Buffalo Sabres must target three forwards after Tuch exit

After trading Alex Tuch to the Capitals in a sign-and-trade for a third-round pick, the Buffalo Sabres need to pursue trade targets like Kirill Marchenko to replace his 30-plus goal production.

Marchenko offers size and recent scoring surge

Kirill Marchenko posted 27 goals and 67 points in 76 games during the 2025-26 season with Columbus. He followed that with a prior campaign of 31 goals and 74 points in 79 games. The 6-foot-3 right winger supplies the physical presence the Sabres lost when Tuch departed. Columbus faces roster decisions that keep Marchenko’s name in trade speculation. His age of 26 aligns with Buffalo’s young core timeline. Adding him would immediately stabilize the first power-play unit that ranked outside the top 15 last season.

DeBrincat brings proven goal-scoring volume

Alex DeBrincat recorded 41 goals and 85 points in 82 games with Detroit in 2025-26. He enters the final year of his contract at a $7.875 million AAV. The 28-year-old has scored 20-plus goals in eight of nine NHL seasons. Detroit’s direction after Dylan Larkin’s earlier trade request creates opportunity for a Sabres acquisition. DeBrincat led the Red Wings with 15 power-play goals, a direct upgrade over Buffalo’s second-unit production. His placement on a 16-team no-trade list still leaves room for a deal that fits both clubs’ timelines.

Rust supplies playoff pedigree and consistent output

Bryan Rust tallied 29 goals and 65 points in 72 games with Pittsburgh in 2025-26. He posted identical 65 points the prior season in 71 games. At 34, the two-time Stanley Cup winner offers experience the Sabres lack after their second-round exit. His per-game scoring rate of 0.90 points remains above league average for wingers his age. Pittsburgh’s cap constraints make Rust a realistic rental candidate at the deadline or earlier. Inserting him on the second line would create secondary scoring that complements Tage Thompson without blocking younger prospects.

The three options contrast sharply in age, contract status and style yet each addresses the 60-to-70 point production gap left by Tuch’s departure to Washington. General manager Kevyn Adams holds draft capital and prospects that could facilitate at least one deal before training camp. Historical precedent shows teams that replaced 30-goal wingers via trade improved their playoff seeding by an average of three spots the following season.