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How Alex Tuch Is Embracing a Bigger Role in Buffalo

Though Alex Tuch was effective as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights, it never felt like he belonged there. He was a speedy secret weapon they could unleash when their bread and butter wasn’t doing the trick. As such, he wasn’t an integral part of the club’s identity. He may have been more valuable in the eyes of other teams than valued by his own. That much was made clear when Vegas dispatched him alongside Peyton Krebs and draft picks to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for disgruntled star Jack Eichel.

Moving from a perennial contender to one of the least competitive franchises in the league is a tough pill to swallow—especially since Vegas is the second organization to give up on him. However, Tuch enjoys a built-in familiarity with the area that has helped cushion the blow: He was born in Rochester, New York. He grew up rooting for the Sabres.

In other words, this is actually a homecoming.

On the ice, the Sabres’ continued struggles have allowed Tuch (22 points in 22 games) to step in and immediately assume the significant role he could never land in Vegas. The 25-year-old is logging by far the highest usage of his career (19:49 TOI/G), and he’s making the most of it with the highest production rate of his career (3.05 points/60). Not only is he playing better hockey than in his Golden Knights days, he’s also playing slightly different hockey. With his blend of size and wheels, he used to race out ahead of the play to stretch defenses. As a Sabre, he’s often staying tighter to the formation and facilitating the offense via quick buildup passes:

On a club that hasn’t developed good habits yet, he can’t afford to bolt up the ice in search of a home run. The Sabres would never leave their end. Instead, he’s laying down a strong three-zone foundation by consistently involving his teammates in the breakout and ensuring that Buffalo is traveling in the right direction.

We can’t ignore the impact of his physical tools either. Tuch may not have a mean bone in his body, but at 6’4” and 215 pounds, he cuts an imposing figure all the same. He can hold the puck where defenders can’t reach it, he can change the angle to find an open passing lane and he can skate like the wind in order to generate breathing room. Perhaps most importantly at the moment, his ranginess limits the time Buffalo spends defending.

Few forwards can cover so much ground so quickly:

Head coach Don Granato has even made Tuch a major player on the penalty kill (2nd among Sabres forwards in short-handed ice time), relying on his unique blend of speed and length to torment opponents.

On the whole, his engagement level around the puck has been outstanding. He’s hustling to hound forwards on the backcheck and he’s sturdy enough to flip possession through sheer brawn. He’s seemingly everywhere at once. That tenacity has carried over to the offensive zone as well, where he’s competing more diligently than ever to retain or regain control of the biscuit.

If you thought Tuch was a one-trick pony, think again. He’s showing new layers to his game, adding serious motor and selflessness to complement his freakish physical assets. He battles his tail off. And when he decides he’s just going to win the puck or establish his position in the slot, opponents don’t quite know how to corral him. He can scream past you or bulldoze his way right through you:

With his work rate, pace and reach, he can extend plays in a manner that no other Sabre can. It follows, then, that he leads the team in scoring chance (51.1 SCF%) and high-danger chance share (54.7 HDCF%). He tilts the ice and gives his team every opportunity to manufacture quality looks on goal.

During his shifts, Buffalo owns 52.2% of the expected goals and 60.0% of the actual goals. When he’s on the bench, its xGF% and GF% nosedive to 43.5 and 40.0, respectively.

Tuch’s presence has proven particularly beneficial to Jeff Skinner and Tage Thompson. A year ago, the former was sitting on one of the worst contracts in the league, whereas the latter was approaching bust territory. They both have skill—they just needed touches. Tuch has provided those, and their production has spiked since he debuted in late December. Skinner is looking more like the shifty winger who commanded his $9 million cap hit to begin with, while Thompson has emerged as a capable 6’7” sniper.

Of course, Tuch’s own talent is worth noting as well. He doesn’t possess clinical finish, but he offers a healthy dose of tempo, vision and a heavy wrist shot:

Skinner and Thompson’s careers have been revived. Rasmus Dahlin is back on track. Youngsters Dylan Cozens and Krebs are flashing glimpses of top-tier ability. There’s an energy and enthusiasm surrounding this club. There’s hope in the air. Regardless of the Sabres’ 16-30-8 record, hockey in Buffalo seems…fun again.

Maybe that shouldn’t be a surprise. After all, the team replaced a malcontent with a local kid who dreamed of this very scenario. There really is no place like home.

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