Vegas Golden Knights fans have made it clear that they wouldn't mind an Alex Tuch reunion. After all, he recently tabled his contract extension talks with the Buffalo Sabres. However, David Pagnotta has some bad news for Golden Knights fans expecting a reunion.
"They've actually pressed the pause button for the time being and put negotiations on the back burner to concentrate on what's going on with this team. There's a lot of concern in Buffalo.David Pagnotta
I've talked to a few teams in the last 24 hours, that think it's not just a $10M AAV for (Tuch) to stay, you're probably looking at north of $11M, and maybe closer to $12M. "
To put things into perspective, Tuch is a reliable scoring winger. He has 168 goals and 218 assists in his career, including 36 goals and 31 assists last season. Since being traded by the Golden Knights in the legendary Jack Eichel deal, he's taken off in Buffalo. The Original Misfit has 107 goals and 140 assists in his five-year career with the Sabres.
But let's go back to the price tag for a second. It's easy to see why that $10 million AAV stands out. Vegas just re-signed Eichel to an eight-year, $108 million extension, leaving them with limited salary cap space. However, he's not the only key free agent left to sign, putting a halt to potential reunion talks.
The Vegas Golden Knights still have Pavel Dorofeyev's rising price tag to address
Believe it or not, the Golden Knights still have a free agent problem on their hands. It involves Pavel Dorofeyev, a restricted free agent
after this season. It doesn't help that the Russian winger is leading Vegas in goals to start the season (six). Add in arbitration rights for Dorofeyev and things get complicated.
Already, PuckPedia paints a rough picture of next season's cap situation. As it stands, the Golden Knights have $5,227,148, according to PuckPedia. A contract extension could get more complicated if Dorofeyev continues lighting the NHL world on fire.
Therefore, that makes a Tuch reunion out of the question. You already have a younger winger who can play for a cheaper deal. Why waste that on a potential reunion with an Original Misfit? That's not even considering you'd have to sacrifice a key player in the process.
Kelly McCrimmon made his intentions clear on the Golden Knights roster, which puts Alex Tuch in an awkward place
When Kelly McCrimmon pulled William Karlsson and Ivan Barbashev aside to tell them they weren't going anywhere, he wasn't joking around. While their cap hits made them attractive trade candidates, he ensured them to avoid the noise and focus on the upcoming season.
While things change, that's trending towards continuing. McCrimmon has his roster locked in for the current Stanley Cup window, which should include Dorofeyev. Extending the Russian winger is much easier than bringing Tuch back. You can trade a smaller piece if needed and sign your goal-scorer for much less.
Therefore, don't expect a Misfit reunion with Tuch anytime soon. McCrimmon's been known to steer clear of any heightened price tags unless they fit the team. Having big names like Eichel and Mitch Marner (and potentially Dorofeyev) for the long haul puts cold water on the prospects.