Riley Tufte
Stat | NHL | AHL |
|---|---|---|
Games Played | 24 | 331 |
Goals | 2 | 79 |
Assists | 1 | 87 |
Points | 3 | 166 |
Background
Riley Tufte is a player Avs fans will likely recognize; he spent the 2023-24 season under contract in Colorado, playing five games for the Avalanche and 67 for the Eagles. He is the only non-Group 6 FA on this list, but, despite the technicality of not currently qualifying for that group of free agents, his initial tenure with the Avs was a result of a Group 6 FA deal after moving on from the Dallas Stars: the team that initially drafted him.
At 6'6" and 230lbs, Tufte has always stood out as a prospective player that NHL teams have shown interest in. Right out of high school, where he simultaneously played for his school's team and the USHL's Fargo Force, he was selected 25th overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Stars. As part of his development, Tufte then unrolled at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He spent three seasons as a Bulldog, and he played well enough there to earn himself an entry-level contract and a spot with Dallas' farm team, the Texas Stars.
Across parts of three seasons in Texas — which featured unremarkable statistics — Tufte only saw 10 games on an NHL sheet of ice. The Stars' faith in him as a still-developing young player, however, earned him a one-year, two-way SPC for the 2023-23 season. He would only play three games in the NHL that season, and the Stars elected to move on from the Ham Lake, Minnesota native. He signed as a Group 6 FA with the Colorado Avalanche for the 2023-24 season, and he really found his stride with the Colorado Eagles, netting 45 points in 67 games, and even put up two points in five games with the Avs; he had only put up one point in his 13 prior appearances in the NHL.
Despite numbers that showed drastic improvement, the Avs neglected to sign him that offseason, so he signed, once again as a Group 6 FA, with the Boston Bruins. Last season, spent almost entirely with the Providence Bruins, Tufte once again improved but underwhelmed in the NHL, registering zero points in six games. Accordingly, he goes into this offseason once again searching for a contract, hoping for a chance to prove he belongs as a pro.
Upside
The most consistent analysis that scouts and the media have noted as the highlight of Tufte's game is how agile he is, especially given how large a presence he is on the ice. This, in combination with soft hands and the ability to play a physical game, make him "a mismatch for any defender," and round him out as a player with dynamic, upward mobility.
One of the most notable byproducts of his size and vision is his ability to post up above the crease, deflect and corral pucks, and muscle home some greasy, gritty goals. He has shown a Landeskog and Nichusken-esque propensity for jamming in goals from high-danger areas. The former US World Junior representative has shown flashes of total dominance at every level apart from the NHL level, but he's still young; he turned 27 in April.
Risks
The main risk with Tufte is his size. Thus far, across juniors, college, and the AHL, it has been one of the most impactful components of his game: his ability to dominate and possess the puck at-will because of his sheer size and a lack of surrounding skill from his opponents. At the NHL level, however, this element may not work much in his favor, as NHL players are generally bigger and stronger than pretty much any other hockey players in the world. Because so much of his game relies upon his size, if that becomes a non-factor, there's a chance his other attributes — like good net-front presence and strong zone entries — may follow suit.
Additionally, the fact that Tufte is already on his third NHL team — and may soon be headed to a fourth — is worrisome. It is especially troubling that the three teams he has played for — the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, and Boston Bruins — all routinely roster power forwards, but he still couldn't crack any of their respective lineups in a meaningful way.
Role
With Mikko Rantanen now playing for the division rival Dallas Stars, the Avs could use another prototypical power foward in their lineup — especially someone already familiar, to an extent, with the systems in place in Colorado. For him to earn consistent inclusion on the Avs' roster, it will assuredly be the result of injuries and/or underperformance from some other fringe players; this also means a potential shot at the second power-play unit in a bumper, pivot, or net-front role.
Cost
If the Avs, who are already tight against the salary cap this impending offseason, were to once again gamble on Riley Tufte, it would certainly seem that he can expect a third-consecutive, one-year, league-minimum contract. In fact, regardless of what team gives Tufte a look this offseason, the deal will presumably mirror the one the Avs would offer him