Sabres trade Tuch to the Capitals in sign-and-trade deal. Nashville lands Drury from Colorado

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Alex Tuch is heading to Washington as the Capitals jumped the line for the top free agent available, and the Buffalo Sabres got something in return for a player they knew was not coming back.

The Capitals got Tuch in a sign-and-trade Wednesday, getting him after the Sabres inked him to an eight-year $84 million contract and dealt him for a 2027 third-round pick and the rights to pending free agent forward David Kampf. Tuch will count $10.5 million against the salary cap through the 2033-34 NHL season.

“Alex was a highly coveted player, and we are pleased that he chose to come to Washington,” Capitals general manager Chris Patrick said. “Alex is a top-six offensive forward who brings size, versatility and the ability to contribute in all situations.”

Tuch, 30, essentially orchestrated the deal by agreeing to go and benefited from the way the trade went down by getting an eight-year contract, as opposed to the limit of seven had he hit the open market next week.

It is Washington's second big addition in two days after acquiring winger Jordan Kyrou from St. Louis for the No. 16 pick in the draft, prospect Milton Gastrin and forward Connor McMichael. It is also Buffalo's second subtraction from its roster after sending defenseman Bo Byram to Chicago in a trade the Sabres acquired the No. 4 pick in the draft they're hosting this weekend.

The Sabres locked up an important player for the long term by signing Zach Benson to a seven-year contract worth $52.5 million. GM Jarmo Kekalainen called getting a deal done with Benson a priority after the 21-year-old agitating winger's productive playoff performance.

Also Wednesday, Nashville and Colorado made another swap, with the Predators getting Jack Drury, prospect Chase Bradley and a 2029 third-round pick for fellow forwards Zachary L’Heureux and Fedor Svechkov. It's the second trade between the teams since Chris MacFarland left his post as Avalanche GM to take over control of the Preds' hockey operations department in early June.

“Jack Drury is a hard-working, reliable, full-sheet of the ice center who can handle the tough assignments while being elite in the faceoff circle,” MacFarland said. “His addition to our forward group bolsters our depth in the middle of the ice, and we’re thrilled to have him."

More moves are expected in the leadup to the first round of the draft Friday and with free agency on the horizon next week.

“Sunday, the ball started to roll and now everybody’s on the treadmill,” Blue general manager Doug Armstrong said on a call with reporters. “It’s gone from a nice leisurely 2.5 walk (to) probably a 4.5 walk today and there’ll probably be a 6 jog tomorrow and an 8 run on Friday.”

San Jose GM Mike Grier, whose trading of young forward William Eklund to Ottawa for the No. 9 pick suggests the Sharks are not done dealing, observed that there is a lot of movement happening around the league. The salary cap is increasing to $104 million.

“The cap's going up: Teams have money to spend, for the most part, for the first time in a while,” Grier said. “On top of that, I think free agent market, the free agent class, this year might not excite a lot of people, so I think that’s leading to a lot trades and people being open to trying to improve their teams in different ways. There’s some good players out there, but prices are high."

Kekalainen said there had been no progress in contract talks with Tuch, who is coming off a season with 33 goals and 33 assists. The sign-and-trade allowed Tuch to get an eight-year deal, whereas he would have been limited to seven in free agency.

Like Tuch, Kekalainen said there was no movement with Byram, who he said expressed no interest in wanting to remain with the Sabres after his current contract expired next summer.

Whyno reported from New York.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

FILE - Colorado Avalanche center Jack Drury (18) in the first period of an NHL hockey game, April 5, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

FILE - Buffalo Sabres right wing Alex Tuch (89) is stick checked by Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Kaedan Korczak (6) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, March 3, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes, File)

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The home of the Dallas Cowboys has a new look for Thursday's World Cup match between Japan and Sweden. And the addition of curtains to block the sun on the stadium's west end isn't one NFL fans have seen before.

Even though glare from sunlight streaming into the massive sliding glass panels of the west end of the $1.2 billion stadium has lead to missed plays at football games, Cowboys billionaire owner Jerry Jones has vehemently rejected suggestions to put up curtains. But FIFA was taking no chances at the soccer tournament.

Fans could still look out to see the views from the glass panels on the east end Thursday but the west end was covered with black curtains for the match. The stadium has an unusual east-west alignment from end zone to end zone, as opposed to most U.S. football venues being north-south.

The glare from the west end of AT&T Stadium — renamed Dallas Stadium for the World Cup — has impacted plays during football games over the years, including at last November's Thanksgiving Day win over Kansas City. After Cowboys receiver George Pickens didn't see a pass thrown his way, he shaded his eyes when looking back to the stadium's sun-drenched west end.

After the game, Pickens, who was in his first season with the Cowboys, said, “the sun was beating in my eyes, so I couldn’t see."

“He already knew it. Welcome to Dallas, bro,” said fellow receiver CeeDee Lamb, who had his own issues with a pass he never saw during the 2024 season.

Curtains have been used for some concerts and at other events at the stadium, but Jones has rejected putting them up for Cowboys games. Jones has not yet attended any World Cup matches.

In 2024, Jones said: “We do know where the damn sun is going to be in our own stadium.” He then quipped: “Let’s just tear the damn stadium down and build another one. Are you kidding me?”

Dallas has nine World Cup matches — more than any other venue — but this is the only match where the timing has made the potential for glare a factor.

Jesse Nunez, who lives in Austin and was visiting the stadium for the first time, said he noticed the curtains were up when he arrived for Thursday’s match, and he thought it was a good idea.

“I think they should do it for the football games, I’ve seen plays where you can see the players actively can’t see,” Nunez said.

The match began at 6 p.m. local time. So with sunset at 8:40 p.m., depending on cloud cover, there would be a chance for the sun streaming in during the game.

A few hours before the start, the stadium was still under gray skies. But by about an hour before, the sun had started peeking through.

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

FILE - Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb runs past a pass thrown into the end zone by quarterback Cooper Rush as Philadelphia Eagles' Cooper DeJean (33) and Jake Ferguson (87) look on in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter, File)

Curtains go up in the west end of Dallas Stadium during the World Cup Group F soccer match between Japan and Sweden in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Jamie Stengle)