The Dallas Stars have selected LW Riley Tufte with the 25th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. The Stars picked the giant winger who has spent the past season in the USHS for Blaine HS where he registered 78 points in 25 games.
Tufte is a huge winger at 6’5″, 205lbs and will be playing in the NCAA next season for the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
Derek looked in a great detail at Tufte in the build up to the draft. He’s a big, but raw, power forward who has a good skating ability and good playmaking skills. He also has a very good wrist shot.
Despite his huge size he hasn’t really needed to use it in the USHS simply because he was intimidating enough without having to throw the hit or play a bit nastier.
He did spend some time in the USHL but spent most of the time in the USHS. The decision for him to move back is slightly concerning but he did have 14 points through 27 games in the USHL.
Tufte is a long term project player who likely won’t be making his professional debut for another three years, if not four. He has a lot of raw potential and his mobility, for his size, is a big positive.
He’ll need time to refine his game and is considered a very raw player. A few years in the NCAA should help polish his overall game. After several years in the NCAA, taking advantage of opportunities and getting bigger and stronger, he could end up being a very welcome addition to the Dallas Stars forward group.
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