Will the Buffalo Sabres Extend Alex Tuch?
The Buffalo Sabres are playing much better. They have won six in a row and four straight since they made the GM change from Kevyn Adams to Jarmo Kekäläinen. However, a top priority for Kekäläinen and the Sabres remains signing Alex Tuch to a new contract extension.
“I’ll take charge of that situation, talk to his representatives. It always takes two parties to agree on a number that both feel is reasonable, and not just for today, but moving forward,” Kekalainen said during his introductory press conference. “Alex is a really good hockey player. We appreciate him, we like him, we want to get him signed. I think that’s been clear the whole time. Now we just have to agree on a number that works for both sides.”
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What that number is remains to be seen. But with Adrian Kempe getting $10.625 million a season with the Los Angeles Kings, Martin Necas getting $11.5 million from the Colorado Avalanche, and Kyle Connor getting $12 million a season with the Winnipeg Jets, Tuch’s camp is seeking double digits in AAV with the Sabres.
Elliotte Friedman reported that the Sabres offered Tuch and his camp approximately $7.14 million per season when the two parties discussed potential deal terms. While the Sabres may not want to exceed $10 million per season for Tuch, they have offered him a significant raise to stay with the club.
If the player doesn’t feel the club can meet those demands, there is a good chance Tuch could be playing elsewhere, according to Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, who joined Sirius XM NHL Network Radio when asked about the latest update between the two parties.
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Dave Pangotta: “Yeah, well, look, obviously, before the Sabres made their GM change going into the weekend, it was still status quo, and it still, technically is, with respect to the Sabres and Alex Tuch and their contract negotiations. That will presumably, in some fashion, change here in the not-too-distant future. As you know, Jarmo made it clear that he’d like to get Tuch signed.
They got to figure out a number, saying all the normal stuff, but it’s going to cost them, and if the Sabres aren’t prepared to give Alex Tuch a significant bump in salary, at least double. It’s going to likely result in him at some point playing somewhere else, whether it’s later this season or next season. So that’s what they have to determine.
They just have to determine exactly what that figure is, what’s that ballpark, what’s going to keep everybody happy at the same time, Jarmo Kekäläinen and the Sabres, but primarily Jarmo is going to have to relay the message and the plan to Alex Tuch.
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Here’s how we’re going to move forward. Here’s how this is going to look. Here’s how long we think it’s going to take, and go from there. I’ve got to imagine those conversations are going to happen relatively swiftly.
You want to get this piece of business out of the way, but that’s, I’ve got to imagine, priority number one for Jarmo Kekäläinen, now in charge in Buffalo, is to figure out what’s happening with what could potentially be given to the marketplace, now one of the most prized free agent forwards in the summer.”
Again, with the free agent pool thin at the forward position this summer, if Tuch gets there along with Artemi Panarin, both could get paid.
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