Alex Tuch

[PerreaultForever]

13 hours ago, EM88 said:

Not fast enough?  where did that come from.

He looks like he is one of the faster skaters on the team and above average in the league, and the metrics back that up.

His speed is deceptive but his stride moves him quickly and he shifts gears quickly hence he fools defenders and gets that step forward on them. Good body positioning too. He coasts sometimes away from the puck though and that might make some people think he's "slow". 

[spndnchz]

12 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

His speed is deceptive but his stride moves him quickly and he shifts gears quickly hence he fools defenders and gets that step forward on them. Good body positioning too. He coasts sometimes away from the puck though and that might make some people think he's "slow". 

Full disclosure. I work with his contract. Just wanted the opinion. 
🤥🤫

[North Buffalo]

And he is the one who stuck up for his teammate fighting the cheap hit guy. 

[inkman]

I’m honestly not sure how people ever had a negative take on Alex Tuch.  He’s good.  He’s always been good. 

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

I’m honestly not sure how people ever had a negative take on Alex Tuch.  He’s good.  He’s always been good. 

People react to what they see through the narrow scope of the television.  

For example, Tuch shoots at openings.   So he has his share of wide shots and people then complain that he missed the net. Maybe he missed the net because he is shooting where the goalie isn't.    For much of the early and middle season he was criticized for every missed shot and missed pass, and it was getting annoying.   As he continued to rack up points anyway, people started to become silenced. 

He is a very good all around player and most teams would line up to get him from Buffalo.  

[LTS]

The biggest issues I have with Tuch are:

- He often does not use his size in a physical manner. He is very much poke check first and hope he creates a turnover. It's not that he won't hit, but he often does not.

- He makes some really stupid passes.

But, you can't argue with his production. He scores, he blocks shots, he forces turnovers. 

I do wonder, if Owen Power did this would people feel the same way? Hmm.

[JP51]

On 4/9/2025 at 10:04 AM, Pimlach said:

I don't get the complaints on Tuch or the demands to trade him.   

Every player misses shots and misses passes.  He shoots the puck wide and he gets called out.  He misses a pass and he gets called out.  He fights Brady Tkachuk and he gets called out.  

He has size and speed and a physical side to his game.  He has developed into a Selke type of winger and he can score 35 goals.  He is there for teammates.

He is one of the 3 players on this roster that you can build around.  

This is truth. I wanted him to be captain. 

[inkman]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

People react to what they see through the narrow scope of the television.  

For example, Tuch shoots at openings.   So he has his share of wide shots and people then complain that he missed the net. Maybe he missed the net because he is shooting where the goalie isn't.    For much of the early and middle season he was criticized for every missed shot and missed pass, and it was getting annoying.   As he continued to rack up points anyway, people started to become silenced. 

He is a very good all around player and most teams would line up to get him from Buffalo.  

 

52 minutes ago, LTS said:

The biggest issues I have with Tuch are:

- He often does not use his size in a physical manner. He is very much poke check first and hope he creates a turnover. It's not that he won't hit, but he often does not.

- He makes some really stupid passes.

But, you can't argue with his production. He scores, he blocks shots, he forces turnovers. 

I do wonder, if Owen Power did this would people feel the same way? Hmm.

I never got the missing the net complaints. He’s trying to pick corners.  Most fans are always complaining about Sabres players “shooting it right at the goalie”.  This is the net result of someone trying to aim.  His shooting is just fine. 

[DarthEbriate]

Tuch does miss the net going for corner snipes sometimes. So do all goal scorers.

Tuch has a career high shooting percentage this season at 18.4. That's really, really good for anyone who isn't just mucking around at the front of the net for rebounds.

[HILLsabre]

On 4/9/2025 at 6:33 AM, GASabresIUFAN said:

He is certainly the Sabres best all-around forward.  He is probably our best playmaker, one of our best 2 ways forwards, best penalty killer and top 3-4 goal scorers.   
 

 

Just because he's our best doesn't mean he's a true first line forward. He would be on any true contending playoffs team 2nd line. Just saying!

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, HILLsabre said:

Just because he's our best doesn't mean he's a true first line forward. He would be on any true contending playoffs team 2nd line. Just saying!

Clearly better and on a contending team?

Kucherov, Rantanen, Nylander/Marner… that’s 3 contending teams with clearly better right wingers than Tuch.

Pastrnak is better, but he’s not on a contending team…

Reinhart, even though Sabrespace told me he wasn’t a first liner on a contending team.

Maybe Vegas, but Stones pretty old and beat up and smaller and slower…the stats are pretty much the same…

Help me out here, who am I missing?

Edited April 15 by dudacek

[SABRES 0311]

19 hours ago, inkman said:

I’m honestly not sure how people ever had a negative take on Alex Tuch.  He’s good.  He’s always been good. 

I’m in the same boat as those posters. Tuch had a habit of floating or not engaging based on the eye test only. He has been noticeably more active defensively and his goal production is awesome. He also consistently answers to the media.

Edited April 15 by SABRES 0311

[DarthEbriate]

16 hours ago, dudacek said:

Clearly better and on a contending team?

Kucherov, Rantanen, Nylander/Marner… that’s 3 contending teams with clearly better right wingers than Tuch.

Pastrnak is better, but he’s not on a contending team…

Reinhart, even though Sabrespace told me he wasn’t a first liner on a contending team.

Maybe Vegas, but Stones pretty old and beat up and smaller and slower…the stats are pretty much the same…

Help me out here, who am I missing?

Top 6 RW for every team currently with 94+ points (to include MIN & OTT)

TOR: Marner, Nylander
TBL: Kucherov, Bjorkstrand (technically, Guentzel is playing RW for them on the Hagel-Cirelli line lately)
FLA: Reinhart, Tkachuk
OTT: Giroux, Batherson, Grieg
WSH: Wilson, (Protas technically listed as LW), Beauvillier
CAR: Svechnikov, Blake  (Fast on IR for season)
WPG: Perfetti, Vilardi, Iafallo  (basically their only player listed as RW is Niederreiter)
DAL: Rantanen, Dadonov
COL: Necas, O'Connor
MIN: Boldy, Zuccarello
VGK: Stone, Smith
LAK: Kempe, Laferriere
EDM: Nugent-Hopkins, Arvidsson, Brown

 

My thoughts on Tuch:

RW3 on TOR, FLA

RW2 on TBL, CAR, DAL, COL, LAK

RW1 pick 'em depending on the line makeup: VGK (Stone old), MIN (Boldy still inconsistent)

RW1 on EDM, WPG, OTT, WSH

[LTS]

On 4/14/2025 at 1:31 PM, inkman said:

 

I never got the missing the net complaints. He’s trying to pick corners.  Most fans are always complaining about Sabres players “shooting it right at the goalie”.  This is the net result of someone trying to aim.  His shooting is just fine. 

Yeah, although I didn't mention that in my post.  He does miss the net often. Picking corners is cool, if you can do it. But I do prefer shots that result in a higher chance of a rebound versus those that result in a higher chance of going out of play or back into the Sabres end.

That said, he's scoring, so I'm not going to nitpick where he's choosing to shoot right now.

[LGR4GM]

Alex Tuch says he hasn't thought about a contract extension. He won't be playing at the World Championship. His wife is is due with their second child in four weeks. #Sabres

 

[matter2003]

It's really. really hard to be this bad as a team when you have 2 elite players in Dahlin and Thompson and a very,very good all-around player who puts up 35 goals like Tuch.  Really, almost impossible, I would say it's a statistical improbability that the Sabres continue to figure out ways to do it.

[Archie Lee]

Two recent signings that I think apply to Tuch:

1.) Konecny $8.75 x 8, he will be a UFA at age 36 in 2033

2.) Buchnevich $8.0 x 6, he will be a UFA at age 36 in 2031

Tuch will be 30 next offseason. Offensive #'s for Tuch are very similar to Konecny and Buchnevich.  If we wait a year, a new group of wingers likely resets the bar. I imagine it will take $8 - $9 million per year x 6-7 years to get Tuch extended.

 

[steveoath]

I think he’ll get the Thompson deal

[PASabreFan]

2 hours ago, matter2003 said:

It's really. really hard to be this bad as a team when you have 2 elite players in Dahlin and Thompson and a very,very good all-around player who puts up 35 goals like Tuch.  Really, almost impossible, I would say it's a statistical improbability that the Sabres continue to figure out ways to do it.

It makes me question how elite they are... at least how elite they are at winning. There's a difference.

Someone opined that the Sabres have three cornerstone players and shame on Adams for not adding MORE around them. That doesn't add up for me.

Thompson had three goals in 17 games as the season circled the drain.

Edited April 18 by Stoner

[Archie Lee]

57 minutes ago, Stoner said:

It makes me question how elite they are... at least how elite they are at winning. There's a difference.

Someone opined that the Sabres have three cornerstone players and shame on Adams for not adding MORE around them. That doesn't add up for me.

Thompson had three goals in 17 games as the season circled the drain.

In the Covid shortened year, we missed the expanded playoffs by one point. In the 8 games before the season was suspended, we went 2-6. During that 8 game stretch, Eichel had 1 goal and 0 assists; Reinhart went pointless. One could look at that and conclude Eichel and Reinhart weren’t cornerstone players. Or, one could look at it and say the Sabres needed better depth so that the team would not completely falter in the stretches when Eichel and Reinhart weren’t producing.

[LGR4GM]

23 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

In the Covid shortened year, we missed the expanded playoffs by one point. In the 8 games before the season was suspended, we went 2-6. During that 8 game stretch, Eichel had 1 goal and 0 assists; Reinhart went pointless. One could look at that and conclude Eichel and Reinhart weren’t cornerstone players. Or, one could look at it and say the Sabres needed better depth so that the team would not completely falter in the stretches when Eichel and Reinhart weren’t producing.

How old were they then? 23? 

[Thorny]

3 hours ago, Archie Lee said:

Two recent signings that I think apply to Tuch:

1.) Konecny $8.75 x 8, he will be a UFA at age 36 in 2033

2.) Buchnevich $8.0 x 6, he will be a UFA at age 36 in 2031

Tuch will be 30 next offseason. Offensive #'s for Tuch are very similar to Konecny and Buchnevich.  If we wait a year, a new group of wingers likely resets the bar. I imagine it will take $8 - $9 million per year x 6-7 years to get Tuch extended.

 

Imagine paying 4 million for mid 20s Tuch, and then 8 million for age 30s Tuch. 

good rebuilding strategy 

[Archie Lee]

29 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

How old were they then? 23? 

Eichel 23. Reinhart 24. 

[jad1]

3 hours ago, Archie Lee said:

In the Covid shortened year, we missed the expanded playoffs by one point. In the 8 games before the season was suspended, we went 2-6. During that 8 game stretch, Eichel had 1 goal and 0 assists; Reinhart went pointless. One could look at that and conclude Eichel and Reinhart weren’t cornerstone players. Or, one could look at it and say the Sabres needed better depth so that the team would not completely falter in the stretches when Eichel and Reinhart weren’t producing.

The secondary scoring on those Eichel/ Reinhart teams was terrible.