Buffalo Sabres 2023-24 Player Report Card: Alex Tuch

Entering this season, the hope was that the torrid scoring would continue, but that didn’t happen. The offensive engine suddenly ran out of gas and the Sabres looked like a markedly-different team without it. There were a number of reasons as to how it happened, most notably that now-former head coach Don Granato attempted to shift to a more defensive style. The previous season’s high-risk, high-reward mentality undeniably produced results, but it also led to a minus-4 goal differential that proved to be an Achilles heel. Granato attempted to remedy the issue and it ironically may have been his undoing.

With the squad now having a different focus, many players failed to improve coming off career years and, statistically speaking, Tuch was one of them. The 27-year-old’s production dipped across the board, falling from 36 goals to 22 and 43 assists to 37. 59 points still isn’t bad by any means, but it was underwhelming given what was expected. Thompson and Skinner suffered similar regressions and the Sabres were far less threatening without their big three lighting it up as they had previously.

However, when assessing the whole picture, Tuch still had a very strong season and continued to be the embodiment of the exact type of play that his team needs more of. Even if it came at the cost of offense, Buffalo’s defensive play did improve and helped the team finish with a plus-2 differential this time around. Considerably better two-way play from forwards was perhaps the biggest reason. Thompson made admirable efforts to increase his overall awareness and Jordan Greenway had an outstanding season in a third-line checking role.

It was Tuch who continued to set the standard, though, as he’s been one of the better defensive forwards in the NHL since his debut but receives far less credit than he should. His alert play has been a major asset and he was once again a go-to in all situations thanks to his diligent back checking and intelligence with the puck. Though his production dipped by 20 points, he still posted a plus-9 rating that was good enough for fifth on the team. He also continued to showcase the gumption and leadership that have made him such a major fan-favorite.

It wasn’t the same electric season for the Central New York native but he still had a few big moments along the way in spite of that. What was perhaps his highlight of the year came in Buffalo on Nov. 24 when he scored with under three minutes remaining to cap a stunning three-goal third-period rally against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Next Sabres Captain?

Though he didn’t receive a letter on the front of his jersey until the latter part of this season, Tuch has been a leader for the Sabres since the day he arrived and appears to be respected by all in the locker room. Kyle Okposo was made captain in the fall of 2022 due to his seniority, but the honor just as easily could have gone to Tuch and it may be coming his way in the near future.

2023-24 was a changing of the guard for the Sabres, as Okposo was traded due to his expiring contract and Granato was fired due to the team’s failure to progress. Yet another new era has been ushered in and it’s already off to quite the start. The Sabres shocked the hockey world last week by naming a familiar face as Granato’s replacement, bringing back former longtime head coach Lindy Ruff. The famously no-nonsense bench boss will be tasked with making the team tougher and getting to the next level, something Granato proved incapable of.

Tuch has yet to play a game for Ruff but is already quite familiar with his new coach. A Sabres fan as a kid, he’s spoken frequently of his fond memories of growing up watching the teams that Ruff coached from 1997 to 2013 and was very candid when asked about the prospect of him being re-hired.

“He was my favorite coach,” he said to CBC. “Lindy’s a great coach, a really smart guy. I’ve always been a huge fan of his. I’ve no idea. But that would be pretty cool, though.”

The dream became a reality not long after and sent a wave of nostalgic excitement across Western New York. And thanks to his connection with Ruff, Tuch now appears to be the favorite to be the next Sabres; captain. Franchise cornerstone Rasmus Dahlin will surely be in contention as well, but is younger and far less experienced. Tuch has been the guy for some time now and giving him the “C” would not only help the team repair its image, but also show that the future is now for Buffalo.

Final Grade for Tuch

How well Tuch did this season really depends on the lens you take and if you choose to look at it solely from an output standpoint, you’ll be disappointed. There’s no questioning he will need to rediscover his scoring touch but his two-way play and the intangibles he brings to the table more than earn him a pass in the interim. The Sabres as a whole will be out for redemption next season and to finally bring their dreaded postseason drought to an end. With an old friend back behind the bench and Tuch continuing to lead the way, the 2024-25 team will have a chance. Final Grade: B