- Alex Tuch signed an eight-year, $84 million extension before a sign-and-trade sent him from Buffalo to Washington
- Tuch called leaving his hometown Sabres one of the toughest decisions of his life
- Read below for his full explanation and the Capitals presser video
Alex Tuch didn’t want to leave Buffalo. He left anyway.
The winger grew up a Sabres fan outside Syracuse and spent five seasons playing for his hometown team. Last month he signed an eight-year, $84 million extension and got shipped to the Washington Capitals in a sign-and-trade.
Tuch broke down the decision at his first media availability with the Capitals, and he didn’t hide how much it stung.
“This is an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. I needed to do what I felt was best for my family and I. They did make a last-push effort, and I really appreciated that.”
He called it one of the toughest decisions of his life.
Hear Tuch on the move:
Buffalo came back with a late offer, but the money and the term never lined up. Tuch said the whole process taught him something about the league.
“Going through the process, it’s a business and you realize how much of a business it is.”
He wasn’t bitter about it. If anything, he sounded thankful for where the Sabres took his career.
“I think I bring a lot of different things to the table now that I probably didn’t when I first started with the Sabres,” Tuch said. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without that opportunity. So I am forever grateful.”
The Sabres landed Tuch in the 2021 Jack Eichel trade with Vegas. He turned into one of the faces of the franchise and helped end the NHL’s longest playoff drought this past spring, Buffalo’s first postseason trip since 2011.
Now he joins a Washington team that spent the summer going all-in. The Capitals reshaped the roster around Alexander Ovechkin’s group and made no secret about wanting to win right away, which is exactly what Tuch said he was chasing.
The reunion is already circled. Tuch admitted his first trip back to Buffalo as a visitor is going to hit hard, and he’s got a full season to sit with it.
