After making a big move yesterday training for Rasmus Ristolainen, the Philadelphia Flyers made their first selection of the 2021 NHL Entry draft at 46th overall, selecting the undersized Finnish winger Samu Tuomaala.
Tuomaala, expected to go in the late first early second round, is a 5’10” winger out of Finland who spent the past season playing in the U20 version of the Finnish Liiga, for Kärpät. Putting up 31 points in 30 games, Tuomaala put together a quality season that saw him finish fourth on the team in points, third in points per game.
His 11 points in seven games with Finland in the World Junior Championship Under 18 was his true coming out party, being named to the tournament’s all-star team and lauded as one of the best Finnish performers in the tourney.
Tuomaala’s size is likely a big part of what saw him fall to the second round, though smaller forwards certainly are becoming more of a mainstay in the NHL, and his playing on the wing allows him to play into his strengths on the ice.
Far and away his biggest strength is his shot. Arguably the best shooter in the draft, Tuomaala has an arsenal of both quick wrist shots and heavy one-timer, Tuomaala finds the open space and rips it on net whenever he can at incredibly high volumes. He has some playmaking abilities, but his real bread and butter is the incredible ability and willingness to put pucks on net.
His size is something of note, as he often shies away from getting incredibly physical and going to the very dirty areas of the ice. Defensively, he is willing and ready to get involved, but sometimes can get turned around and has a bit of a problem icing the puck trying to clear, but with some maturity and experience this can certainly be improved.
Like any second round pick, Tuomaala is rough around the edges, needing some light improvements to his skating and to put on some weight, but the outstanding shooter with all the tools to score has top six upside, and can be another dynamic piece in the crop of shooters that Chuck Fletcher has drafted these past few years.
Check out some of Samu Tuomaala’s highlights from the WJC U20 Tournament.