JUST IN: Alex Tuch’s 2024 Buffalo Sabres Player Report Card
Total Season Stats: 22 goals, 37 assists, 59 points in 75 games played.
Age: 28
Contract Status: Signed through 2026, becoming an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Alex Tuch is a player who, according to GM Kevyn Adams, “wants to be here.” Tuch made an immediate impact after being traded from Las Vegas during the 2021-22 season, notably stealing the puck from Jack Eichel to secure a victory against the Knights in Buffalo that March. Wearing No. 89, he quickly won over fans with his toughness, work ethic, and discipline.
Despite his efforts, Tuch has had inconsistent offensive production with the Sabres. In his first season in Buffalo, he recorded 12 goals, 26 assists, and 38 points. This performance can be partly attributed to spending part of the year with Vegas, undergoing shoulder surgery, and not joining the Sabres until late December.
Tuch significantly improved the next season, achieving a career-high of 36 goals, 43 assists, and 79 points. Unfortunately, his numbers declined in 2023-24 to 22 goals, 37 assists, and 59 points—still his second-best career performance but a regression nonetheless. Tuch wasn’t alone in this slump; high-scoring forwards like Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner also struggled to score.
It’s uncertain whether Don Granato’s coaching influenced Tuch’s stats and if they’ll rebound under the new head coach, Lindy Ruff. After Granato was fired post the 2023-24 season, Tuch expressed gratitude for Granato’s development efforts but indicated that Ruff would have higher demands, including benching underperforming players, something Granato didn’t do. Tuch also mentioned he was looking forward to a “brutal” summer training camp.
Tuch is not only hardworking but also excels in creating scoring opportunities late in the game, just when the Sabres need them most. One of his standout moments from the past season was on November 24, 2023, against the Pittsburgh Penguins. With the game tied 2-2 late in the third period, Tuch took a pass from Skinner and scored, giving Buffalo a 3-2 lead.
Fans are hoping for more goals and assists from Tuch in the upcoming season. While he remains a solid forward with strong discipline, his stats dipped from the 2022-23 season. Hopefully, this decline was just an anomaly, and he will return to high-level scoring soon.