Photo Credit: Finnish Ice Hockey Association
It was a scene of happiness as Samu Tuomaala was still on the board in the second round with the Flyers on the clock to pick and they selected him with the 46th pick. I could hear the Flyers fans go crazy even with this virtual draft and the “Let’s Go Flyers” chants being heard in every Flyers fans household. It really sent chills down your spine, and the people that live throughout the Delaware Valley in particular were going crazy I’m sure, as moments before Jake Voracek was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Flyers finally drafted a bonafide sniper, at pick 46 Tuomaala was selected by the orange and black They needed a goal scorer/sniper, and this was one way to do it. There were weeks of speculation over who the Flyers would take with the 46th pick, in particular. It was either going to be him or Aatu Räty. Moreover, the Flyers faithful started hearing the possibility of the orange and black trading the pick for an immediate NHL player. This led to a ton of trade speculation, with rumors swirling left and right. We can finally put that all to rest now, as we don a new era of Flyers hockey.
Tuomaala is a good skater, but like most prospects he can improve upon this area, but he has a great pair of hands, and could be reminiscent of Derek Stepan. He stands at 5’10, weighs 176 pounds. Tuomaala is a versatile player as he can play both center and wing.
The young, slick gifted shooter in Tuomaala plays a solid two-way game. He gets to the dirty areas to score, and has a lethal wrist shot, as well. His heavy shot is one of the best that this stock of players has. Tuomaala plays in all situations the coaching staff asks of him, and he plays with an aggressive edge. Moreover, this slickster in Tuomaala tallied 15 goals, and 16 assists in 30 games played for Kärpät in the Liiga U20 league. Tuomaala’s passing is just crisp tape to tape, and he has a knack for the net. This pick in Tuomaala is a high valued one, and one that will pay huge dividends in the future.
This young 18-year-old in Tuomaala signed a three-year entry-level-contract with the Flyers this past weekend. There are reasons why and one of them has to do with him being slide rule eligible. He was drafted out of Europe, so Tuomaala falls outside the CHL age rule. Tuomaala could theoretically play for the Phantoms before the age of 20, or the Sudbury Wolves in the OHL this coming season, as he was selected by the Wolves during the 2020 CHL Import Draft. I wrote on this on Saturday that it was odd the Flyers signed unless there was a bigger reason why:
Here is the Finnish article below, to which Tuomaala said today, “AHL will probably and naturally be the starting point, but it does not hurt at all. There you will learn well the local culture and style of play.”
Tuomaala also states that he will be attending Flyers Training Camp at the end of the month, but it sounds like his days of playing in Finland are over, as he looks to head to North America.
Hopefully, the Flyers will benefit from a gifted player in Tuomaala. This selection was a great start to the draft for the Flyers, who are apparently in a “Win-Now,” mode according to Fletcher. The proud orange-clad fans deserve this selection. They have supported the Flyers through the thick and thin, and it’s time the fans start reaping some of the benefits.
