Tuch traded to Capitals by Sabres, signs 8-year, $84 million contract

Alex Tuch was traded to the Washington Capitals by the Buffalo Sabres for forward David Kampf and a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft on Wednesday.

As part of the sign-and-trade move, the 30-year-old forward, who could have become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, signed an eight-year, $84 million contract with Buffalo before being sent to Washington. It has an average annual value of $10.5 million.

“Alex was a highly coveted player, and we are pleased that he chose to come to Washington,” Capitals general manager Chris Patrick said. “Alex is a top-six offensive forward who brings size, versatility, and the ability to contribute in all situations. He consistently gets to the net, competes at a high level, plays a strong 200-foot game, and has proven year after year to be a highly effective goal scorer and productive offensive player. Beyond what he brings on the ice, his leadership, work ethic, and commitment to playing the right way make him an invaluable addition to our group. We believe he will have a significant impact both on and off the ice and will be an excellent fit within our forward corps.”

Tuch was second on the Sabres in goals (33) behind forward Tage Thompson (40) and was third in points (66) in 79 regular-season games. He had seven points (four goals, three assists) in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

“Going into free agency, I didn't really know what to expect," Tuch said Friday. "You don't know what teams are going to be interested. Obviously, with the Sabres, we were still negotiating to a certain extent, and when it became clear that I was going to go to free agency, you start getting a feel for what teams are interested. I feel like, it's you don't really know until it starts happening.

“After my agent talked to Washington, they had a really long meeting with them and Chris and with (coach) Spencer (Carbery), and their entire team over there, everything that they were saying about what they saw in me, what they would like me to do, what I could bring to the table and also about their team, I just thought that I know last year, they missed the playoffs, and they were the last team out, and playing against them every single time, I’m like, ‘Man, this is a really hard team to play against.’ And I didn't really like going into Washington to play against them. 

“I knew that it was a little bit of a fluke (they missed the playoffs), and especially coming off such a good year prior and maybe a couple of injuries, that was kind of the name of the game there. So I just thought that I could bring something to the table that kind of helps propel the Capitals to the ultimate goal. The excitement levels from Chris and Spencer were incredible, and it just got me really excited, and the more research I did into the D.C. area and the Virginia area, and bringing my wife into the fold, we just got really excited about it.”

Tuch, who grew up a Sabres fan in Baldwinsville, New York, just over two hours east of Buffalo, spent the past five seasons in Buffalo and helped the team end a 15-year playoff drought this year.

“Leaving Buffalo, it was one of the hardest decisions of my life and I loved my time there," Tuch said. "I’m leaving behind an incredible organization and unbelievable teammates ... But I am really excited for my next chapter.

“I've already talked to, I think, almost over half the team already has reached out with Washington, and that meant a lot to my family and I. And my wife's already talking to some of the other wives and girlfriends, and they're helping us out and just a really exciting time for us."

Selected by the Minnesota Wild in the first round (No. 18) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Tuch has 448 points (200 goals, 248 assists) in 615 regular-season games for the Wild, Vegas Golden Knights and Sabres and 40 points (23 goals, 17 assists) in 79 playoff games.

"We have a good plan on how to replace Alex Tuch, and we're going to look at every option, whether it's free agency or trade," Kekalainen said. "But we also have a lot of returning options for the role of getting a little bit more ice time, more responsibility, more offensive time, all those things. So I think we’re in really good shape."

Kampf had six points (two goals, four assists) in 40 games for the Vancouver Canucks and Capitals this season. He was traded to the Capitals on March 6 for a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and appeared in two games for Washington after the trade, with no points.

The 31-year-old has 149 points (50 goals, 99 assists) in 576 regular-season games for the Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Canucks and Capitals and seven points (four goals, three assists) in 35 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

It was the second major trade made by the Capitals in two days after they acquired forward Jordan Kyrou from the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday for forward Connor McMichael, forward prospect Milton Gastrin and a first-round pick (No. 16) in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Kyrou had 46 points (18 goals, 28 assists) in 72 games this season. The 28-year-old forward has five seasons remaining on an eight-year, $65 million contract ($8.125 million average annual value) he signed with St. Louis on Sept. 13, 2022.

One day after acquiring Tuch, the Capitals traded forward Hendrix Lapierre to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a third-round pick in the 2027 draft and a fifth-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft.

Buffalo also traded defenseman Bowen Byram and forward Jordan Greenway to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday for the No. 4 and 45 picks in the 2026 draft, and defenseman Louis Crevier. Byram and Greenway can each become an unrestricted free agent after next season, while Crevier can become a restricted free agent then.

"We like Bowen Byram a lot, wanted to re-sign him, that wasn't going to happen so we had to make a decision and the deal that we had in front of us, a couple of deals that we had in front of us were too good to pass on," Kekalainen said. "So we made the trade and now we have some draft capital we can use to improve our team whether it's in the near future with a trade, through a trade or by making a pick. We'll weigh all those options until the draft time and make another decision or two.”

NHL.com independent correspondent Heather Engel contributed to this report