Can the Buffalo Sabers extend Alex Tuch with a new GM in place?
The Chris Johnston Show: The Buffalo Sabers replaced Kevyn Adams with Jarmo Kekalainen as their GM this past week, and it will be interesting to see what that means for pending UFA forward Alex Tuch, according to Chris Johnston. Is there a new way to get an extension done or will you hit the trade market?
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Julian McKenzie: “Is there anyone else you’d like to touch on the trade board? I want to get to Alex Tuch. But I think Alex Tuch is part of the biggest story to be discussed with the Buffalo Sabers this week, considering the change in GM with Kevin Adams coming out, in favor of Jarmo Kekalainen.
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Johnston: “I think you have a great change of hosts, because Tuch is probably the most interesting name.
Actually, I’ll tell you this if you want all the sausages done. I was working this Sunday, Monday, you know, leading into the week, it didn’t come down until Wednesday morning. And Tuch was originally first on the board, and I actually just dropped him a few spots because of the way Jarmo Kekalainen also, you know, handled the question about tuch, you know, in his introductory press conference in Buffalo.
You know, I still haven’t, I don’t think it means, he’s not for sale, but he was very strong that he was going to take that file. That they really want to keep Alex Tuch. You know, he did it. He said an important sentence, but the player and the team have to find something that will work for both sides, and that, was an obstacle for his predecessor, Kevin Adams and Tuch’s representatives.
You know, they had discussions in the fall, and at the time, the Sabers weren’t even willing to go up to $10 million a year on the contract. I think that since then, the market for Tuch has increased, if only because the market has increased for players who bring offensive ability. And obviously, there’s more to his game on his side with his size and his speed as well.
But you know, Adrian Kempe, the deal that the Kings signed, you know, now it looks like a floor, potentially, for Tuch. And then, you know, we’ll see if the Sabers as an organization, or Kekalainen now in charge, if he’s willing to maybe, you know, stretch a little bit more than Kevyn Adams seemed to be.
If not. I mean, it’s very clear, you know, what’s going to happen. I mean, I don’t think there’s a world, not even the Sabers are likely to be in the playoffs here, I would think. Like, I think it’s kind of fair to guess that as we get closer to March 6, they’re going to be in the middle of the line, as far as I can see. It does not mean that they, they do not know whether they will be three points or three points in between. They probably won’t be protected though, but even so, I don’t know if you’d be in danger of seeing him leave for free at the end of the season.
So I think that’s probably the biggest one for me, a quick Kekalainen file and it should just figure out what’s going on. It doesn’t mean he has to sign him tomorrow. But I think, I think he has to establish, is there still a way to get that contract done? Are there parameters that Sabers ownership is comfortable with. That Kekalainnen is comfortable as a GM.
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And then, if not, he has to start, you know, planning what the trade looks like. Because I know that there are a number of teams in this league that would like to come in, continue, you know, try to bring in Alex Tuch. You know, the most interesting piece, I think, both short-term for what he could do, but potentially a re-signable.
So he didn’t get, he didn’t fall very far from that press conference, but he dropped two illegal places on the board of trade, which were not published. “
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