When Alex Tuch was sitting in the Buffalo Sabres’ dressing room after the team’s Game 7 loss to the Montreal Canadiens last month, he waited a while to take his jersey off.In that moment, he was thinking about the possibility that it could be the last time he wore a Sabres jersey.“I wanted to make sure I sat there for a second because it was definitely one of the toughest moments of my life,” Tuch said.That thought became a reality this week when Tuch joined the Washington Capitals via a sign-and-trade deal, landing an eight-year, $84 million contract with more than $50 million in signing bonuses.Two days after signing that deal, Tuch spoke to reporters via Zoom about his decision. He was with some of his old Sabres teammates at Bowen Byram’s wedding. Byram also left the Sabres this week in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks after he refused to negotiate a new deal with Buffalo.“Just leaving Buffalo, it was one of the hardest decisions of my life,” Tuch said. “I loved my time there, and I’m leaving behind an incredible organization and unbelievable teammates.”Tuch, 30, grew up two hours east of Buffalo, cheering for the Sabres. He said it was a dream come true to play for the organization, and he loved every minute of it.However, it became clear this season that he could end up playing elsewhere. Tuch didn’t want to get too deep into the details of the negotiations, but he confirmed that the Sabres made a last-minute push to sign him this week. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported that the offer was “darn good,” but he doesn’t believe it included the eighth year. Still, the effort was noticed by Tuch, who said he paused negotiations at the end of the season and the playoffs to focus on playing.