Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen is having a busy start to the 2026 NHL offseason. He's already dealt defenseman Michael Kesselring to the San Jose Sharks and fellow blueliner Bowen Byram popped up in trade rumors on Thursday morning.
It's fair to wonder whether Kekalainen is trying to create the necessary salary-cap space to re-sign winger Alex Tuch, who's set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Tuch's reported asking price has hovered around $10.5 million per season since last year.
If the Sabres can't meet those demands, Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet reported the Seattle Kraken are planning to make a splash this summer and there's "no doubt they could offer north of $10 million" annually to a player of Tuch's caliber.
"The Seattle Kraken have intentions of being very aggressive this summer, so could that be a factor holding up Alex Tuch from re-signing with Buffalo before he becomes a free agent on July 1?" Kypreos wrote. "There is a lot of pressure on Seattle GM Jason Botterill to shake up the roster and, especially, to find more scoring,"
Botterill previously served as Buffalo's general manager from 2017 through 2020.
Tuch played a pivotal part in the Sabres finally ending their 14-year playoff drought this season. He compiled 66 points (33 goals and 33 assists) in 79 appearances during the regular season while playing an important role in all three phases (even strength, power play and penalty kill).
The 30-year-old Syracuse native has so far shown no signs he's willing to accept a "hometown discount" to remain in Western New York, though. He likely views this foray into free agency as his last chance to cash in on a lucrative, long-term contract.
Buffalo has some internal replacement options, led by rising stars Zach Benson and Josh Doan, but it's unclear if they're ready for the heavy three-zone burden Tuch carried in recent years.
Meanwhile, the Kraken desperately need an offensive infusion after ranking 28th in the NHL in goals scored per game (2.73) in 2025-26. The lack of consistent scoring is the main reason they missed the Western Conference playoff field by 11 points.
Seattle has the necessary cap space to win a bidding war for Tuch — PuckPedia estimates the club has $28.3 million to spend this summer — and the veteran winger would probably slide right in next to Matty Beniers and Jared McCann on the first line.
There would surely be plenty of competition if Tuch reaches free agency, however, and some of the other interested teams will probably be closer to Stanley Cup contention than the Kraken. We'll see how much of a factor that'll be for the 6-foot-4 power forward.
Could the Buffalo Sabres shock the hockey world by re-signing Alex Tuch at the last minute?
Tuch leaving Buffalo has somewhat felt like a fait accompli in recent weeks. None of the reporting has suggested the sides were moving toward an agreement, and the Sabres' tricky salary-cap situation didn't leave much wiggle room to make the 2014 first-round pick fit the financial equation.
Perhaps the tide is starting to turn, though.
Trading Kesselring prevented the Sabres from having an RFA situation, which likely would have resulted in an arbitration hearing, hovering over their heads. Moving Byram, which is still far from a guaranteed but is seemingly being considered, would take away his $6.25 million cap hit for 2026-27.
Buffalo has some other players it could move for cap reasons, too. It's a group that includes Jason Zucker ($4.75 million), Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen ($4.75 million), Jordan Greenway ($4 million) and Jack Quinn ($3.375 million).
So, is it possible Kekalainen could create a path to re-sign Tuch without losing to ability to give Benson, another RFA, a long-term extension this summer? Sure, it just won't be easy.
As it stands, the fact Buffalo's front office is being this active so early in the offseason makes it appear the club might be lining up to take a big swing. That could be keeping Tuch, or it might be making a blockbuster trade for a first-line center, the Blue and Gold's biggest need this summer.
The Sabres have a little under two weeks to make something happen if they want to prevent Tuch for testing the open market, where clubs like the Kraken will be eagerly awaiting an opportunity to speak with the Boston College product.
At minimum, the recent activity creates a bit of hope for Buffalo sports fans who don't want to see another high-profile player head elsewhere in search of a championship.
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