BUFFALO, N.Y. — Everyone is waiting on Alex Tuch.Tuch is arguably the top pending unrestricted free agent in the NHL this summer, and he and the Sabres still haven’t found common ground on a contract extension.This could come down to the wire. A lot of business gets done at the combine, but this week didn’t provide any additional clarity on the situation, according to his agent, Brian Bartlett. This has been a year-long process that has still left a gap between the two sides.Tuch has a strong personal connection to this area and this franchise, so that’s a wild card in a situation like this one. But he’s less than a month away from hitting free agency, and every passing day makes it more likely he will at least test the market to see what’s out there. He could wake up one day between now and July 1 and decide he doesn’t want to move and is willing to bend on his price. Last summer, Canucks winger Brock Boeser went to the market but signed back with Vancouver on a discount a few hours after free agency started. So that can happen.The issue is that the Sabres have a lot of other business to handle this summer. And a lot of that depends on Tuch and whether they are going to be committing big money to him. General manager Jarmo Kekäläinen will be threading a needle if he waits too long to get an answer from Tuch. With roughly $12 million in salary-cap space, the Sabres also need to extend Zach Benson, which should be a priority. They have other decisions to make further down the roster, and each one is at least somewhat dependent on whether the Sabres are keeping Tuch.Here are some other notes and thoughts from the NHL Scouting Combine this week.1. Beck Malenstyn became one of Buffalo’s most important role players this season. He set a franchise record for hits and recorded the fastest top speed of any skater in the NHL. He was a fixture on the Sabres’ fourth line, a reliable penalty killer and a consistent positive presence in the dressing room. Now he’s an unrestricted free agent at 28. After grinding his way to the NHL, Malenstyn has a chance to get the biggest contract of his career. The Sabres met with Malenstyn’s reps at the combine this week. Malenstyn genuinely wants to stay in Buffalo and hopes the Sabres can step up with the right offer. As he said at the end of the season, “I think we’ve really started to build something special here, and the job’s not finished, either. I think that’s the biggest thing.”The Sabres want to keep him, but they also have a tight salary-cap situation this season. What does the right offer look like? Malenstyn won’t be asking for the moon. AFP Analytics projects a three-year contract worth $2.86 million per year. I think that would be enough to get it done. Malenstyn doesn’t necessarily expect to get north of $3 million per year, though the free-agent market is thin and plenty of teams have money to spend. Term is important here, though. Three years feels like a good sweet spot. That would take Malenstyn until he’s 31, giving him another chance at free agency while he still should be a useful player. The Sabres, meanwhile, just need Malenstyn to maintain his speed (or most of it) for three more seasons. It’s a reasonable bet, especially given Malenstyn’s professionalism and conditioning levels.