The Buffalo Sabres are inching toward their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2011 but there are still questions about how general manager Jarmo Kekalainen will handle the upcoming 2026 NHL trade deadline.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported Friday on the 32 Thoughts podcast that all signs point to the Sabres keeping impending unrestricted free agent Alex Tuch.
"Buffalo is not a seller. They're going for it," Friedman said. "Again, I could make myself look really bad here, but the betting on Tuch is that he stays in Buffalo next week whether there's an extension or not. Like even if they don't sign him, and I would suspect at this point in time they're not, I think he stays."
The NHL insider added Kekalainen is experienced when it comes to taking an aggressive approach at the deadline dating back to his time leading the Columbus Blue Jackets' front office.
"Don't forget that Jarmo Kekalainen has been in this position before when Columbus won its first playoff series beating Tampa," Friedman said. "They had some UFAs and Jarmo was in the position where he just said, 'You know what, Columbus has never won a series, we're going for it and if we lose guys, we lose guys.'"
The situation being referenced occurred in 2019, when the Jackets retained Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky — who both departed as free agents during the subsequent summer — and added five players at the trade deadline, including Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel and Adam McQuaid.
Buffalo may not be that active over the next week leading up to the March 6 deadline, but it could benefit from adding an offensive-minded top-nine forward and defensive depth.
Buffalo Sabres are handling the Alex Tuch situation perfectly
The Sabres understand trading Tuch before the deadline would send the wrong message to both the locker room and the fanbase.
Tuch is a vital piece of Buffalo's roster. He plays in all three phases and makes a high-end impact in the process. Last season, he set an NHL record for blocked shots by a forward in a single season (113) while also scoring 36 goals. He's on pace for another 30-goal campaign this year.
The 29-year-old winger is also a Syracuse native who grew up rooting for the Sabres, which adds an extra layer to his status as a fan favorite.
So, keeping Tuch as an "own rental" and seeing where the chips fall in the summer is the right move. Buffalo can't negatively impact its chances of making the playoffs, even if it's perhaps not the most optimal asset management.
That said, Kekalainen can't make an already tricky financial situation even more difficult by overpaying the 2014 first-round pick.
Tuch's reported asking price has remained consistent since last offseason. He's seeking a long-term contract extension with an average salary around $10.5 million.
Here's the problem: Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic recently estimated the 6-foot-4 power forward's market value at $7.1 million. That's a significant gap that would equate to around $27.2 million in excess salary over an eight-year contract.
Friedman reported the Sabres offered Tuch an extension "somewhere in the eights," which feels like a fair proposal, though still well short of the winger's demands.
Ultimately, Kekalainen should stand firm between now and July 1. Keep Tuch through the deadline and hope his asking price comes down over the next four months. Perhaps getting a taste of playoff hockey in Buffalo will make him willing to take a little less to remain with the organization.
If that doesn't happen, let him hit the open market and use the money saved to re-sign key RFAs, including Zach Benson, and seek out roster upgrades who are on more team-friendly contracts.