Alex Tuch has no idea how negotiation with Sabres will end

Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch was still very somber on Wednesday, two days after he and his teammates were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in overtime of their Game 7 matchup with the Montreal Canadiens.

In Tuch’s case, he has to move on to the next thing, because on July 1, he’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. It doesn’t sound like the two sides are all that close, whether it’s been Kevyn Adams or Jarmo Kekalainen negotiating as general manager.

“Throughout the season and if you go back to last summer, we had talks with Kevyn Adams and his management staff that didn’t progress to where we wanted it to. We decided to hold off and go through the season a little bit more, and maybe pick things back up. They chatted occasionally, and then when Jarmo stepped in, we initially had some good talks. Then they stalled out, and they continued to talk throughout the course of the season," Tuch said on Wednesday during his end-of-season press conference. "And then at the point where we started to make the playoff push, I decided that it was in my best interest and the best interest for the team, in general, to put anything like that on hold until after the season was over.

“I had my exit meeting today, so I know that Jarmo, once again, expressed his desire to have me back on the team. So he’ll be in touch with my agent.”

Tuch is still getting over the finality of this season being done, so he hasn’t shifted gears just yet.

“I’ve been trying to hangout with my teammates," Tuch admitted. "We went out to dinner last night, just trying to enjoy the time with them. I don’t have a timeline right now, but I’m sure once we’re finished here today, we’ll start having those conversations with my agent, my wife, my family and with the Sabres.”

There’s a balance between family, money, and where you’d like to play. It’s all considered, and it’s something Tuch is going to think about now.

“I love it here. I’ve loved my time here. I love playing hockey here," Tuch said candidly. "I’m going to do whatever’s best for myself and my family, and all that’s in my power and consideration.

“There’s a lot that goes into consideration. It’s not just numbers. It’s not just where to play. There’s endless possibilities and options, and you don’t really know. So I’m going to take some time in the next few weeks and really figure it out.”

Tuch had seven points for Buffalo in the six-game series against the Boston Bruins. However, he had five below-average games against the Canadiens before finishing strong in the final two. Despite that, he didn’t have any points in those seven games.

The 30-year-old was happy with some of his games in the playoffs, but not others.

“I thought [Montreal] did a good job of sticking to their game plan. They battled really hard, and I thought [Jakub] Dobes played extremely hard for them, especially against me coming off a Boston series where I thought I was really strong both offensive and defensively," Tuch recalled. "I tried to carry some momentum into the Montreal series, which ultimately led me to having zero points.

“I thought my work ethic was there. I thought as the series went on, my attention to detail got better. I thought it slipped away from me a little bit in the middle of the series when some frustration sank in, which, for me, is a little uncharacteristic, because I pride myself on being a pretty consistent player. So offensively, I thought I let my teammates down with that. But at the same time, I was really proud of my effort. But ultimately, came up short and it was devastating.”

Tuch lives across the street from Tage Thompson, where the Sabres forward admitted he might be a better neighbor than teammate. Thompson is hoping that common ground can be found, because he knows Tuch is an important part of the team.

“I don’t think it’s a secret that everyone in that room wants him to come back. He’s a huge piece of this team, and a massive reason why we got to where we did," said Thompson during his end-of-season press conference on Wednesday. "We’re very tight, so I don’t think there’s anybody in that room that wants him back more than me. But at the same time, it’s a business, and I understand that side of it.

“I know ‘Tuchy’s’ heart and the amount of love he has for this city, and how much it’s meant playing here. So I don’t really know where his head’s at.”

In his last four seasons in Buffalo, Tuch has scored 36 goals, 22 goals, 36 goals and 33 goals. Before that, his career-high had been 20 goals in a season.