The Washington Capitals are not messing around this summer.
According to hockey insider Elliotte Friedman, the Capitals are the favorite to land Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch in a major sign-and-trade deal ahead of free agency opening on July 1. Tuch is seen as the primary prize in a very shallow class of free agents this offseason, and the news comes after the Caps already dealt for high-scoring winger Jordan Kyrou on Tuesday.
“Buffalo GM Jarmo Kekalainen said, ‘Alex Tuch will be missed,’ but the Sabres are moving on from the talented winger,” Friedman tweeted Wednesday afternoon. “He added they will look at a sign-and-trade, with multiple sources indicating Washington as the favourite.”
After Friedman relayed his report, TSN’s Darren Dreger and ESPN’s Kevin Weekes backed it up, indicating that the Capitals’ interest in adding Tuch to their roster is very real. What the Caps would be sending to Buffalo to net Tuch’s contract rights has not yet been revealed.
Shortly after the initial news dropped, The Athletic’s Chris Johnston added that Tuch’s impending contract will likely mirror what the Los Angeles Kings recently gave winger Adrian Kempe: a max, 8-year contract worth around $10.6 million against the salary cap per season.
After adding Kyrou, the Capitals have just over $23.2 million in salary cap space for next season. Tuch’s rumored deal would leave them with just over $12.5 million in space, with most of that presumably allocated to a potentially returning Alex Ovechkin.
Tuch, a Syracuse, New York native, has spent the past five seasons with the Sabres, recording a career-best 79 points (36g, 43a) during the 2022-23 campaign. This past season, he finished third on the team in scoring with 66 points (33g, 33a) in 79 games, adding seven points (4g, 3a) in 13 playoff games for the upstart Sabres.
Many Capitals fans may recognize Tuch from his time spent with the Vegas Golden Knights, as he was the player whom Braden Holtby made “The Save” against in Game 2 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final. The 30-year-old forward would also add more size to an already big Capitals team as he is 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds.
Additionally, Tuch was a regular penalty killer for the Sabres, ranking second among Buffalo’s forwards in shorthanded ice time per game (2:26). He added seven points (4g, 3a) in Buffalo’s 13-game playoff run this past spring, failing to get on the score sheet in their second-round series against the Montreal Canadiens.
Notably, adding Tuch would give the Capitals a plethora of forwards who are natural right wingers: Tuch, Kyrou, Tom Wilson, Ryan Leonard, and Ethen Frank.
