Alex Tuch and the Buffalo Sabres had five strong years together.
They’ve separated now, though, and they’ll meet as opponents on the ice on Saturday when Tuch’s new team, the Washington Capitals, take on the Sabres.
There’ll be a lot more at play for both teams in this clash as they try to get themselves rolling early in the 2026-27 NHL season.
But the Tuch matchup against his former Sabres teammates will definitely be a notable subplot. Tuch was an involved athlete in Buffalo, not just on the ice but off it, and he was adamant throughout last season that they would be the Sabres team that finally ended the playoff drought.
Tuch clearly valued his time with the Sabres.
Alex Tuch Explains Departure
The Athletic’s Matthew Fairburn wrote a new feature story on Tuch ahead of the Sabres-Capitals game, and Tuch provides a lot of insight.
This is some of what Tuch had to say:
“I don’t know if there will ever be full closure on it, because I always will wish I did more on a certain play or in a certain situation or did something on a day-to-day basis. You’re never going to live life without regret. You strive for it. But I just want to say I was so proud of the fact that I was part of the team, and I was so proud of our team for what we accomplished, which seemed impossible at certain times. And believe me, a lot of people were calling it impossible. To be a part of the solution was something that I’ll never forget.
“We had a really special group. We were one goal away from the conference final, and I think we would have been an unbelievable matchup for Carolina. … The way we were playing, the team, the depth we had, we would have been a handful for Carolina, who ended up being the eventual Cup winners. You go through, and there’s only one winner at the end of the day. I wanted to be part of the team that hoisted the Stanley Cup and wanted it more than anything to be in Buffalo last year. I’m really proud of what we did, but I always wanted more. I always wish we did better.”
The Sabres ended up realizing in the offseason that they wouldn’t be able to pay Tuch what they wanted, so they negotiated a sign-and-trade to send him to the Capitals.
Now, Tuch is playing with the Caps in the final season of Alex Ovechkin’s career, and the Sabres are trying to repeat their playoff berth without Tuch.
A Tough Ending
Maybe the toughest part of Tuch leaving is that he couldn’t go out on a better note.
The Sabres’ seven-game series in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens was intense, but Tuch didn’t contribute — he didn’t have a single point in the seven games.
For a time, it overshadowed what he had already achieved for the Sabres.
Now that he’s gone, everything comes a little bit more into perspective.
“Up until the day I got traded and signed with Washington, I thought I was going to be a Sabre for life,” Tuch told Fairburn. “It was never like, ‘Yeah, I’m gone.’ I never had that feeling. I always knew I could be traded at any moment, but never for a second up until pretty much negotiations were done and the door was closed. I never asked out, never asked for a trade. I never wanted to move on. It’s not the type of person I am.”
The Sabres made a business decision, and he and Buffalo are both onto their next chapter.
Alex Tuch Breaks Silence on Leaving Sabres for Capitals