Tuch excited to join Sabres: An 'honor' to be traded for player like Eichel

Alex Tuch is excited to start a new chapter of his career with the Buffalo Sabres.

"He (general manager Kevyn Adams) talked about the opportunity I have here," Tuch said, according to The Athletic's John Vogl. "I talked about how excited I was to come and play for my favorite team growing up."

He added: "I'd like to be as big of a part of this organization as possible."

The Syracuse native grew up as a Sabres fan and now has the chance to be one of the franchise's cornerstone players. Tuch's contract runs through the 2025-26 season and is the second-longest on the team behind Jeff Skinner.

The Sabres officially started a new era when they dealt Jack Eichel to the Golden Knights last week in exchange for Tuch, Peyton Krebs, and a couple of draft picks. In addition to trading Eichel, Buffalo also offloaded Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen in the offseason.

Tuch took it as a compliment that he was one of the main pieces in a blockbuster deal for one of the NHL's biggest stars.

"It was an honor just to be traded for a guy like Jack Eichel," Tuch said. "I know it wasn't one for one, but to be a part of that trade and just to have someone that really wants you in their organization means a lot."

The 25-year-old is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and won't hit the ice for a couple more months. The versatile winger scored 18 goals and added 15 assists in 55 games last season with Vegas.