theathleticuk
When Alex Tuch was sitting in the Buffalo Sabres dressing room after the teams Game 7 loss to the Montreal Canadiens last month, he waited a while to take his jersey off.
In that moment, he was thinking about the possibility that it could be the last time he wore a Sabres jersey.
I wanted to make sure I sat there for a second because it was definitely one of the toughest moments of my life, Tuch said.
Advertisement That thought became a reality this week when Tuch joined the Washington Capitals via a sign-and-trade deal, landing an eight-year, $84 million contract with more than $50 million in signing bonuses.
Two days after signing that deal, Tuch spoke to reporters via Zoom about his decision.
He was with some of his old Sabres teammates at Bowen Byrams wedding.
Byram also left the Sabres this week in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks after he refused to negotiate a new deal with Buffalo.
Just leaving Buffalo, it was one of the hardest decisions of my life, Tuch said.
I loved my time there, and Im leaving behind an incredible organization and unbelievable teammates.
Tuch, 30, grew up two hours east of Buffalo, cheering for the Sabres.
He said it was a dream come true to play for the organization, and he loved every minute of it.
However, it became clear this season that he could end up playing elsewhere.
Tuch didnt want to get too deep into the details of the negotiations, but he confirmed that the Sabres made a last-minute push to sign him this week.
The Athletics Pierre LeBrun reported that the offer was darn good, but he doesnt believe it included the eighth year.
Still, the effort was noticed by Tuch, who said he paused negotiations at the end of the season and the playoffs to focus on playing.
I really appreciated that, Tuch said of Buffalos final offer.
We were in talks as of last week.
It was something I had to take a lot of time and thinking.
It was a really hard decision.
I dont want to look too much into it.
Its still really fresh and new and no one besides myself, my family, my agent and Buffalos management will truly know how everything transpired to a certain extent over the last year.
But I am forever grateful for everything the Sabres organization has done for me.
I wouldnt be where I am without them.
Advertisement Tuch said this was about more than money, but Washingtons contract offer was right in line with Adrian Kempes contract in Los Angeles, which Tuchs camp had pointed to as a comparable all along.
And getting an eighth year mattered to Tuch.
Once we figured out that it wasnt going to work with Buffalo, teams became a little more serious with the idea of maybe a sign and trade, and Buffalo was in talks with people.
Washington made a big push, and then they asked us to speak with Washington.
And you never really know what teams are going to be involved in free agency.
With everything that Washington brought to the table, I think that you take a huge risk going into free agency and I think it mitigated it a little bit.
Also, the eighth year was something that I was pretty proud of getting.
I worked my entire career, and to be able to sign a max-length level deal was pretty special.
It was something Im very grateful for.
I think it just allowed us to keep the AAV down instead of a seven-year deal.
I think that helps the team as well.
Itll bring more guys, and Im just really excited about it.
Tuch said hes already heard from about half of his new teammates in Washington.
He views them as a legitimate contender, one year removed from winning the Metropolitan Division, and a tough team to play against.
And he was happy to stay on the East Coast, not too far from his family in the Syracuse area.
He had a lengthy meeting with Capitals management and coaches and came away excited by their vision for him.
Going through the process, its a business, and you realize how much of a business it is, Tuch said.
Going into it, I really focused on what I thought was the best opportunity for me, both capitalizing on free agency and also on the hockey.
My thoughts were I wanted to go to a team that is going to be super competitive for a very long time because I think Im in the prime of my career.
Also, a lot of times, I mean, you dont get to go to free agency a lot, and so this is an opportunity that I couldnt pass up, and I needed to do what I felt was best for my family and I.
Honestly, just really excited.
Advertisement Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen noted this week that Buffalos tight cap situation made it difficult to fit Tuchs salary in without getting rid of multiple players off the roster.
He also admitted to some hesitation about an eight-year deal for a 30-year-old player.
And expressed confidence in Buffalos ability to replace Tuch 33 goals and 33 assists this season while playing 18 minutes, 59 seconds per game with either someone from outside or the younger players already on the roster.
Hes a good player, but we have a lot of faith in our group, Kekalainen said.
Hes going to missed, but well be fine.