Alex Tuch departing Sabres, expected to join Capitals in sign-and-trade

Alex Tuch, a consistent 30-goal scorer with the Buffalo Sabres, would have been the best forward available in free agency next week.

Published Jun 24, 2026  •  Last updated 16 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

Alex Tuch of the Buffalo Sabres warms up before the game against the Montreal Canadiens during the NHL playoffs last month. Getty Images

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Alex Tuch’s next goal won’t be scored for the Buffalo Sabres.

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Not long after Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen told media on Wednesday afternoon in Buffalo that Tuch won’t be re-signing with the club, speculation began that a sign-and-trade between the Sabres and Washington Capitals involving Tuch is next.

Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman later reported that Tuch will join the Caps on an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $10.5 million US.

If for whatever reason that doesn’t happen and Kekalainen is not able to trade Tuch’s rights to another NHL team in the next week, the 30-year-old winger will be the prime forward available once free agency starts on July 1.

“We have to look at our options of whether it’s a sign-and-trade or if we could recoup some value now that we used him as a rental for our own team,” Kekalainen told media in Buffalo. “We made it clear to him that we wanted to sign him … sometimes when players have the power to choose, they choose differently.”

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Consistent goal-scoring threat

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Tuch has developed into a consistent goal-scorer, putting the puck in the net at least 33 times and topping out twice at 36 goals in three of the last four seasons in Buffalo.

Tuch’s most recent contract was for seven years with an average annual value of $4.75 million US.

Given that the Maple Leafs are trying to structure themselves to get back into the Stanley Cup playoffs next spring, Tuch to some degree would have been on their radar. After Tuch, some of the top forwards headed for unrestricted free agency include Patrick Kane, Anthony Mantha, Boone Jenner, Mason Marchment and Viktor Arvidsson.

The Tuch news continues a week in the NHL that has been one of controlled chaos.

The Ottawa Senators traded captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers; the desperate Edmonton Oilers turned to the disgraced Mike Babcock to be their next coach; the St. Louis Blues traded forward Jordan Kyrou to the Capitals for Connor McMichael; Ottawa acquired forward William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks for the ninth pick in the draft this Friday, which had been acquired in the Tkachuk trade; and Buffalo dealt defenceman Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks.

And we’re only on Wednesday.

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