Alex Tuch and Buffalo Sabres Put Contract Talks Aside For Now

Alex Tuch Looking Adrian Kemp Type Money

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet joined Gord Stellick and Scott Laughlin on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio Morning Skate and was asked where things stood with Alex Tuch and the Buffalo Sabres, given that he is a pending unrestricted free agent

NHLRumors.com Transcriptions

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Gord Stellick: “Just with on the positive side, the Buffalo Sabres story, the non-positive side, July 1 could be a tough day for your job, our job, unrestricted free agency. So, I mean, Alex Tuch is it going to be like David Pastrnak, a couple of years and get done, or what is your take as we head into getting a little bit more serious?

Elliotte Friedman: “Sorry Gord, you cut out there for a second.”

Stellick: “Just talk about Alex Tuch as far as unrestricted free agency.”

Friedman: “I heard that there was still a gap. Now, again, I hadn’t heard anything recently that had closed. It is believed that Tuck is looking for a number around Adrian Kempe. And Kempe is in the $10.5 million range.

I heard earlier this season that they offered him something around, when Kevyn Adams was still the GM, they offered him something around Tage Thompson’s number, which was in the low sevens, and that wasn’t going to get it done. And then I heard around the Olympics that they’ve gone up into the mid eights, and that still wasn’t going to get it done.

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And I’m not sure if there’s been movement for that since then. I think this is going to come down to how the playoffs go. Like, I think if they do well, and he has a good playoff, I don’t know how they’re not going to be able to sign him.

And ultimately, I think his preference is to stay too. He’s from there. He built a beautiful new home there. It just sounds to me like everybody’s going to have to bend a bit from where I last heard they were.”

Alex Tuch Says Talks On Hold For Now

Prior to puck drop of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Buffalo Sabres forward Alex Tuch was asked by Greg Wyshynski about the uncertainty he faced this year, not having a contract yet as a pending unrestricted free agent. Tuch says talks have been put aside to focus on playing hockey.

NHLRumors.com Transcriptions

Greg Wyshynski: “You don’t have a contract beyond this season. You’re an unrestricted free agent. You had a GM change at the top. You have this season, this dream season for the Sabres. What’s it been like for you to have kind of that career uncertainty and on the back burner while all this other stuff’s happening this year?”

NHL Rumors: Buffalo Sabres Need to Re-Sign Alex Tuch

Alex Tuch: “You know what? Winning makes it a lot easier. It really does. Winning a lot of games makes it a lot easier, makes it more fun. We’ve had talks and everything, but as of late, we decided, you know what, it’s better let’s just go out and play hockey. There’s no imminent timeline or anything like that. I’m just going to focus on playing hockey. I’m going to focus on the ultimate goal and being as good of a player in the playoffs as possible.

And I’ve always just worried about what’s in my control, and that’s my work ethic each and every day, and how I come to the rink, and how I am as a teammate and as a person. So that’s all I’ve been focusing on, especially the last month or so after the trade deadline, and been able to kind of just settle in and play some hockey, and that’s it. Winning cures everything. It does. Winning cures everything.”

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