With each passing day, the likelihood increases that Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch will at least test the market when free agency opens on July 1. The idea of Tuch playing elsewhere next season is a reality for which the Sabres need to be prepared.In the event Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen decides to let Tuch walk, he will be losing a valuable two-way winger who is one of the team’s key penalty killers. He’s also a trusted veteran leader in a locker room that is still on the younger side.Replacing everything Tuch brings with one player isn’t the most realistic idea. Tuch is going to be the top forward on the free-agent market because his combination of skills isn’t easy to find. But the Sabres could find a discount version of Tuch or reimagine their lineup with a different type of winger.Up until July 1, the conversation about what the Sabres should do with Tuch will rage on. But a key component of that conversation is what the Sabres’ options are if he walks away. Let’s take a look at a few.What exactly are the Sabres replacing?Tuch’s game hit a new level when he got to Buffalo and became a top-six player who got time on the power play. In five seasons with the Sabres, Tuch has 139 goals in 360 games, scoring at the pace of 31 goals per season. He’s also averaged 0.85 points per game, good for an average of a 70-point pace. Tuch has been a 19-minute per game player over the last four seasons and was second among the team’s forwards in short-handed ice time over the last two seasons. He set a record for blocked shots by a forward in 2024-25 and led the team’s forwards in blocked shots again this season. He’s also been among the team’s leaders in takeaways every year he’s been a Sabre and has earned Selke votes in each of the last two seasons. Since the beginning of the 2024-25 season, Tuch has worn an “A” as an alternate captain. He’s a leader on and off the ice, organizing dinners and running the team fund.Internal optionsThe Sabres have a lot of depth up front, which would help them withstand the loss of Tuch. Moving Tage Thompson to right wing would help fill the void on Buffalo’s top line, but the Sabres would need to replace Thompson at center. Josh Doan would have to be a key part of the replacement plan as a right-handed winger. Lindy Ruff already said he views Doan as a penalty killer one day. He doesn’t have Tuch’s speed or shot, but he brings a lot of the same attributes to the table as a reliable defensive forward. He led Buffalo’s forwards in takeaways this season and is growing into a leadership role, too.Without doing anything else, the Sabres could have a lineup that looks like this without Tuch.Zach Benson – Josh Norris – Tage Thompson