Nearing the end of his seven-year, $33.2 million contract with the Buffalo Sabres, winger Alex Tuch will achieve unrestricted free agency status, leaving him with the option to explore potential suitors in the league.
Despite the Sabres languishing at the bottom of the Atlantic Division with 16 points, this season not looking significantly better than the last, Tuch has accumulated 16 points in 18 games. Contract negotiations between Buffalo and Tuch are shrouded in uncertainty, leaving ample opportunities for other teams that might be interested in adding the 29-year-old to their lineup.
Minnesota Wild Has a Unique Advantage In a Potential Move to Acquire Alex Tuch
The Minnesota Wild drafted Tuch in the first round of the 2014 draft, but he played only six games with the team in the 2016-17 season before moving to play with the Vegas Golden Knights. Could the 29-year-old mark his return to the Wild’s lineup after all these years? According to an insider, if Bell Guerin wants to participate in the chase for Tuch at all, he has an advantage like none other.
In the Wild’s first mailbag of the season to The Athletic, Michael Russo and Joe Smith have fans wondering if Minnesota could potentially be considering a move to acquire Tuch, given their familiarity with the winger’s agents.
“I’d be interested in Alex Tuch, assuming his reported $12 million asking price comes down significantly and you knew he’d re-sign. (The Wild have a great relationship with his agents, the Bartlett brothers and pops.)” Russo wrote, answering the question about three NHL forwards Guerin could have eyes for between now and the trade deadline.
Russo further added that any development surrounding Tage Thompson appears dim at the moment. “I’d be all over Tage Thompson, but I’m not convinced Buffalo would do that. Plus, remember, the Sabres weren’t interested in the Wild’s offers for Jack Eichel and JJ Peterka, so there may be no match.”
Guerin has the upper hand in having well-established ties with Tuch’s agents, which may go a long way toward easing conversations if it ever comes to that. Moreover, the Wild GM wants to strike hard. He already caused waves in the NHL when he handed Kirill Kaprizov his historical contract, and he wants to do something comparable to that again. ” All I can tell you is Bill Guerin is scouring the market and trying to do something significant. But it’s hard. There’s been no significant trades in the NHL in months.”
Russo also noted that he believes Guerin might not opt for Nazem Kadri if the Calgary Flames forward becomes available, given his age and the length of his remaining contract. So if the Flames decide to trade away their centerpiece, Wild is unlikely to be a potential destination.