Sabres & Oilers Emerging as Trade Partners

The Buffalo Sabres are once again not meeting expectations this season, and there's a very good chance they make some moves, sooner than later. The Sabres will once again be in sell mode and forward Alex Tuch is going to draw serious interest from a number of teams.

Tuch, 29, is a pending free agent and is one of the biggest names on the rental market this season. He's owed $4.7 million AAV and owns a five-team no-trade list, that was submitted back in July. Through 30 games this season with Buffalo, Tuch has scored 11 times, and recorded 26 points.

As far as potential destinations, the Edmonton Oilers continue to be linked to Tuch, as several reports have surfaced stating there's interest in a deal. Recently, Oilers Nation's Ryley Delaney listed Tuch as the perfect trade candidate for Edmonton's forward group, and had this to say.

Tuch would be a great fit for the Oilers. Through 29 games this season, the 29-year-old has 10 goals and 25 points in 29 games this season, on pace for 28 goals and 70 points. That’d be his third-highest goal scoring season (he’s reached 36 goals on two separate occasions), while 70 points would be his second-most, having reached 79 points in 2022-23. He also has a contract that the Oilers could fit on their books, carrying a $4.75-million cap hit that, if retained at 50 percent, would be just $2.375-million.

Tuch would cost the Oilers at least one of their top prospects and a draft pick, and they'd need to send one contract to Buffalo to make the deal work financially.

The Sabres and Oilers have completed business together a couple of times throughout the past few seasons, so it's not out of the question these two make another trade.

Photo credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images