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Alex Tuch is this offseason's top unrestricted free agent on most rankings that analysts have put out.
What that means for the Buffalo Sabres winger, more than anything else, is that he's going to get paid quite handsomely.
What's less clear is whether it'll be the Sabres or another team actually giving him that contract.
"Tuch is likely to land the richest deal of any potential UFA this summer because there’s no one else available with his set of attributes," The Athletic's Chris Johnston wrote in his free agency rankings. "A power forward with good speed for a big man, he’s a perennial 30-goal scorer with a dangerous shot. As a bonus, he’s a threat to score short-handed, too."
The cost is going to be the whole question here.
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Alex Tuch free agent contract cost
Tuch is likely going to cost eight figures per season.
Johnston's official projection: 7 years, $10.1 million per year.
"The Sabres have indicated a willingness to extend Tuch, but so far they haven’t gotten into his price range," Johnston writes. "He may have to move on to secure $10 million or more per season."
The seven years there from Johnston also suggests he thinks Tuch will leave Buffalo. The Sabres could offer him an eight-year deal, while joining any other new team would be on a max seven-year contract.
Tuch won't mind that kind of payday. And at this point, it seems that staying in Buffalo would potentially require him to provide a discount to stay put.
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