Early Wednesday afternoon, Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen announced during his press conference that the Sabres would be moving on from forward Alex Tuch. One of the key notes that Kekäläinen stated was that a sign and trade for Tuch was not off of the table as the Sabres still hold his rights until July 1st.
“With the 8 year term still an option, a sign and trade involving Alex Tuch is definitely likely. And, as @FriedgeHNIC has speculated, the Caps are considered the frontrunner,” per TSN Insider Darren Dreger on Twitter.
With both Dreger and Elliotte Friedman, and later Chris Johnston and Pierre Lebrun chiming in, noting the Washington Capitals are the frontrunners for Tuch with the sign and trade scenario so Tuch never reaches free agency on July 1st.
Around 3p ET, Friedman reported that Tuch will be agreeing to an 8 year contract that will carry an AAV of $10.5 million person, and as noted by friend of the website and Hockey HotStove writer Ted Starkey noted, with the rising cap, 8 years helps spreads out the cap hit.
45 minutes later it was revealed by Pierre Lebrun that the Capitals would trade a 3rd round pick to the Sabres for Tuch.
Then later Wednesday evening the Capitals officially announced that they have acquired Alex Tuch from the Sabres. Going to the Sabres in the deal is forward David Kampf, who the Capitals acquired at the Trade Deadline back in March, and San Jose’s 2027 3rd Round pick that was acquired as part of the Nic Dowd trade with Vegas.
“Alex was a highly coveted player, and we are pleased that he chose to come to Washington,” said Capitals general manager Chris Patrick. “Alex is a top-six offensive forward who brings size, versatility, and the ability to contribute in all situations. He consistently gets to the net, competes at a high level, plays a strong 200-foot game, and has proven year after year to be a highly effective goal scorer and productive offensive player. Beyond what he brings on the ice, his leadership, work ethic, and commitment to playing the right way make him an invaluable addition to our group. We believe he will have a significant impact both on and off the ice and will be an excellent fit within our forward corps.”
Tuch, 30, is coming off his second straight 30-goal season after scoring 33 goals and recording 66 points in 79 games with Buffalo. Tuch posted a career-high +24 plus-minus rating and led Buffalo in five-on-five points (47) while ranking second on the Sabres in goals, third in points, and fourth in assists (33). Among Sabres forwards, Tuch ranked first in blocked shots (90), second in ice time per game (19:00), shorthanded goals (3) and shorthanded points (5) and tied for second in shorthanded ice time per game (2:26).
Tuch has recorded 30+ goals in three of the past four seasons. During his tenure in Buffalo, Tuch recorded 309 points (139g, 170a) in 360 games, and prior to his time in Buffalo, Tuch spent four seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights where he was a member of the inaugural team that faced the Capitals in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final, and was historically denied by then Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby with “The Save” in Game 2 to turn the tide in the Capitals favor to win their first Stanley Cup, and recorded 15 goals and 22 assists for 37 points in 78 games as a rookie in 2017-18 and added 6 goals and 4 assists for 10 points in 20 playoff games, helping the Golden Knights reach the Stanley Cup Final.
Prior to the trade, Buffalo would sign Tuch to the reported 8-year, $84 million contract extension. Tuch’s contract will carry an average annual value (AAV) of $10.5 million.
*Quotes and Feature Graphic courtesy of the Washington Capitals. (NHL)