Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - Alex Tuch Picked The WORST Time To Go Quiet 😬 | BB Clips

Episode Date: May 19, 2026

Boomer, Pinder and Rhett dive into the future of Alex Tuch after a disappointing second round that saw the Buffalo Sabres eliminated in seven games by the Montreal Canadiens. With Tuch set to become a UFA this summer and coming off a series where he failed to record a point, the guys debate whether Buffalo should still be willing to pay big money to keep him around long term or if this is the perfect time to let another team overpay. It turns into a full conversation about value, playoff production, leadership and what kind of direction the Sabres should take moving forward.Video Link: https://youtu.be/k_S-Nqkw_SM#nhl #nhlshorts #nhlplayoffs #nhlpredictions #nhlhockey #nhlpicks #stanleycup #stanleycupfinal #buffalosabres #montrealcanadiens CHECK OUT OUR STUFF ⬇️BARN BURNER MERCHhttps://nationgear.ca/collections/shirts/FlamesnationBARN BURNER SHORTS https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj_bcGtvvo-cW2DHEDZ6dEO5ePDmlhZc9&si=jo8iNGxT4ImhS2Y8📲 Follow us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fnbarnburner/X (Twitter): https://x.com/barnburnerfn?lang=en🎧 Listen on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/barn-burner-boomer-pinder-with-rhett-warrener/id1648562889Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Mc6Qd5U22R2zbMlQ7RxIiProducer: Jack Haverstock Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tough one is for talk. No goals, no points in seven games, minus eight on the series. I looked. His scoring chance generation was good, but I didn't watch a ton of like the whole series end to end. And I wanted to ask Brett, like what do you do here? Because he's asking for 10 plus.

Well, that's, because I like the player and at eight, I think it's done. But there's no one going to free agency. And somebody's going to give them way too much money. And like, okay, so the underlying data said he created some chances, but he's goose eggs. Like, how do you sift through all that?

Well, you sift through it. It's a complicated business because you're Buffalo, which is, right, which is Winnipeg, which is. Sure. Letting guys go once you got him there and the guys that like being there is something you shouldn't be doing. Harder to pay them all that money when he didn't produce for you. Underlying whatever BS, the playoffs are about results, right?

Yeah. Montreal's moving on. seven what do they have nine or seven shots and they're against tampa game seven does the point being who gives a shit accomplish it there's no style points yeah so i didn't notice him be impactful enough where you have to be desperate to pay him but i can see why they would still pay him and i don't know enough about the the cap situation for for the sabers either you know what i mean they got to Payton and a few other guys. Some of their U's come off.

I think Stanley and Shan. But most of their top guys, they've got it. Yeah, all their good players are locked in. At good value. Yeah, really good. Like, Tage, not a lot of people. Yeah. Like Rasmus signed in.

Powers locked long term. Bowen Byron, they got another year. Yeah. They're in a good spot. Josh Norris. Josh Norris is just a hair under eight. Tage Thompson, 7.1. Ryan McLeod, three more years at five million.

Zucker, one more. year. They got Greenway at $4 million for another year. I, I think they've got the room. They, they, they just signed. Just a question of like, if, if you are going to commit the term and the dollars at commands, okay, is that smart money or is that just keeping the band together? He had 33 goals. He had 36 last year. I think you have to pay him. I think you do too, and you hope that the ass doesn't get too great. Well, that's just, that's just it. I'm not paying him 12 and a half. Sorry. Yeah. Like, can we get to nine and a half? half, let's get it done.

It just wouldn't, like, the narrative is so easy. Like, if he'd scored the OT winner or one of the goals last night that helped them win, like, it's done, like, sign the paper. And it's like, well, why is he looking for it? Because you do make a good point about the fact that there aren't. Oh, we're good. Yep. What was I going to say?

I lost my train of thought. Tuck. Oh, there aren't many free agents. No. Like, it might not be up to the sabers. It's like Mason Marchman, him. Bobby McMahon. Those are going to be like your best three-fourers because I think

Malcon's not It's going to be Pittsburgh retired it seems like Right? Yeah, names like that don't matter. But honestly, he's got to Be talking with his agent and his agents Going, are you stupid? We can't take a deal to stay in Buffalo But he's got to do what's right for him

too because I do think he likes it. It's close to home. The team's good. Blah, blah, blah. Bob's your uncle. Like imagine But if you're the babe of the crop, what's he getting out there? 10. It's a lot of money. I mean, that's the number we've heard.

You think it's just 10 with all? And it's just the tough part is that you look at like Tage and him and one guy's way younger and way better and he's making 7.1, but this is inflation. The cap's going up. That's tough. Things get more expensive. Because he's not the best player, but he's a really good player. And he didn't impact the series as much as you wanted, but you're better with them.

To your point, it's like you can go find other free agents that really want to go to Buffalo necessarily. And what else do you have in the system? I don't know if you've got guys. Most of their guys have arrived. Yeah. I mean, Heleneas looked really fucking good. I don't know that we know that mostly arrived.

I just mean like you've been picked, you're not going to be in the business of picking in top 10 anymore. And a lot of the guys you have taken high have arrived. Like Calanius, I think was the national draft through at Dino. Does that sound right? Yeah, he's 20. Yeah. So two drafts ago.

I'm sure there's another kid or two that could be there, but they're kind of coming out of this. thing. And yeah, he's kind of the youngest, at least as far as forwards. They've got some, some younger D, but as far as forwards. Well, and one of the issues is back to, well, you're not attracting free agents. So you don't sign him and next year you need someone who's going there. You're going to overpay to keep get them. Yeah. And again, we just need to know more about their system because maybe they do have guys knocking at the door. Maybe you think you can get Mason Marchman at half price on half the term and be like,

the kids are taking this guy's slot in two years anyway. Like that's in. and Quinn aren't going away. They're getting better. I don't think they have to, they're not in a spot where they need to pay them or they're screwed, which is a good spot. They're not desperate. I also don't know that Buffalo is a, I know Mr. Pagula can afford it,

but I don't know that they're a cap team. Well, if they don't keep making the playoffs like this, they might be, but yeah. You know what I mean? Like, the corporate money in Buffalo for that organization is not huge. No. Like, there's, as far as talk, though, he had seven points.

in six games last round. And if you go back to last round for Tampa, Montreal did a pretty good job of keying on Nikita Kutrov. Kutrov had some, he had more than zero, but he was neutralized in a good chunk of that series. And they just, this round, they did it to Alex Tuck. How old's tuck? 29, 30? He's 30, yeah. Yeah. I feel like, I feel like you have to just kind of look past what happened here the last 10 days and see what this guy has meant to the team, what he means to the team. He wants to be there.

He's scored 30 or more in three of the last four years. I just... We're assuming he wants to be there, though, right? Yeah, assuming he wants to be there. And again, like, there's... At a certain number, you just say, no, that's too much. Yeah.

And we don't know what that is, where there are internal measures on him? What's his number where he's like, I won't go below that? There's probably lots of room to make a fit. But if he wants an absolute smash hit, max money last time I'm a free agent, huge-term deal,

you might have to go to market get it. It's very simple for us to say he should stay and they should sign him and I think there's a good likelihood they will. But it's, he is a free agent. It's not up to the Buffalo Sabers. Right. It's irrelevant what the Sabers think. It's what Tuck wants. Maybe they go to July 1. They have control over anything. Carolina wants them for 15. See ya. Right? I know. I know. Like a team like Edmonton would love that guy to come lose. Because that's a guy you can slide into your top six that helps you. And there just aren't many of those.

Like maybe Bobby McMahon is a top six guy in free agency. But after that, like, I just don't see anyone in this free agent class that can actually, if you're a team trying to improve your top six, there's not much for options. Like he's probably going to get overpaid just by lack of, you know, the shelves are empty. He's one of the only things in the whole store. Exactly. That's why it would be interesting to see what other teams are thinking about.

I don't even know who's got room for a. everyone's got the cap space maybe not 10 but like the cap's up nine and a half million from last year like every team even if you're capped out has got nine and a half now maybe you've got extensions kicking in that but we aren't in the age where it's like we got to dump some bad money and I'll give you a pick to take a bad contract like that 10 million a year is making everything go away all your problem contracts like it's just every year it's a smaller percentage of what and one year less to pay him. It's crazy to see what the numbers are going to be on some of these guys.

I know. He's up 17 and 17.5. Like, what's, if Quinn Hughes signs an extension this summer, does he come at the same number? Connor and Austin are both have new deals coming in 28, 29, or those 20 plus? Like, it's, we're skyrocketing cap here. Don, his new deal kicks in. He's just, he's 6.95.

I think they have 12 million in cap space. Benson is, Benson's coming out. Conversely, he's in a great spot to negotiate for a new contract. 21 years of age, he was tremendous. Well, they've got guys signed that are big time contributors for good money. And I'm guessing they'll give Benson. Yeah. Yeah.

And look, if Alex Tucker wants $80 million, you might just say, you know what? Internally, we can replace them. But if it's, okay, I'll do 35 over four years. Okay, let's do it. Like I could, it is that sort of, you know, I don't think you'll want to pay Alex tuck till he's 37. I don't, but that's the situation you're in. Yeah, there's a lot of things that you never want to do and you're signing.

You know, the question you can ask yourself as well is, well, is he the guy that's going to get us over the hump? Like, is he a piece that we can't get to where we are? Yeah. Can you add a tuck at the deadline? Like, what's the difference between, here's an example for you. Like, Alex tuck and Blake Coleman. Is it a huge gap?

I would comparable player you'd rather have tuck but tuck's gonna make like more than double and obviously Coleman's only got one year left

Coleman's a better defender tuck's gonna score more like not sure that's a great comp I know what you're saying I just mean like if you didn't resign him who could you go get at the deadline nothing if he leaves yeah you're gonna

yeah and you can replace him at the deadline or you go in free agency and you talk to a Marchman or Bobby McMavers it's a tough time to talk because I just remember those those games against Tampa Bay down the stretch

in the regular season, like he was an inspirational player, like he was in the mix. Yeah. Scoring big goals. But he just went ice cold. Also, are you hurt? Like, is there something else that's going to take it into that? Yeah, but I'm not taking away.

It's just, again, I go back to it. It's not up to the sabers. Yeah, it's the balls on his court at this point. And he's been there. Sabres. Yeah. He's been there five years. Is it five now?

Yeah. Jeez. An I could deal was a while ago. Yeah. We're old, hey? Yeah, oh, God. I don't understand what guys think anymore either. Like, I can't.

It's easy for us a while. Okay, money, yeah. Term. Yeah. Successive team. Yeah. Location of lifestyle. Yeah.

Like, where does it stage out for him? Mm-hmm. He's 30 years old. He's going to sign a big, massive deal. Is he thinking about retirement? Or does he think Well, I want to stay close to home Well, I think he's got almost everything you can want

Minus the good weather and the taxes, right? Like the team is clearly ascending. It's close to home. I don't know that there's a better team To tie your wagon to for the next four to six years.