What’s the latest on Sabres winger Alex Tuch? Could the Hurricanes and Canucks make moves in the trade market? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE BRUINS AND OILERS ARE LINKED TO ALEX TUCH

RG.ORG: James Murphy reports a source claims the Buffalo Sabres are listening to trade offers for Alex Tuch.

The 29-year-old winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. His agent claimed they recently paused contract extension talks with the Sabres.

Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch (NHL Images)

Murphy’s source stated that the Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers have inquired about Tuch, along with a few other clubs. Another source believes the Toronto Maple Leafs would be at the front of the line to sign Tuch if he goes to market next July.

Another source doubted the Sabres would trade Tuch by the American Thanksgiving weekend in late November or by the New Year. Instead, he believes it would happen close to the Olympic break in February or the March 6 trade deadline.

The pressure is on Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams to make the playoffs this season, so he’s not going to trade one of his best players this early in the season. Tuch has also indicated his willingness to re-sign with the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tuch and the Sabres seem to be taking a wait-and-see approach to this season. If they’re in the playoff hunt by the trade deadline, they’ll hang onto him and try to sort out the contract issue afterward. Otherwise, a trade seems more likely around the timeframes mentioned by Murphy’s sources.

However, that could come too late for the Bruins if they continue to struggle this season. Meanwhile, the Oilers lack the cap space and trade capital to pull it off unless they’re giving up a substantial player in return.

THE LATEST ON THE HURRICANES AND CANUCKS

TSN: Pierre LeBrun believes the Carolina Hurricanes could make another attempt at landing a big-name player. They acquired Mikko Rantanen last January but traded him six weeks later to the Dallas Stars when he wouldn’t agree to a contract extension. The Hurricanes also attempted to acquire Mitch Marner from the Toronto Maple Leafs before the March trade deadline.

LeBrun said the Hurricanes also contacted the Minnesota Wild after Kirill Kaprizov rejected the latter’s first contract proposal. However, there was no trade opportunity there as Kaprizov eventually re-signed with the Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes have plenty of cap dollars available to acquire more depth. They currently have over $10 million in salary cap space. By the March trade deadline, it will be over $44 million if they haven’t used any of it to make additions to their roster before then.

Darren Dreger reports the Vancouver Canucks are in the market for a center. They’ve been seeking a second-line center for some time. Recent injuries to Filip Chytil and Teddy Blueger have amplified the issue. They’re looking at all options, including third and fourth-line centers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks could be searching for a while for a depth center. There aren’t many that are currently available. They could target teams with centers that are UFA-eligible next summer, but most of them won’t be available in the trade market this early in the season.