The Buffalo Sabres have been one in every of the large surprises of the 2025-26 NHL season, putting together a terrific 32-19-6 record before the league paused for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
A key a part of the team’s success this yr has been forward Alex Tuch, who’s second in scoring with 22 goals and 48 points in 56 games. The 29-year-old is currently playing out the ultimate season of a seven-year, $33.25 million contract; he’ll be a UFA on July 1 if he and the Sabres front office cannot conform to a brand new contract.
Although the lines of communication remain open between Tuch’s camp and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, as The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported earlier this week on an episode of Day by day Faceoff’s DFO Live, “the 2 sides still haven’t inched closer to a contract extension.”
“With the Sabres within the thick of the playoff race within the Eastern Conference, Kekalainen may determine to carry on to Tuch and essentially use him because the team’s own rental if they can not come to terms on a brand new contract by the March 6 trade deadline,” continued Pagnotta.
“The Sabres haven’t made the playoffs for the reason that 2010-11 season and it will be the club’s desire to carry on to Tuch for the playoff run and take their probabilities to attempt to sign him after their season involves an end.”
Sabres must be adding ahead of the deadline, not subtracting
Considering how potent the Sabres have been of late — they went on a 20-5-2 run to vault into playoff positioning within the East — it’s almost certain Tuch is not going to be moved ahead of the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline.
But when Pagnotta’s reporting is accurate, it doesn’t seem like he’ll be getting a brand new contract before Buffalo gears up for the stretch run, which begins on the opposite side of the Olympic break on Feb. 25.
Tuch owns a five-team no-trade list as a part of his contract.
If the Syracuse, Recent York native hits the market on July 1, he would likely be one in every of the large fish of the free agency period. Pagnotta believes that “the way in which things are going, it’s entirely possible that becomes reality.”
“Nothing is stopping the Sabres and Tuch from ironing out an extension before the trade deadline, however the closer the 2 sides go with no latest deal, the more other teams will attempt to pry him away,” he explained.
With out a playoff appearance in 15 years — the longest postseason drought in North American skilled sports — GM Kekalainen and the front office must do whatever they’ll to maintain this club in a playoff spot over the past two months of the regular season.
That is the perfect team the Sabres have had in an extended time, and management owes it to the fanbase in Western Recent York to make a splash and check out to enhance the roster further between now and March 6.
Tuch and his Buffalo teammates return to game motion against the Recent Jersey Devils on Wednesday, the primary of a three-game road swing.