The biggest question facing the Buffalo Sabres as Jarmo Kekalainen takes over the front office is what happens with winger Alex Tuch, an impending unrestricted free agent.
Kevyn Adams, who was fired from his role as Sabres general manager on Monday, surprisingly provided details of the Tuch contract negotiations to TSN's Darren Dreger.
"The former general manager shared that Tuch was looking for money that was just beyond Adrian Kempe," Dreger said Tuesday night.
Kempe, who like Tuch is 29 years old, signed an eight-year, $85 million contract extension ($10.625 AAV) with the Los Angeles Kings in November.
How Jarmo Kekalainen handles the Alex Tuch situation will have a long-term impact on his legacy as Buffalo Sabres GM
Although it's unusual for a former general manager to immediately begin revealing behind-the-scenes details about contract talks, Adams probably did Kekalainen a favor in this case.
Tuch is a fan favorite in Buffalo. The 6-foot-4 forward was born in Syracuse and grew up rooting for the Sabres. He's a hardworking, two-way winger who playing in every situation, and his presence would be sorely missed if he departs the organization.
That said, while it was known the 2014 first-round pick was seeking a double-digit AAV, Adams made it clear the contract demands go quite a bit beyond that. Based on the comments, it sounds like the Sabres star is pushing toward the $11 million neighborhood.
Although Tuch may be worth that number in the short term, it's hard to imagine his production levels will be anywhere close to matching that AAV in his mid- to late-30s.
It's also important to note Buffalo has several key restricted free agents — Zach Benson, Josh Doan, Isak Rosen and Michael Kesselring — who will need new deals in the offseason.
Meanwhile, Tuch could fetch the Sabres a strong return before the 2026 NHL trade deadline in March.
Chris Johnston of The Athletic ranked the winger as the third-best player on the trade market behind only Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson and Vancouver Canucks winger Kiefer Sherwood.
It sets the stage for Kekalainen to make the first major roster decision of his tenure.
Does he meet Tuch's asking price to maintain a key player, even though the contract could significantly hamper the club's future salary-cap outlook, or will he choose to trade the Team USA Olympic hopeful to jump-start the process of rebuilding the roster in his own vision.
It feels like a trade is the optimal route. Yes, the Sabres have trouble attracting outside talent in free agency, which could make it difficult to fill that void in the short term. Yet, a contract around $11 million per year is a serious hit in terms of financial flexibility to retool the organization.
Kekalainen should be able to get at least two or three valuable assets for Tuch, and it's a move that would show he's not simply going to maintain the status quo endless for an organization riding a 14-year playoff drought.
That'd be an immediate change of pace from Adams' tenure. It always felt he was more worried about retaining players from unsuccessful teams than trying to find outside solutions to the club's longstanding problems.
Kekalainen sounded a different tune in his introductory press conference, but how he handles the Tuch situation will be a clear indicator about whether the Sabres are truly moving in a new direction.