When the Buffalo Sabres began their training camp on Wednesday, general manager Kevyn Adams spoke about ongoing efforts to sign forward Alex Tuch to a contract extension. Adams emphasized that both the team and Tuch are interested in reaching an agreement.
On Thursday, Tuch confirmed this shared interest. “I’ve been just letting my agents handle all the talking,” said Tuch, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. “I love Buffalo, I love being a Buffalo Sabre and I would love to be here long term.
“… Obviously the market’s shifting, and I know Kevyn touched on that, and we’re just kind of seeing how everything plays out. But it’s been good, productive talks.”
Tuch did not participate in the first official practice due to a minor injury but expects to join team sessions soon. He is under contract for $4.75 million this season and expressed confidence that negotiations will not distract him or his teammates as the season approaches.
“I’m gonna do everything in my power to be the best person and player I can be for the Buffalo Sabres,” Tuch said. “I’m pretty good at shutting out all the outside noise and just focusing on the day-to-day task. And right now, I’ve obviously been rehab skating, and I’ve been focusing on that, and I’ll be focusing on my first preseason game whenever that comes around, and into the regular season.”
Tage Thompson, alternate captain and Tuch’s neighbor, added: “Right now his focus seems on just being ready for the season and helping the team win. … Obviously he’s a big piece to this team and someone we lean on very heavily.”
Looking ahead to 2025-26, Tuch has high expectations for himself and for the Sabres. Last season he played all 82 games, tied his career high with 36 goals—second most on the team—and received Selke Trophy votes for his defensive play. His goals this year include greater consistency, a top-five Selke finish, and making Team USA’s Olympic roster.
Tuch also commented positively about offseason additions such as Michael Kesselring, Josh Doan, Justin Danforth, Conor Timmins, and Alex Lyon joining what remains a young roster. “I’m just really excited,” he said. “Some of the new guys have come in and really impressed me; they fit into our locker room really well right away.
“I think it’s going to be a really good year. I honestly think the guys who have been here are gonna have career years and are going to be looking to make jumps in their careers and in their game. And the new guys we brought in, I think, are gonna mesh well with us and fit into our style of play really well and help us win games.”
The Sabres changed their approach at camp this year by separating NHL players from AHL players during practices instead of mixing them together as in previous years. Head coach Lindy Ruff explained: “We’re going to scrimmage on Saturday, and obviously things will change, but to try to kickstart where we want to get to, we just felt it was important… If we’re going to compete against the top guys, it’ll make us better… And we want our AHL team to be in the same category.”
Notable inclusions at camp were Mason Geertsen with the NHL group—described by Ruff as an “enforcer”—and Radim Mrtka with Rochester Americans’ lines after showing promise during Prospects Challenge.
Players started Thursday morning with conditioning drills before practice began under guidance from new strength staff led by Brian Galivan. The session concluded with cross-ice sprints.
“I think it’s what training camp’s all about,” Thompson said. “… I think you set the standard on Day 1 and you keep it there, raise the bar every day and don’t let it dip.” Ruff noted no one disappointed regarding fitness levels.
Thompson also outlined personal goals for improvement after last season’s 44-goal campaign: “I’d love to hit 50 goals and 100 points – that’d be great… But I think priority is winning; if I’m doing those things, we’re probably winning.
“But for me… more about just consistency: being dominant every single night… I feel like I have the ability to get there…”
