The Sabres are enjoying a strong 2025-26 season so far. They currently have a 32-19-6 record and are fourth in the Atlantic Division standings. With this, they currently have a real shot of breaking their 14-year playoff drought.
However, the Sabres also have a player to keep a very close eye on from here in Alex Tuch. The star winger is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), and questions have naturally come up about his future in Buffalo.
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In his latest 32 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Sabres and Tuch have had “some” contract talks. In addition, Friedman shared that the Sabres could keep him for the remainder of the season even if he does not sign an extension with them by the deadline.
“While I’ve heard ‘some’ discussion between Buffalo and Alex Tuch, it is clearly not enough to get a deal done. The Sabres have indicated they are not interested in ‘making their team worse,’ a wise decision considering how hot they’ve been. To me, that says they could keep Tuch even if not signed, and if I was in charge, I’d do it. There come times you have to think about the now, reward your players and your fans,” Friedman wrote.
With the Sabres being in the playoff race, it would make sense for them to hold onto Tuch even if he does not have an extension by the deadline. It has been so long since the Sabres have made the playoffs, and trading a star like Tuch could hurt their chances of changing that.
Yet, the Sabres should also still be working hard to get a new deal done with Tuch. He is an extremely important part of their roster, and it would be fantastic if they could get a long-term extension finalized with the star winger.