Sabres & Tuch Reportedly Working On Big Extension

Despite reports earlier in the offseason about Alex Tuch not being happy about the situation in Buffalo and possibly being one of the players that wanted a change in scenery, it appears like his heart is still with the Buffalo Sabres.

David Pagnotta reported that Tuch and the Sabres haven't talked numbers yet, but preliminary talks have started. Both sides have made it clear that they want to get a deal done and the numbers and term will be worked out in the near future. Pagnotta thinks that the AAV on Tuch's contract extension will come in around $8-$8.5 million.

Tuch has been a Sabre for three seasons now and his numbers took off once he was traded to Buffalo in the Jack Eichel deal. The 29-year-old is in the seventh and final year of his contract with an AAV of $4.75 million. With the cap going up and expected to continue to rise, around $8 million AAV on his next deal seems fair, especially since the Sabres have cap space and a number of their high-end players are signed.

Tuch is easily a top-6 player and finished last season with 36 goals and 67 points in 82 games. He was great in every aspect of the game as he placed 15th in Selke Trophy voting, had 115 blocked shots, and 73 hits. This isn't a player the Sabres want to trade or lose in free agency and it is fortunate that he wants to continue playing in Buffalo. The Sabres have a much better chance of finally returning to the playoffs with him on the team than not.

The Sabres have a good young team and Tuch is definitely a veteran up front who will likely look for a seven or eight-year deal to go deep into his 30s.