's averaged over 19 minutes of ice time each of the past three years in Buffalo. It's a number that should remain relatively steady in 2025-26, even though he's currently ticketed for the second line instead of the first.
Along with the potential improvement from the Sabres power play, which has been pitiful the past two seasons, another intangible factor is Tuch entering a contract year. He's set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer if the sides don't come to an agreement.
So, you have a player coming off a 67-point campaign who contributes in every category, could benefit from schematic changes and should be highly motivated the produce. It's hard to argue against targeting that combination in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts.
As for the Sabres, they should be doing everything possible to re-sign Tuch before the start of the regular season. He was born just a few hours from Buffalo and has repeatedly stated his desire to become part of he solution as the franchise attempts to finally turn things around.
He's a high-impact, two-way force and the Sabres desperately need more of those players. Watching him leave in free agency would be another significant setback amid a 14-year playoff drought that's saw numerous superstars leave Buffalo and find success elsewhere.