Jarmo Salvages a 3rd Rounder Instead of Alex Walking Away for Nothing
Alex Tuch is officially not a Buffalo Sabre. The main piece in the Jack Eichel trade is now a Washington Capital, with enough money to line the Reflecting Pool in D.C. Sabres’ General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen signed Tuch to a 10.5 million, 8 year deal, a contract too rich for Buffalo’s cap crunching issues and shipped him off to Washington. Buffalo will receive a third-round draft pick for Tuch, who was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Tuch scored 309 points (139 goals and 170 assists) in 360 games with Buffalo. He was a fan favorite for his short handed goals and strong penalty killing. The big right winger was vital to the Sabres’ turnaround last season and his loss will have Jarmo searching for some top-six offense. “He’s going to be missed, but we’ll be fine,” a confident Kekalainen said in his press conference on Wednesday.
That 3rd round pick (likely in 2027) will supply Buffalo with either more future draft capital or more ammunition for wheeling and dealing. It is certainly better that letting number 89 walk out the door with nothing to show for it. It became clear that the cost and term to retain his services was too much for the team. The gap was too wide on both counts and Tuch was giving out no “hometown discounts”. It’s the nature of the sports world we live in. It still leaves a sour taste in the mouths of the fans, though.
It seems the desire to move out west for his west coast wife was not part of the equation after all, just the money and term. He made out on that front. I know most will wish him well in his career and thank him for his service. He was a great representative of what it meant to be a hockey player in Buffalo. He was Mr. Buffalo Sabre for five big years. Despite that, he moves on while dissappointing the greater fanbase and reminding us all that a little loyalty is still hard to come by these days. You would think after the AMAZING turnaround this past season, he would have wanted to remain a part of that, somehow, someway.