Among the names that keep coming up in Edmonton circles this offseason, Alex Tuch is one. The 30-year-old winger and soon-to-be unrestricted free agent is about to hit the open market on July 1, and the Oilers are very much in the conversation.
Tuch is the kind of player that’s genuinely hard to find. He is big, fast, responsible in his own zone and capable of scoring 30+ goals. He finished the 2025–26 regular season with 66 points in 79 games and quietly crossed the 200-goal milestone for his career along the way.
Alex Tuch as Oilers trade target
Alex Tuch of course doesn’t put up Connor McDavid numbers. But he does the things that make good teams better. For those who have not followed his game, Tuch blocks shots, wins puck battles along the boards, kills penalties and doesn’t take nights off. Bleacher Report ranked him as one of the top five free agents available this summer, and that feels about right.
But does he actually fit in Edmonton? Short answer: yes, very well.
The Oilers have been linked to Tuch as a potential top-six fit, specifically as someone who could play with Leon Draisaitl and bring a physical, north-south game to the line.
Tuch would immediately upgrade Edmonton’s secondary scoring, add size and toughness to a forward group that could use both, and bring playoff experience from his Vegas days and just recently with the Buffalo Sabres. He was part of a Golden Knights team that went to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season. The fit is there, so the question is purely financial.
Tuch’s camp has made it clear he’s eyeing something in the range of the Adrian Kempe deal which was eight years, around $10.6M per year. That’s in the neighborhood of $85M total. And Tuch’s agent, Scott Bartlett, isn’t backing down from that ask despite some rough playoff optics.
Tuch trying to prove his worth
After a scoreless second round against the Montreal Canadiens and a minus-8 rating in that series, it had seemed the market for Tuch might cool off. Bartlett pushed back hard, pointing to a shot-blocking play without a stick in Game seven and the overall impact Tuch had throughout the run.
NHL insider Jeff Marek wasn’t quite as charitable. He called the playoff showing “not good” and suggested it hasn’t helped Tuch’s leverage. And honestly, that part feels fair after all playoff performance matters when you’re asking for generational money.
Still, one game or one round doesn’t erase what Tuch is. The guy set the NHL record for blocked shots by a forward in a single season (113) just last year while also scoring 36 goals. That’s some rare combination Edmonton could use for real.
The Oilers head into the offseason carrying roughly $16.5M in projected cap space. Their goaltending is a mess. Tristan Jarry has been, to put it diplomatically, not good, posting alarming numbers in his time with the club. They need a true starter given Connor Ingram’s future is still hanging in the balance.
They also need help up front, especially someone who can skate alongside Leon Draisaitl and actually complement what he does. That last part is where Tuch fits perfectly on paper. He’s physical, he drives possession and he doesn’t need the puck to be effective, which matters a lot if he will be sharing a line with one of the top centres in the world.
The issue here for Edmonton is probably that Darnell Nurse and his $9.25M cap hit isn’t going anywhere easily, and that Jarry contract ($5.375M, two years left) is something they’ll need to deal with one way or another. Moving either opens up room but it’s not simple.
The Cap math to make Alex Tuch an Oiler
To even get close to a Tuch deal, the Oilers almost certainly need to move Nurse. At $9.25M through 2029–30, it’s a significant hit for a defenceman who while still capable, might have peaked in value. Trading him isn’t easy as that contract comes with a no-movement clause but it’s the most obvious path to creating real flexibility.
There’s also the Jarry situation. Two years, over $10M total on a backup is a problem they’ll need to solve, likely by retaining salary in a trade just to get it off the books.
If Bowman can execute both moves, the Oilers could be legitimate players for Tuch. If not, he likely ends up somewhere else. Tampa Bay has also been mentioned, and there’s always the emotional pull of Buffalo making one last pitch to keep him home.
The sad reality is that the Oilers need Tuch more than Tuch needs the Oilers.
That’s the uncomfortable truth of this situation. He’s going to get paid and the only question is by whom. Edmonton is in the mix, but they’re not the only team with a pitch and they’re not the team with the cleanest cap sheet to make it happen.
What works in Edmonton’s favour is the hockey case. Playing alongside McDavid or Draisaitl, with a real shot at a Stanley Cup? That’s probably a big pitch that goes beyond dollars. And with McDavid locked up for two more years, the window is open.
The Oilers front office has described this offseason as arguably the most important in franchise history. Bold moves are required. If they can find a way to make the numbers work on Tuch, it would signal loudly that they’re serious about finally getting the job done.
I hope they find a way. The hockey makes too much sense to walk away from.
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