Alex Tuch to sign 8-year, $10.5 million AAV deal with Capitals after trade from Sabres: Source
The New York Times • • sports
Key Points:
- The Buffalo Sabres have traded pending UFA Alex Tuch to the Washington Capitals, where he will sign an eight-year contract with a $10.5 million annual cap hit.
- Sabres GM Jarmo Kekäläinen acknowledged that contract negotiations with Tuch stalled due to a significant gap in salary expectations, with Tuch seeking a deal similar to Adrian Kempe's $10 million AAV contract.
- Buffalo will receive a future third-round draft pick from Washington in the trade, as the Sabres aim to manage their salary cap amid other commitments like the Skinner buyout.
- Tuch, a fan favorite and key two-way player with 309 points in 360 games for Buffalo, joins Washington after the Sabres recently traded defenseman Bowen Byram, signaling a shift toward younger leadership.
- Kekäläinen expressed confidence in the Sabres’ young players, such as Josh Doan and Zach Benson, to fill the leadership void left by Tuch and Byram’s departures.
