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Thoughts on Tuch's seven-year extension with the Golden Knights?

October 20, 2018, 1:48 PM ET [6 Comments]
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In this edition of the hotstove we share our thoughts on Alex Tuch's seven-year, $33.25 million contract.

Todd Cordell

I don't understand the hurry to lock Tuch up to a long-term, lucrative deal.

He put up 37 points in 82 games last season and produced 5v5 points at a near identical rate to Tanner Pearson, Andrew Ladd, Bryan Rust, and David Desharnais. On the power play, he was 11th among 12 eligible Golden Knights (100+ minutes) in points per 60. He's not great there and he doesn't play on the penalty kill.

He is a useful player but there is definitely some risk in this contract. I think the Golden Knights would have been better off waiting before committing long-term. I just don't see him taking such a leap forward that the cost of business would be higher a year from now.

James Tanner

I really like this from Vegas perspective. Tuch is a solid player who still probably has a bit of room to improve. They've locked him up for his entire 20s and the cap hit isn't going to hurt them. He's talented enough that if he doesn't live up to the contract, it'd be pretty easy to trade him, and if he does improve at all this contract will give them great value.

Like the Christian Dvorak contract from the summer, it's a slight overpayment today for a good bet that it's an underpayment for most of the deal. Smart move here.

Peter Tessier

This is the deal that teams love if they gamble runs out oaky and the ones players like if it turns out poorly. Value vs being overpaid and long-term security.

Tuch is an interesting case as he has 84 career NHL games with 15 goals and 37 points all of which came from an unexpected Vegas offense which did things no one expected. This is huge 7-year gamble even if it is only a 4.75M cap hit. Such played almost 900 minutes with each of Smith and Neal but not together. Neal is gone and who is Such getting time with now- we don't know because he has yet to play a game.

For Tuch, it's a great deal but this could be a swing and a miss for McPhee and the Knights but we won't know for some time.

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