{"id":394167,"date":"2026-01-06T20:09:42","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T20:09:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/394167\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T20:09:42","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T20:09:42","slug":"is-alex-tuch-leaving-buffalo-why-the-kings-are-the-perfect-fit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/394167\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Alex Tuch Leaving Buffalo? Why The Kings Are The Perfect Fit"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Los<\/a>Alex Tuch depicted in a Los Angeles Kings uniform. Recent reports have linked the current Sabres forward to a potential trade with LA.<\/p>\n

Pierre LeBrun<\/a> dropped a bombshell regarding the Buffalo Sabres<\/a> today: Despite the team\u2019s recent 10-game winning streak, new GM Jarmo Kek\u00e4l\u00e4inen might still pull the trigger on an Alex Tuch<\/a> trade if a contract extension isn\u2019t reached soon.<\/p>\n

The Destination? The Los Angeles Kings<\/a>.<\/p>\n

According to LeBrun, while the mood in Buffalo is positive, Kek\u00e4l\u00e4inen is notorious for making \u201chard decisions\u201d 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<\/a>, and holding ample cap space, the fit is undeniable. If Buffalo decides to cash in, Los Angeles is the \u201cobvious\u201d landing spot. But what would it cost to pry Tuch away? The price starts with a blue-chip prospect.<\/p>\n

Why Kek\u00e4l\u00e4inen Holds the Cards<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s 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 \u201cbuyers.\u201d But the Alex Tuch contract situation<\/a> hangs over this franchise like a dark cloud.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve watched Jarmo Kek\u00e4l\u00e4inen operate for years. He traded Artemi Panarin<\/a> when he knew he couldn\u2019t keep him. He went \u201call in\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

If the agent, Brian Bartlett, and Kek\u00e4l\u00e4inen can\u2019t 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 \u201cbreak glass in case of emergency\u201d moment. They are hanging onto a playoff spot in the West, but their offense is dry. Tuch changes the dynamic of that team instantly.<\/p>\n

Proposed Trade Packages: The Cost of Business<\/p>\n

If I\u2019m the Sabres, I am not taking phone calls for draft picks alone. I want immediate help that fits the age core of Tage Thompson<\/a> and Rasmus Dahlin<\/a>. Here is what the trade board looks like.<\/p>\n

Option 1: The \u201cGrand Slam\u201d (Brandt Clarke)<\/p>\n

To Buffalo: D Brandt Clarke + 2026 3rd Round Pick<\/p>\n

To Los Angeles: RW Alex Tuch<\/p>\n

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\u2019s blue line instantly.<\/p>\n

Option 2: The \u201cReclamation\u201d Swap (Quinton Byfield)<\/p>\n

To Buffalo: F Quinton Byfield + 2026 2nd Round Pick<\/p>\n

To Los Angeles: RW Alex Tuch<\/p>\n

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\u2014moving him to the wing alongside Josh Norris\u2014to unlock his potential. For LA, they swap potential for immediate production.<\/p>\n

Latest Kings News & Where to Watch<\/p>\n

Want to stay updated on this developing story? Make sure to bookmark nhltraderumor.com<\/a> for the latest Los Angeles Kings news<\/a> and trade breakers. While you\u2019re here, sign up for our Fantasy Hockey Pool<\/a>\u2014we are giving away cash prizes this month to the top GM!<\/p>\n

Tonight\u2019s Game: You can watch the Kings take on the Ducks tonight<\/a> on Bally Sports West or stream it on ESPN+. Don\u2019t miss a shift, and don\u2019t miss a rumor\u2014sign up for our newsletter below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Alex Tuch depicted in a Los Angeles Kings uniform. Recent reports have linked the current Sabres forward to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":394168,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5126],"tags":[6452,884,229,5,186,1760,240,5303,793,145,5304,5302,4,1295],"class_list":{"0":"post-394167","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles-kings","8":"tag-alex-tuch","9":"tag-brandt-clarke","10":"tag-buffalo-sabres","11":"tag-hockey","12":"tag-kings","13":"tag-la","14":"tag-la-kings","15":"tag-lakings","16":"tag-los-angeles","17":"tag-los-angeles-kings","18":"tag-losangeles","19":"tag-losangeleskings","20":"tag-nhl","21":"tag-quinton-byfield"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/115849970624052930","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/394167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=394167"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/394167\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/394168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=394167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=394167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=394167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}