Buffalo Sabres 2025-26 Player Grades: Alex Tuch – The Hockey Writers – Buffalo Sabres

The 2025-26 season has almost wrapped, but the Buffalo Sabres are already getting a head start on 2026-27. They have a few important decisions to make, one of those being a potentially big trade that could build even more momentum going into next season.

As a wrap on the 2025-26 season, we will be looking at player grades for each individual player. The next up in the series is one of the most talked about players in the lineup: Alex Tuch.

Production

There are a lot of things you could say about Tuch as a player, but “consistent” might ring truest. Tuch had another stellar, virtually identical season to his 2024-25 performance: 33 goals, 33 assists, 66 points across 79 games. He even finished tied for seventh with a trio of shorthanded goals.

Tuch has proven himself a reliable 30-goal, 60-point winger who can provide some of the best defense a forward in the NHL is capable of. As a top-line winger, he’s maybe a little out of place but has the talent to be effective in all situations while on the ice.

Intangibles

There are a lot of things that Tuch does that can’t necessarily be quantified. Yes, turnovers and takeaways and hits are things, but what about the numerous times he lifts a stick to stifle momentum in the neutral and defensive zones? What about when his steady forechecking creates pressure on an opposing d-man?

Tuch’s defensive presence has yet to be recognized fully but he is a Selke-quality winger. Everything he does has an effortless grace to it, but he is impacting games in all three areas of the ice more often than not. That is the kind of thing that you can’t really see on the stat sheet but notice when you watch the team every night.

Overall Grade: B+

Given the amount of ice time he plays – 19:00 per night – and the time he spends on both special teams units, you hope for a little more offensively. That’s not necessarily a criticism; 33 goals and 66 points are nothing to scoff at. As the team’s top winger (especially when Tage Thompson is playing center), you hope for a little more than that but we’ve likely seen his ceiling.

We saw in the series against the Boston Bruins what a force he can be when he is 100% on his game. He had flashes against the Montreal Canadiens but just couldn’t convert. Every team needs their top guys to shine when the pressure is at its highest and “almost” didn’t cut it.

That said, it’s hard to really criticize Tuch. He’s an excellent two-way winger who delivers a true 200-foot game. He is one of the catalysts for this past season’s turnaround and his work should be commended.

On to Greener Pastures?

Tuch is the biggest signing the Sabres will have to decide on this offseason. Given his asking price, it may be time to let him go. Whether that means replacing him with another big fish or promoting internally and hoping for progression remains to be seen.

If he does move on, Tuch will be sorely missed. Wingers like him don’t grow on trees, and he will be a valuable commodity no matter where he plays in 2026-27. Let’s just hope that things come together and that ends up being Buffalo.