Samu Tuomaala

May 2022 – It was an underwhelming and confusing first season for Tuomaala as a member of the Flyers prospect pool. Starting the year in the AHL, it did not take long for Philadelphia to loan him back to the Finnish Liiga. Unfortunately, he failed to produce much offensively, deflating the tires of those who felt the Flyers obtained a first-round caliber talent in round two of the 2021 draft. Now it is back to the drawing board for Tuomaala as he hopes to experience a reset next season. He is already putting in time with a newly hired member of Philadelphia’s European development team: Sami Kapanen. Tuomaala certainly possesses the qualities of a successful NHL scorer. For now, everyone must remain patient and hope he can eventually put it all together. John Gove

July 2021 – Tuomaala was selected in the second round, 46th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2021 NHL Draft. Nick Richard

February 2021 – One of the top Finnish players in the draft, Tuomaala is a player who has a shooter’s mentality and he isn’t afraid to show it. He thrives on shot generation and forcing the goaltender to make saves all over the ice. He has a good snap shot that can score from anywhere at the junior level. He can beat goalies with pinpoint accuracy or his quick release. Tuomaala does an excellent job of getting himself into space and setting up for a pass. The are times where selfishness with the puck can creep into his play but his shot is often good enough that you don’t hate it. He has begun to use his teammates a bit more since the New Year but he will need to continue to make progress in that area of the game if he wants to ensure that he is a first-round prospect. Tuomaala is fleet of foot, able to quickly move the puck up ice and evade a back check. He is solid in transition, providing an outlet for defenders and using his feet to get open push the play in the right direction. He plays with pace and his quickness is an asset in all three zones and his effort is generally quite good.

The young Finn does a good job of playing smart defensively and pressuring puck carriers. He gets below the dots in his own zone, supporting the battles in the corners and engaging when needed. He does a very good job of using his stick to knock pucks loose and corral them into his own control. He may not be a star at either end of the ice but his two-way ability is solid and his offensive game thrives on his shooting ability. He could be an interesting complementary piece who could shine with a good playmaker. There is no reason to believe that Tuomaala won’t be a solid NHL player at some point, it’s just going to depend on whether his offensive game can develop into a bit more of a diverse threat to ensure that he becomes a valuable top-six player. Tony Ferrari