In early December, it looked like Alex Tuch was preparing to play his final few months with the Buffalo Sabres. He's an impending unrestricted free agent who's seeking a massive pay raise and the team owned last place in the Eastern Conference.
Then everything changed. The Sabres stormed up the standings with a remarkable 21-5-2 run leading up to the NHL's break for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Tuch scored 23 points (12 goals and 11 assists) over that span to further establish himself as one of the club's most important players.
It's transformed the Tuch situation into one of the league's most intriguing storylines leading up to the 2026 NHL trade deadline on March 6.
Buffalo has three clear options to analyze over the next three weeks, but none of them are a perfect solution with no downside risk, which adds to the headache for Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen as he attempts to weigh the present against the future.
Let's take a deep dive into the Tuch dilemma and deliver a verdict about which direction the Blue and Gold should go in the latest installment of our 2025-26 Sabres debates series.
The case for re-signing Alex Tuch now
It's impossible to overstate Tuch's three-zone, three-phase impact for the Sabres. Last season, he set a new NHL record for a forward by blocking 113 shots while also scoring 36 goals. He's on pace for another 30-goal campaign and 69 total points this season.
The 6-foot-4 power forward is one of the league's most dangerous penalty killers, as evidenced by his six shorthanded goals last season, and he also plays big minutes at even strength and on the power play. If it's an important moment in the game, you can bet he'll be on the ice for Buffalo.
Quite simply, the Sabres would struggle to replace the Syracuse native, who grew up rooting for the Blue and Gold, if he departed via trade or free agency.
That's the basis for the argument of re-signing Tuch before the deadline. Yes, his reported asking price of around $10.5 million per season is a significant jump from his current $4.75 million salary, but you're always going to pay a premium for players who can play in any situation.
It's important for the new front office regime, led by Kekalainen, to reward the players who've endured some tough times and stayed to help turn the franchise's fortunes around.
In addition, getting the Tuch contract extension done now would provide the Sabres with a far clearer financial picture leading up to the deadline and moving toward the offseason. While there would be less flexibility, they'd also wouldn't have top fill a monster void in the top six.
The case for trading Alex Tuch before the deadline
Asset management is the most indispensable aspect of building a sustained winner. Decisions made solely with a short-term focus often come back to haunt a franchise in the long run.
Although the Sabres are desperate to end their 14-year playoff drought, the longest such streak in NHL history, putting their blinders on and hoping it won't hurt the roster in the future is a massive risk.
Tuch is a coveted commodity. If Kekalainen made it known the 29-year-old winger was available leading up to the deadline, there would be no shortage of Stanley Cup contenders calling to see whether they can land the Boston College product.
Not only would Buffalo receive a strong package, ideally highlighted by a young player who's either already in the NHL or super close to making the jump, but it'd also take the absolute worst-case scenario off the table.
What's the worst-case scenario? Keeping Tuch through the deadline, missing the playoffs by a couple points and watching him leave in free agency without getting anything in return.
The odds of that exact outcome have lessened as the Sabres built a modest lead in the East's wild-card race, but it's still not completely out of the question.
That's why trading Tuch, even though it'd be incredibly unpopular with the fans, must remain at least a consideration for the organization.
The case for making Alex Tuch an "own rental"
Buffalo hasn't been seriously linked to any of the top players available on the trade market leading up to the deadline. That doesn't mean Kekalainen won't be able to work some magic but, at least for now, it appears a truly blockbuster addition in the cards.
In turn, there have been growing calls within the fanbase to make Tuch an "own rental." In other words, an unrestricted free agent to bolster the team's chances with no guarantee beyond this season.
It makes sense, of course. If the Sabres landed a player of the 2014 first-round pick's caliber in a trade, the fans would rejoice. It's the type of all-in move they've been waiting for in recent years.
There has been some talk about a potential sign-and-trade deal involving Tuch at the draft, which would allow Buffalo to at least recoup an asset or two, but that doesn't feel overly realistic. Most interested teams would likely take their chances in the open market instead.
So, the Sabres would have to enter the "own rental" mindset with an understanding there's a legitimate chance the veteran winger departs for the highest bidder over the summer.
That may ultimately be the cost of making a serious playoff push this season, though.
Final verdict: Sabres make Tuch an in-house rental
While there's a strong case for each of the three options above, none of them are flawless.
Re-signing Tuch could age horribly during the second half of a proposed eight-year contract. Trading him would leave a serious void not a ton of NHL players could fill. Keeping the winger and losing him with without getting any assets in return is questionable roster management.
In the end, however, it feels like now is the time for the Sabres to go for it.
There are no guarantees about how the rest of the season will play out, but Buffalo has put itself in a postseason position with 25 games to play. It's time for the front office to do everything in its power to bright the drought to a long-awaited end.
Keeping Tuch, making a trade or two to bolster the club's depth and not being afraid to lean on promising prospects currently with the AHL's Rochester Americans, like Konsta Helenius and Isak Rosen, instead of underperforming veterans is the way to go.
It may not work out. It's possible the Sabres' red-hot goaltending cools off following the Olympic break, which could create some real issues as they try to hold off the surging Columbus Blue Jackets, among other NHL playoff hopefuls, down the stretch. The playoffs are not guaranteed.
That said, a majority of fans wouldn't blame Kekalainen for doing whatever he can to bring postseason hockey back to downtown Buffalo, even if those efforts fall short.
That's why the Sabres should hold on to Tuch and let the chips fall where they may at season's end.