Alex Tuch depicted in a Los Angeles Kings uniform. Recent reports have linked the current Sabres forward to a potential trade with LA.
Pierre LeBrun dropped a bombshell regarding the Buffalo Sabres today: Despite the team’s recent 10-game winning streak, new GM Jarmo Kekäläinen might still pull the trigger on an Alex Tuch trade if a contract extension isn’t reached soon.
The Destination? The Los Angeles Kings.
According to LeBrun, while the mood in Buffalo is positive, Kekäläinen is notorious for making “hard decisions” and will not let a premier asset walk for free in July. With the Kings desperate for offensive help on the right wing to support Adrian Kempe, and holding ample cap space, the fit is undeniable. If Buffalo decides to cash in, Los Angeles is the “obvious” landing spot. But what would it cost to pry Tuch away? The price starts with a blue-chip prospect.
Why Kekäläinen Holds the Cards
Let’s be real for a second. The Buffalo Sabres are in a fascinating, albeit stressful, position. Usually, when a team wins 10 games in a row in January, they are “buyers.” But the Alex Tuch contract situation hangs over this franchise like a dark cloud.
I’ve watched Jarmo Kekäläinen operate for years. He traded Artemi Panarin when he knew he couldn’t keep him. He went “all in” at the deadline with Columbus in 2019. He does not operate on sentimentality. While Tuch is a hometown boy and a fan favorite, Jarmo knows that losing him for nothing in free agency sets the franchise back years.
If the agent, Brian Bartlett, and Kekäläinen can’t bridge the gap on what is rumored to be a $10M+ AAV demand, Tuch will be moved. And for the Los Angeles Kings, this is the “break glass in case of emergency” moment. They are hanging onto a playoff spot in the West, but their offense is dry. Tuch changes the dynamic of that team instantly.
Proposed Trade Packages: The Cost of Business
If I’m the Sabres, I am not taking phone calls for draft picks alone. I want immediate help that fits the age core of Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin. Here is what the trade board looks like.
Option 1: The “Grand Slam” (Brandt Clarke)
To Buffalo: D Brandt Clarke + 2026 3rd Round Pick
To Los Angeles: RW Alex Tuch
This is the ask. Plain and simple. The Sabres have the left side of their defense locked down for a decade with Dahlin and Power, but the right side needs an elite offensive generator. Brandt Clarke is that guy. The Kings will hate this. They view Clarke as untouchable. But if you want a proven, 30-goal power forward who dominates in the playoffs, you have to give up quality. Clarke completes Buffalo’s blue line instantly.
Option 2: The “Reclamation” Swap (Quinton Byfield)
To Buffalo: F Quinton Byfield + 2026 2nd Round Pick
To Los Angeles: RW Alex Tuch
If Clarke is off the table, the conversation shifts to Quinton Byfield. The former 2nd overall pick has struggled to find his consistency in LA, but his ceiling remains sky-high. Buffalo would bank on a change of scenery—moving him to the wing alongside Josh Norris—to unlock his potential. For LA, they swap potential for immediate production.
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