Elliotte Friedman’s new prediction suggests that Buffalo will hold onto Alex Tuch until the trade deadline, putting an end to the months of guessing about the talented winger possibly playing with Connor McDavid in Edmonton.
Friedman has crushed the hopes of Edmonton Oilers fans who dreamed of seeing Buffalo Sabres alternate captain Alex Tuch join forces with Connor McDavid.
On the latest episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, the NHL insider made it clear that the Buffalo Sabres plan on keeping their star player through the trade deadline next week, which effectively ends the ongoing rumors about Tuch wearing an Oilers jersey this season.
“Buffalo is not selling their players. They are trying to win again,” Friedman mentioned. “I might be wrong, but the safe bet is that Tuch stays with Buffalo next week, with or without a new contract. ”
For Oilers fans who have spent almost five months imagining Tuch skating alongside McDavid on Edmonton’s top line, it looks like that dream will not come true since the March 6 deadline is just around the corner.
The idea of Tuch joining the Oilers started back in October when several insiders pointed out that the Oilers were genuinely interested in him.
“He hasn’t signed a new deal yet; the situation isn’t looking good, causing worry about players leaving. Just imagine how great Alex Tuch would look playing with Connor McDavid; could he be the key player the Oilers want? ” Jeff Marek had suggested last year.
David Pagnotta also supported this idea, saying that if Buffalo fell out of the playoff race, “the Oilers would definitely be one of the teams going after the big winger. ”
The idea looked really good on paper. Tuch is 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 219 pounds. He has amazing goal-scoring skills and scored 36 goals last season. He would bring the strong forward style that the Oilers have needed. Experts said he would be a great partner for McDavid because he plays straight to the net while Connor does his special moves.
By December, The Athletic even said that Edmonton was one of the top three teams likely to go after Tuch as their main target before the deadline.
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