The Buffalo Sabres and pending unrestricted free-agent forward Alex Tuch are still dealing with a gap in contract negotiations, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports.
If he goes to market, Tuch would be the top forward available after producing 33 goals and 66 points this past season to help Buffalo win the Atlantic Division. Following the Sabres' elimination from the playoffs in Round 2, the 30-year-old acknowledged that he didn't know what the future would hold regarding his impending negotiations.
The Sabres and Tuch agreed ahead of the 2025-26 season to table extension talks until after the campaign. Reports in March suggested Tuch was seeking an average annual value of $10 million on his next contract, which would make him Buffalo's second-highest paid player behind captain Rasmus Dahlin.
Buffalo has approximately $11.9 million in cap space this summer, per PuckPedia. Zach Benson, Peyton Krebs, and Michael Kesselring are the club's most prominent restricted free agents in need of new contracts.
The Sabres acquired Tuch from the Vegas Golden Knights in the Jack Eichel trade prior to the 2021-22 season, and he's registered 309 points in 360 games with Buffalo.
Tuch earned $4.75 million annually on his previous contract.
