Does Sabres’ Forward Alex Tuch Still Deserve a Big Extension?

The Buffalo Sabres have had a season-long issue on their hands, and it has only become more and more complicated as time has gone on. The burning questions of whether they should re-sign Alex Tuch and how much his annual value is worth. Between his regular season play, leadership qualities, playoff performance, and any shortcomings he has shown along the way, the process has only become more and more difficult to gauge.

Reasons Tuch Deserves The Extension

Since Tuch arrived in Buffalo, having come over from the Vegas Golden Knights in the Jack Eichel trade, he has been a staple in their top six and has grown into one of the better two-way forwards in the NHL. In his 360 games played in a Sabres uniform, Tuch has scored 139 goals and amassed 309 points (good for a .86 points percentage). As a matter of fact, in the last five seasons that he has been in Buffalo, Tuch is in the top three in every major scoring category for the Sabres. He has done that all while being one of their most defensively sound forwards, proving it by boasting a team-leading plus-60 in those five seasons.

His on-ice tangibles have been stellar, and are some of the most noticeable parts about his game that give him a great case for wanting, and being able to demand some big money in his extension, but he also has some intangibles that add to his case. He has shown that he can be a leader in the way that he carries himself with his teammates; the way he sticks up for them and is a team-first guy on the ice always.

He is also one of the most confident and composed guys in the locker room, as evidenced by his demeanor in interviews and postgame responses. He does not shy away from criticism and accepts when he needs to be better. When you wrap all his skills and intangibles up in a shiny bow, there is a pretty special hockey player that has earned some big money.

Reasons Tuch Should Walk

When Tuch has his good streaks, he is one of the most noticeable players on the ice, and he looks unstoppable. He plays with speed, and he skates with a purpose. Then, sometimes there are stretches that he gets in a bit of a slump, and he loses all of his presence on the ice. He gets into some poor habits and goes from being a turnover-causing player to a turnover machine himself. He has had a number of stretches where he has slumped on the scoresheet or just looked like an uninterested hockey player. While these typically do not show up super often, they are common enough to see as a pattern.

When he disappears on the ice, he is truly invisible. He may have some great playmaking talents and abilities, but when he has those stretches of games where he is off… boy, is he really off his game. It is even evidenced in the Sabres playoff series so far. In the Boston Bruins series, he was one of their best players and was a force to be reckoned with; meanwhile, versus the Montreal Canadiens, crickets have made more noise than him.

When it comes to asking for big contract extensions, not just in term, but in dollar value, fans and general managers alike really like to see that the player in question is ready for the big moments, and that they can make them count. Tuch sadly has shied away from those moments nearly as much as he has played up to them.

What’s The Verdict?

So at the end of the day, the questions still remain… Does he deserve the extension, and how much should the contract be worth? He has significantly outplayed his current deal, which has him being paid a very modest $4.75 million per season, and he does deserve a pay bump. That part is not in question. He is also getting up there in age, as he recently turned 30 last week, so very long-term may be something to hesitate on. At this point, the choice could go a few ways:

The ideal situation is that the Sabres do re-sign him, and that they bring him back on a reasonable number deal, but with a middle amount of term, so things do not get bogged down long term. This would be something along the lines of a five-year contract with a $9.5 million average annual value (AAV). This would leave Buffalo with room to keep him locked in during a nice playoff window and sign who they need to complement him.

The walking scenario is that the Sabres allow him to go directly to free agency, and when he hits the open market, he will be signed for a number that really fits the market for a player like him. No discounts, just big dollars. Some team (possibly someone like the Seattle Kraken or San Jose Sharks) will take a big swing at him with a seven-year, $11-11.5-million AAV contract, and this will leave the Sabres with a bit of a hole to fill.

The last scenario is that he signs in Buffalo for that large amount mentioned before, and for the long seven-year term. This could put some strain on them, but not cripple them, leaving them the need to make some small adjustments to still get everyone on their roster situated.

With these laid out, it still leaves the question of whether he deserves the big money or if he should take the team-friendly deal and be thankful to be on this team. The short answer is that he has earned his large extension, and even though he has struggled in one series in the playoffs, he still has been consistent and dominant enough to deserve the big bucks. I am still confident a deal will get signed, and when it does, Sabres fans should focus less on the dollar amount and more on the fact that they retained a great player in their franchise and will continue to be able to build on their success for years to come.