Maple Leafs should stay away from pending UFA following reported contract demands
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Although the Maple Leafs need to make a splash this summer, they should avoid Alex Tuch after his latest contract demands seem to show he's looking for a huge payday.
There's a lot of talk about which potential free agents would fit the Maple Leafs roster perfectly and while they have some names like Rasmus Andersson and Mason Marchment who are viable options; it all depends if they want to be here in the first place.
But among the targets they could go after, one seems like a great addition to both the offensive and defensive side of the game while also giving Toronto a huge (literally) presence up front.
Toronto should avoid Alex Tuch this summer
Alex Tuch is a pending free agent wnd while there are discussions about him re-signing in Buffalo, there's a chance they can't get a deal done and another team scoops him up.
Toronto could be one of those teams but after a new report from David Pagnotta, they should probably avoid him.
Pagnotta appeared on the DFO Rundown and explained that Tuch's future contract is going to be quite expensive, as the power forward is looking for a huge payday that exceeds double-digit millions per season:
He wants $10 plus, that's every indication I've been given from people around the league is he's in $10-11m range.
That's a huge increase from the $4.75-million he's currently earning and those who want to bring him in are going to need to commit to a guy who has been held back a lot by proxy of being in Buffalo.
Toronto needs to be careful about their money
Although the Maple Leafs would have more than enough money to bring Tuch aboard, there is no way they should entertain that type of offer. This is not Connor McDavid or Nikita Kucherov and there's no guarantee that Tuch will gel with the team.
Then what? You've committed so much money and time to a player who may not fit into your lineup and won't be able to trade him given that his new deal with likely include some measure of trade protection if not a full no-movement clause.
Tuch, 29, has 32 points in 39 games this season while adding 45 hits and 42 blocks with a plus-five. For his career, Tuch has 414 points in 575 games (179 goals, 235 assists) and a plus-60.