The Buffalo Sabres’ time with Alex Tuch will always be difficult to separate from the ending.
Tuch had been a reliable player for the Sabres for five years, but his final series in Buffalo ended up being in the second round of the 2026 playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens.
The Sabres went seven games in that series, and Tuch was out there on the ice for all seven.
Despite that, he didn’t record a single point. That’s right — all the Buffalo fans watching at home had the same point total in that series as Tuch.
Reports at the time indicated that it wouldn’t change how the Sabres proceeded with Tuch going forward, but with him in the last year of his contract, it can’t have helped Buffalo want to keep him around.
And the Sabres didn’t — they sent Tuch in a sign-and-trade to the Washington Capitals.
That’s where he’s playing now, only the second-most potent Alex on the Caps along with Ovechkin.
How Alex Tuch Is Playing With Capitals
Tuch is six games into his Capitals career, and it’s been a little streaky so far.
He scored two goals in his very first game, the kind of start a player dreams of as far as making a great first impression.
Tuch was scoreless in his second game with two shots on goal.
In his third game, Tuch was firing — taking six shots on goal and scoring on one for his third goal of the season.
But in his last three games, Tuch doesn’t have a point. He has fired five shots on goal total in games four through six.
So through six games, Tuch has three goals and no assists. He’s a plus-2. He also has five blocked shots, five hits, six takeaways and six giveaways.
The Capitals are playing Tuch for 18 minutes and 52 seconds per night, so he’s definitely a guy they’re relying on to make good things happen.
So far, Tuch has been more of a shooter than a passer, which isn’t entirely shocking but does mean his value comes down to whether he can put the puck in the back of the net.
It’s been a mixed bag, but if Tuch can put up a goal total of about one goal every two games, the Capitals will take that.
What Did Sabres Get For Alex Tuch?
The Sabres negotiated a sign-and-trade to send Tuch to Washington for David Kampf and a 2027 third-round pick.
Because Tuch was due to be a free agent, Buffalo didn’t get a lot for facilitating this. They just helped the Caps ensure they got Tuch on the contract they wanted.
The Sabres cut ties with Kampf before he ever played a game for them. They’ll have to wait and see how that 2027 third-rounder turns out.
But this was really never a trade the Sabres could win or lose. They were losing Tuch anyway, so getting something was better than nothing, no matter what the something was.
Here’s How Alex Tuch Is Doing Since Leaving Sabres For Capitals