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LW Riley Tufte - Minnesota-Duluth, NCAA (2016, 25th, DAL)

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Hatty for Tufte against a solid Duluth East squad. That gives him 22+15 (37) in 12 games. I guess there were alot of scouts at the game as well, with the U-18's up in Duluth to play UMD.
 
There is a nice cushy spot in the WHL (on what is sure to be a very good team) if he wants to fast track his career after being drafted.
 
phillipsj89 said:
There is a nice cushy spot in the WHL (on what is sure to be a very good team) if he wants to fast track his career after being drafted.
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Lay off! Larkin sure didn't need the WHL to take a "fast track" and neither does Tufte.
 
Tufte has already surpassed his goal total from last year and he still has 11 games left. Right now he has 25+19(44) in 14 games.

Watched his last game online and he absolutely dominated the other team shorthaned. Tufte had two shorties, one of which was 3-5, and he also had a nice assist on another shorthanded goal.
 
phillipsj89 said:
USDP > High School Hockey.

Just saying, WHL could be an option for the kid. Guess it depends what his NHL team wants.
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Paul Bittner hasn't tore up the WHL since he left, and I would hope Tufte doesn't go the WHL route as certain styles of players I would rather see go CHL vs NCAA...I hope Tufte sticks and goes NCAA IMO.
 
gopherman23 said:
Tufte has already surpassed his goal total from last year and he still has 11 games left. Right now he has 25+19(44) in 14 games.

Watched his last game online and he absolutely dominated the other team shorthaned. Tufte had two shorties, one of which was 3-5, and he also had a nice assist on another shorthanded goal.
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Those are insane numbers. I'd be shocked if he isn't a top 20 pick. Would love for Wild to snag him but doubt he is in play for us. Very few players score like that in MNHS, especially those in the Twin Cities were there are a greater concentration of good teams.
 
phillipsj89 said:
USDP > High School Hockey.

Just saying, WHL could be an option for the kid. Guess it depends what his NHL team wants.
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It could have and should have been an option for last year or this year, but at this point, why leave? Bittner left when he was 16 and looking for far better competition (which he got), so I don't think there's any regrets there, as he would have had to play another 2-3 years of inferior hockey in the MN High School circuit. Tufte is a year away from playing in the WCHA, so why leave at this point?

I've never bought into the idea that leaving for the CHL at 18 or 19 makes any sense for these kids. If you're a stud, and you're unhappy at college, then sign a deal and play in the AHL. But your just as well served to play against men in college at 18 than you are playing against kids younger than you in the CHL.

On the contrary, however, I totally understand when a 16 or 17 year old chooses to chase their dreams in the CHL. There's no better development options here in the US for kids that age that are really elite, with perhaps the USHL or NTDP coming closest. But the NCAA is clearly a perfectly viable path to the NHL...the challenge is offering enough competitive options for US kids until they can get to the NCAA in my opinion.

One other thing back on topic. I saw Tufte play a few weeks ago here against Minnetonka...he's a man amongst boys. I really had no idea who he was coming into the game other than his name, but there wasn't anyone with anything close to his skillset on the ice that night. He's not as good as Bjugstad was at the same age, but the potential there. He's a little more raw in his skating compared to Bjugstad, especially laterally, but man is he skilled a guy his size.
 
Bittner was playing in the boonies, too, which is a major incentive to leave. See Jaxon Nelson this year. He's a sophomore and has 12 goals and 17 points in his last two games. He needs to move on next year.
 
MNRube said:
Those are insane numbers. I'd be shocked if he isn't a top 20 pick. Would love for Wild to snag him but doubt he is in play for us. Very few players score like that in MNHS, especially those in the Twin Cities were there are a greater concentration of good teams.
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I like the kid, but you could very well be shocked.
 
Jaykay said:
I like the kid, but you could very well be shocked.
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Call it a gut feeling. This draft is very deep, so you are probably right but 6'6" guys with his skills are a very rare commodity. My thinking is someone takes the bait. USHS guys tend to fly under the radar until spring when they make the tourney or join USHL as well.
 
Bonin21 said:
Bittner was playing in the boonies, too, which is a major incentive to leave. See Jaxon Nelson this year. He's a sophomore and has 12 goals and 17 points in his last two games. He needs to move on next year.
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agreed, but just pointed out that he hasn't lived up to his early hype.

Nelson is intriguing as well, he is getting viewed very highly by many, hope to see him against tougher competition next year, USHL perhaps??
 
Jaykay said:
I like the kid, but you could very well be shocked.
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http://www.nhl.com/ice/m_news.htm?id=797225

In first round in both of these NHL.com drafts.

I'm sure he has nowhere to go but up too. Guys his size are always hard to pass up and playing in MNHS means he likely has flown under the radar to this point. I still think he ends up between 10-20 ultimately. Hoping Wild can target him but I doubt he is available in low/mid 20s when we will likely pick.
 
MNRube said:
http://www.nhl.com/ice/m_news.htm?id=797225

In first round in both of these NHL.com drafts.

I'm sure he has nowhere to go but up too. Guys his size are always hard to pass up and playing in MNHS means he likely has flown under the radar to this point. I still think he ends up between 10-20 ultimately. Hoping Wild can target him but I doubt he is available in low/mid 20s when we will likely pick.
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And outside the top 20 in both of them.

The post I was responding to said he would be shocked if Tufte wasn't a top 20 pick. It couldn't happen but it shouldn't come as a shock if it doesn't.
 
MNRube said:
http://www.nhl.com/ice/m_news.htm?id=797225

In first round in both of these NHL.com drafts.

I'm sure he has nowhere to go but up too. Guys his size are always hard to pass up and playing in MNHS means he likely has flown under the radar to this point. I still think he ends up between 10-20 ultimately. Hoping Wild can target him but I doubt he is available in low/mid 20s when we will likely pick.
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Alot of focus will be on the 10 or so games he plays for Fargo, after the high school season ends. He had 5 goals in twelve games, this fall, but I believe all 5 were on the power play. Scouts are going to want to see better 5 on 5 production from him. If he has a big state tournament and he goes back to the USHL and plays well, he could go above 20. Regardless, I would say the latest he gets picked is in the 40-45 range. I would be very surprised to see him slip into the bottom half of the second round.
 
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