Until he is re-signed or traded, the Alex Tuch rumor mill will not go away. It was there before the season started, and it is there as the Buffalo Sabres are surging towards a playoff spot. It will be a huge decision that will impact the organization.
Now the emergence of another forward may make a decision to move on from Tuch much easier. Right-winger Josh Doan has come on strong and has become a valuable goal scorer behind Tage Thompson.
He is currently tied with Tuch in goals, putting both only behind Tage Thompson. He is tied third in points overall with the Sabres captain, Rasmus Dahlin, and trailing again only Tuch and Thompson.
The main issue with the Sabres looking at trading Tuch earlier on is that there was no clear goal scorer behind Thompson, especially with trading JJ Peterka in the summer. Surprisingly, though, Doan has filled that void unexpectedly, as at the time of the trade, he was not considered the goal-scorer he has shown himself to be.
Josh Doan is on a four-goal streak and is generating offensive chances all season.
This kind of play can make them look at having options and not be hamstrung by a lack of goal scorers as to why they may wish to move from Tuch. It gives them more chips to use, and more ability make a rational decision.
There is still a possibility that the Sabres will continue to look at re-signing Tuch long-term. If they do, they will finally be looking at a forward to pair with Tuch to generate goal opportunities.
Doan is only 23 and could be a valuable piece as the Sabres are looking to turn things around. Tuch is 29 and is on the older end of the roster, but there is no doubt he has a lot of hockey in front of him. The two could be a strong pair with Thompson behind at center.
The Sabres more than likely will be playing important hockey in March and April. The deadline occurs on March 6. The Sabres have 20 games after that, and who is on the roster has yet to be determined.
The best thing for a team is to have options as to how to get to the postseason, as opposed to trading away assets for the following season.
Now with Josh Doan coming on strong, those options become bigger and even clearer. If he continues this push, he could emerge as the strongest goal scorer for Western New York behind Thompson or Dahlin.