Eye-Opening Development Has Former First-Round Pick Being Made Available to the Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks are expected to be expected to be quite active this summer on the free agent and trade markets as they look to fill holes on their NHL roster, including in the top-six.

Forward Brock Boeser is set to hit the open market on Canada Day, which would leave the Vancouver Canucks with a big void in the dressing room and in their lineup as it might not be easy to replace the production he brought on a yearly basis.

As Patrik Allvin and Jim Rutherford look for potential targets this summer to play in their top-six forward group, they could turn to the Buffalo Sabres, who are also expected to make some big moves this summer.

The Buffalo Sabres are in need of some significant changes this summer after missing out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 14th consecutive season and while players like Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson won't be going anywhere, it sounds like a good chunk of their roster aren't too happy with the way things are going.

During Thursday's edition of DFO Rundown, NHL insider Frank Seravalli revealed that at least a quarter of the Buffalo Sabres roster aren't very happy with the way the team is heading and that some of their players could hit the trade market this summer.

Among the names mentioned by Seravalli are 2021 first-overall pick Owen Power and forward Alex Tuch, who tied a career-high in goals during the 2024-25 season with 36 and is a player the Vancouver Canucks could desperately use in their top-six.

Tuch, 29, has spent the last four seasons with the Sabres after being dealt to them in the fall of 2021 as part of the Jack Eichel trade and has been one of Buffalo's most consistent forwards each year.

The Syracuse, New York native has one year remaining on his contract with a very reasonable cap hit of $4.75 million and if he does become available as some are suggesting, then Patrik Allvin should be all over Alex Tuch and could even offer their 2025 first-round pick as part of a package to acquire him.

In 82 games this season, Tuch tallied 67 points (36 goals, 31 assists), 47 penalty minutes and was a plus-16.