The Buffalo Sabres and Alex Tuch were unable to reach an agreement on a long-term contract extension before the start of the 2025-26 season, and now the impending free-agent winger is starting to receive a lot of criticism about his sluggish on-ice performance.
Mike Cranwell of The Fourth Period explained the Sabres' 3-4-0 start isn't a shock, especially given the team's run of injuries, but noted that doesn't alter the big-picture view of the organization amid its NHL-record 14-year playoff drought.
"From a macro perspective, with the fans chanting 'Fire Kevyn' [Adams] and players either looking disengaged or too angry this early in the season (I'm looking at you, Alex Tuch), something's got to give," Cranwell wrote.
He's the second analyst to deliver a similar sentiment about Tuch. Chad DeDominicis of Expected Buffalo criticized the 29-year-old Syracuse native during Wednesday's game against the Detroit Red Wings.
"I'll say it ... Tuch looks like a guy on an expiring contract that doesn't want to get hurt," DeDominicis wrote in response to a Twitter/X post suggesting the winger was "moving in slow motion" during the 4-2 Buffalo win, though he later noted the alternate captain did look better in the game's latter stages.
Tuch, who missed time early in training camp with an undisclosed injury, has scored a modest four points (one goal and three assists) in seven games and looked a stride or two slow so far.
His name has also started to pop up in trade rumors amid the uncertain contract situation.
Sabres team owner Terry Pegula also mentioned amid discussion of Buffalo's longstanding woes
Cranwell suggested the Sabres will have to consider completely tearing the roster down to its studs if they miss the playoffs for a 15th straight year, and he hinted the NHL may feel obligated to get involved if the misery continues much longer.
"Because if this team can't do it now, then it may be that the culture is so poor that this incarnation is done," Cranwell wrote. "And if that's the case, does Gary Bettman quietly go to Sabres' owner Terry Pegula and whisper to him about potentially selling the team?"
Other NHL analysts have delivered similar thoughts in over the past months, and the franchise's recent $1.36 billion valuation means Pegula would stand to make a massive profit based on his $189 million purchase price 2011 if he does decide to sell.
Yet, neither Pegula nor the organization has suggested there's been any thought given to selling the Sabres in the near future. The Pegula Family also owns the NFL's Buffalo Bills and the NLL's Buffalo Bandits, box lacrosse's three-time defending champions.
Adams, the Sabres' general manager, has repeatedly denied the suggestion Pegula has placed any financial mandates on the front office, but the team has made a habit of not spending to the salary cap in recent years.
Of course, any time selling the team enters the conversation it must be stated that a sale to anybody without ties to Western New York would lead to relocation concerns, though Buffalo remains a top-tier North American hockey market. Fan support isn't a question outside of the longest postseason absence in NHL history.
What can cause this stream of negativity to stop? Winning. A lot of winning.
The Sabres have done more of that lately, coming out on top in three of the last four games, but being more competitive on a night-to-night basis will be necessary to seriously compete for a playoff spot.