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Oilers free agent targets: Why Alex Tuch is the ultimate top-six solution
Edmonton Oilers Buffalo Sabres Alex Tuch
Photo credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Jun 19, 2026, 09:00 EDTUpdated: Jun 19, 2026, 00:15 EDT
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The top free agent this off-season also happens to be the exact type of player the Edmonton Oilers need.
This off-season has already been a busy one after the Carolina Hurricanes hoisted the Stanley Cup Sunday. There have been several notable trades made, including former Oilers prospect Michael Kesselring.
It only seems like a matter of time before Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse is moved as well, as he reportedly asked for a trade with a shortlist of five teams. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Oilers don’t believe they’ll need to retain a lot of his $9.25 million cap hit, if any at all, and a report from The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported the team is speaking with the Penguins about a deal.
That’d be huge for the Oilers, as they already have just over $14.5 million in cap space heading into the opening of free agency on July 1st. They’ll still need to re-sign some players, namely Jason Dickinson, Kasperi Kapanen, and Connor Murphy, but if they can free up over $7 million in cap space, that’d be huge for one of their biggest needs since the Connor McDavid era began: a top-six scoring threat.
Enter Alex Tuch.

Alex Tuch’s fit in the Oilers’ lineup

The 2026 free agency class is a rather weak one, with Tuch ranking as Daily Faceoff’s top 50 free agents. As weak as it is, Tuch is a bona fide top-six scorer throughout his career.
Drafted 18th overall in 2014, Tuch began his career with the Minnesota Wild, then had four seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights from 2017-18 until 2020-21. Traded to the Buffalo Sabres in the Jack Eichel trade in early November 2021, the Syracuse, New York, product broke out.
In the pandemic-impacted 2020-21 season, Tuch scored 12 goals and 38 points in 50 games, on pace for 19 goals and 62 points over 82 games. In 2022-23, he set a career high with 36 goals and 79 points, but dropped to just 22 goals and 59 points in 75 games during the 2023-24 season.
Tuch has posted back-to-back 30-goal seasons, matching his career-high of 36 goals in 82, adding 31 assists as well. This past season, the first time the Sabres made the postseason since 2010-11, Tuch scored 33 goals and 66 points in 79 games, with four goals and seven points in 13 playoff games.
With Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ decline, adding a top-six forward, especially one that can score, is a must. Tuch has proven throughout his career to be able to do just that. But he does so much more as well.
Defensively, he’s had a goal share above 50 per cent in all but one season since breaking into the league in 2017-18. Last season, the Sabres had 61.68 percent of the goal share with Tuch on the ice during five-on-five play, as well as 51.86 percent of the expected goal share.
He’s also spent 100 or more minutes killing penalties in each of the last three seasons. This has led to Tuch earning Selke Trophy votes in the last two seasons, finishing 15th in 2024-25 and 14th in 2025-26.
Despite standing at 6-foot-4, 219 lbs, Tuch is a good skater, maxing out at 22.79 mph last season, in the 77th percentile among all players.
On top of being a consistent 30-goal scorer, Tuch is a good skater, kills penalty, and is a solid defensive winger. There’s a lot to like about the 30-year-old, but should the Oilers pursue Tuch?

Should the Oilers pursue Tuch?

Adding Tuch wouldn’t be like adding Jeff Skinner, Viktor Arvidsson, or Andrew Mangiapane. Tuch is a bona fide top six forward that impacts the game in various ways, on top of scoring 30+ goals in three of the last four seasons.
There’s no other winger available on the market like Tuch, as Bobby McCann is considered the next best option according to Daily Faceoff’s top 50 free agents. This means that Tuch is going to be highly sought after this off-season, and for good reason given what he offers.
A right-winger, Tuch can slot in beside either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. Adding him would force either Zach Hyman or Matthew Savoie to the left side, but when a team like the Oilers have a chance to add a top-six forward like Tuch, they can make the lines work.
Ultimately, it comes down to his cap hit and the eventual Nurse trade. If the Oilers can shed Nurse’s $9.25 million cap without taking back a player without a significant cap hit, they can use the savings to sign Tuch, who reportedly wants $10 million.
As it stands, he’s out of the Oilers’ price range given they need to sign a right-shot defenceman (Murphy), a third-line centre (Dickinson), and a handful of bottom-six forwards (Kasperi Kapanen and others) with just $14.5 million.
Basically, whether or not the Oilers add a top-six forward this off-season hinges on the Nurse trade.

Other Oilers free agent targets

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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