Buffalo Sabres Free Agent Targets: Who They Should Sign If They Lose Alex Tuch in 2026
Alex Tuch is set to hit unrestricted free agency on July 1, and the two sides are reportedly still far apart on a deal. If Buffalo cannot bring him back, here are the targets they should be chasing.
- Tuch becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency on July 1, and according to Elliotte Friedman, the Sabres and Tuch's camp were apart on a new deal at the start of training camp last September and that gap has not closed.
- AFP Analytics projects Tuch's next contract at $10.1 million per season over seven years. With just $12.9 million in estimated cap space, giving him that would leave Buffalo with less than $3 million to address the rest of their offseason business.
- Bobby McMann and Patrick Kane are the two pending unrestricted free agents the Sabres should have on their radar if Tuch does not return, offering very different profiles but both addressing real need
The Buffalo Sabres had a season to remember. They knocked off the Boston Bruins in the first round for their first playoff series win in nearly 20 years, pushed all the way to Game 7 of the second round against the Montreal Canadiens, and looked like a team that has genuinely turned a corner. Then the offseason arrived, and the most pressing question in Western New York has nothing to do with what they accomplished. It is about whether the player who anchored their top six will still be here in October.
Alex Tuch, a pending unrestricted free agent, gave nothing away at the team's end-of-season availability. He said he enjoyed playing in Buffalo and that Tage Thompson had told him he wanted him back, but stopped well short of any commitment. "I'm going to do whatever is best for myself and my family. I don't know how the talks are going to go and I don't know the future," Tuch told reporters.Â
The numbers back up his value. Tuch scored 33 goals and 66 points in 79 regular-season games, the third time in four years he has hit the 30-goal mark. He is reliable, physical, plays on the power play and kills penalties, and is a Syracuse native who grew up rooting for this team. The fit is almost perfect. The cap situation is not.Â
Why a Tuch Return Is Genuinely In Doubt
The Sabres are projected to have roughly $12.9 million in cap space this summer. That has to cover Tuch, three restricted free agents in Zach Benson, Peyton Krebs and Michael Kesselring, and UFA forward Beck Malenstyn. If Tuch gets the $10.1 million per year that contract projections suggest, Buffalo is essentially done adding anyone else.
GM Jarmo Kekalainen has acknowledged the tension publicly, saying the Sabres need to find an agreement that still allows them to improve the team. The problem is that Tuch's market value is driven by what teams outside Buffalo are willing to offer, and there will be several. The Rangers alone reportedly have around $26.8 million in cap space and a clear need on the wing.Â
The Two Names Buffalo Should Target Instead
If Tuch walks, the Sabres need a winger who can step into a top-nine role without breaking the bank. Two names stand out.
The first is Bobby McMann. The 29-year-old just completed a strong season split between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Seattle Kraken. In 78 games, he recorded 29 goals, 46 points and 165 hits, a combination that speaks to exactly the kind of energy and secondary scoring the Sabres would be replacing. He plays a physical, direct game that fits the identity Buffalo has been building, and as a pending UFA, his price point should be considerably lower than Tuch's.Â
The second option is more sentimental than analytical. Patrick Kane grew up in the Buffalo suburbs and has never worn a Sabres jersey. The 37-year-old winger posted 16 goals and 57 points in 67 games for the Detroit Red Wings this season. His best days are behind him, but he remains an impactful offensive presence, and a short-term deal brings his hometown connections and his experience into a young dressing room that just went on a serious playoff run.Â