The Buffalo Sabres are playing a dangerous game as the 2025-26 NHL season approaches without a new contract in place for cornerstone winger Alex Tuch. The organization simply can't afford to watch him walk away into free agency next summer without getting anything in return.
Yet, a Tuch-less future must now be considered and it moves closer to reality with every day that passes without an extension agreement. The hardworking two-way winger will have no shortage of potential suitors if he reaches the free-agent market during the 2026 offseason.
Joe Yerdon of Bleacher Report ranked Tuch as the fifth-best impending free agent following Connor McDavid's recent extension with the Edmonton Oilers. Vegas Golden Knights superstar Jack Eichel, the former face of the Sabres franchise, sits atop the list.
"Contending teams would be lined up to add Tuch as the missing piece to their lineup, and the chances of Sabres fans seeing another top player leaving town and winning a Stanley Cup elsewhere again would jump through the roof," Yerdon wrote. "There's no doubt Tuch will get paid, and it should be in Buffalo, but if it's not there, it will be somewhere with an already dynamite core."
It's an outcome Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams probably sees in his nightmares.
The Buffalo Sabres would struggle mightily to replace Alex Tuch if he hits NHL free agency in 2026
Tuch is coming off a 2024-25 campaign where he established a new NHL record for blocked shots by a forward in a single season (113). The 29-year-old winger did it in a year where he also scored 36 goals and dished out 31 assists for Buffalo.
Those type of high-end, three-zone players are incredibly difficult to find for any franchise, let alone one like the Sabres that's shown zero ability to attract elite players via trade or free agency.
That's why re-signing Tuch, even if his next contract does require an average annual value (AAV) of at least $10 million, is so crucial for Adams. His chances of successfully replacing the Boston College product next summer are microscopic.
The situation goes behind the baseline on-ice production, too.
Tuch is from nearby Syracuse and grew up rooting for the Sabres. He's repeatedly expressed his desire to remain in Buffalo with hope of finally turning the tortured organization's fortunes around.
"Everyone in here knows I love Buffalo," Tuch told reporters at the start of training camp. "I love being a Buffalo Sabre, and I would love to be here long term."
Adams, who's entering his sixth season in the GM chair, has endlessly stressed the importance of players who want to play in Buffalo. It's significantly limited his number of potential targets. All of those words would carry no weight if he lets Tuch leave in free agency.
So, there's no universe where the Sabres should go much longer without finalizing an extension. If a new deal isn't complete by the time the NHL trade deadline arrives in March, Buffalo will have little choice but to consider moving him for a couple assets.
Letting Tuch enter the market without getting anything in return is the worst-case scenario, and there would be plenty of NHL teams waiting to capitalize on the Sabres' mistake.