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

[William H Bonney]

I was one of the first guys who thought Tage showed great potential back when he was in AAA but I do think there was more 'evidence' for Tufte's ability to be a prolific scorer. It probably didn't hold up under scrutiny like you said in junior he had under-whelming numbers but the USHL is a low-key tough league to break into. That said I think he actually dropped from what he might have done in 2016. If he was really a potential top six scorer, put up like 100 points in HS, he should have gone in the lottery. The red flags were probably factored in by then causing him to go so late, whereas Tage probably late-rose where everyone could tell he was going to be a player but weren't sure just how much, not unlike Beecher this past draft. I mention the hind-sight thing because it's easy now to be like "well they both can score" but at the time only one had a pedigree for putting the puck in the net, but the eye test showed that Tage had that ability too even if he was buried. He just never screamed potential super-star to me at least. Tufte did show some glimpses of crazy potential

Generally agree except this part is way off-base:

I mention the hind-sight thing because it's easy now to be like "well they both can score" but at the time only one had a pedigree for putting the puck in the net, but the eye test showed that Tage had that ability too even if he was buried.

They both could score at the time of the draft. It has nothing to do with hindsight or the eye test. Tage had literally just scored 14 goals as an NCAA freshman as the 3rd youngest player in the NCAA while putting up close to a PP/G, and it's not like he was doing it while riding the coattails of a dominant player or upperclassmen. It's fair to say Tufte had a longer history of it, but it's a myth that "well they both can score" is post-draft hindsight. That was known pre-draft and Tage was the only one of the 2 that had done so in a quality league.

 

[tealhockey]

Generally agree except this part is way off-base:


They both could score at the time of the draft. It has nothing to do with hindsight or the eye test. Tage had literally just scored 14 goals as an NCAA freshman as the 3rd youngest player in the NCAA while putting up close to a PP/G, and it's not like he was doing it while riding the coattails of a dominant player or upperclassmen. It's fair to say Tufte had a longer history of it, but it's a myth that "well they both can score" is post-draft hindsight. That was known pre-draft and Tage was the only one of the 2 that had done so in a quality league.

Yeah, you're right. I confused the fact that he got drafted out of college and not the NTDP. I wasn't paying close attention to the draft that year and I mostly watched the younger guys back then. Putting up those goal-scoring numbers in college is a lot more impressive than what Tufte did, though I think that goal-scoring pedigree probably was more solidified for Tufte

 

[serp]

His absolute best case scenario at this point is bottom six defensive winger but quite frankly he should be farther ahead in his development. Gardner and Caamano are later from the same draft year ( and Caamano is half a year younger ) and much better at this point. Both already are good enough for NHL minutes and are probably Texas best players.

 

[Killerjas]

Dallas fans, what does this guy not have that should make him succeed? Aside from his size, what is he lacking? What is his upside?

 

[AveryStar4Eva]

Dallas fans, what does this guy not have that should make him succeed? Aside from his size, what is he lacking? What is his upside?

Doesn’t have a shot, playmaking, skating, physicality, or competitiveness besides that he’s great. Upside I’d say is a 3rd liner, in the AHL of course.

 

[Kcb12345]

Took 36 games, but he finally got his first pro goal tonight. 1 goal and 8 assists now this season

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Big time bust. We should have never signed him to at least get a late 2nd round pick back.

First year of a three-year contract and he was already a bust in November?

Tough crowd.

 

[AveryStar4Eva]

First year of a three-year contract and he was already a bust in November?

Tough crowd.

It’s also nearly 4 years after he was drafted and had multiple bad seasons in college.

 

[LT]

First year of a three-year contract and he was already a bust in November?

Tough crowd.

That's based on a lot more than just his first year in the AHL.

Regardless, a first round pick absolutely should be expected to play better and produce more than Tufte did.

He may still carve out a checking role in the NHL, but it's difficult to not consider the pick a bust as of now, especially compared to what many of his peers taken around the same time are doing.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

He just turned 22 last month. He's not the first 21-year-old to have an uneven first season in pro hockey. Particularly, more of a two-way forward than a true scorer. And as someone pointed out above, there's a big difference between a first-round pick taken in the first 10 picks and someone taken at number 25.

Looking at that 2016 first round the most obvious comparison would be New Jersey's Mike McLeod who was taken in the 12th overall spot. Going right from the OHL to pro hockey, McLeod only this year started to show a scoring touch at the AHL level and is still finding his way with the NHL club. Logan Brown is in a similar stage and Winnipeg's Logan Stanley, taken 18th, has yet to make his NHL debut.

It's also necessary to take into account the depth of the Stars' lineup, as opposed to some of the other lesser talented organizations.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

It’s also nearly 4 years after he was drafted and had multiple bad seasons in college.

Bad seasons? They won two national championships.

 

[LT]

Bad seasons? They won two national championships.

And he was a 3rd liner at best on those teams, far from a feature player.

 

[ValeriKamensky]

Saw him enough in draft season. It really shocked me when Stars took him in the 1st round. But guys, It’s problem of Stars scouts and GM. Sometimes talented players lose their way because they are lazy, and it’s hard to predict. But Tufte just doesn’t have NHL level skills. And it’s not his fault Stars scouts didn’t understand it

 

[AveryStar4Eva]

Bad seasons? They won two national championships.

Colin Fraser won 2.5 Stanley Cups, doesn’t mean he was a good NHLer. I’m a Stars fan so I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see it

 

[Killerjas]

Can anyone tell me how he is performing this season?

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Can anyone tell me how he is performing this season?

Looking at eliteprospects and having not seen a single game i can confidently say

He still sucks

 

[Killerjas]

Looking at eliteprospects and having not seen a single game i can confidently say

He still sucks

Thanks for your indepth analysis

 

[AveryStar4Eva]

Looking at eliteprospects and having not seen a single game i can confidently say

He still sucks

Not looking at elite prospects and having seen a couple games I can confidently say he still sucks. I’m glad Dallas took the safe pick over a risky guy like DeBrincat who most Stars fans wanted at the time

 

[57special]

He's like a poor man's Nick Bjugstad.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Stars called him up from Texas yesterday, after waiving Comeau and Kero.

First round pick from 2016, might finally be making his NHL debut this weekend.

I mean.....if it takes Zach Fucale eight years, and he shows up and immediately delivers......MAYBE Tufte can impress as well?