Alex Tuch THW Close-Up:
Date of birth: 5/10/1996
Place of birth: Baldwinsville, New York
Ht: 6’3″ Wt: 216 lbs
Shoots: Right
Position: C/RW
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2014
Twitter: @Alextuch17
THW The Next Ones Rankings (January 2014): 29
Other Rankings:
THW War Room Rankings (April): 16
Craig Button: 27
CS Final Rankings for North American skaters: 12
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A burly forward, Alex Tuch is a step ahead of the game in terms of having the size and strength for the NHL. Another large power forward, Tuch does the simple things right to be productive on the ice. He also has great stickwork and battles relentlessly along the boards and in the corners.
Tuch is a point producer that has great hand-eye coordination. He’s great at tipping pucks from the point and gets a good amount of his goals driving to the net or playing around the crease. Strong on the puck, Tuch doesn’t have an issue using his body to shield players.
In the times I’ve watched him, his skating for a big man wasn’t the greatest I’ve seen. There are other power forward players in this draft who have better skating than he does, so that could use some work. But overall, Tuch is another budding power forward this draft has to offer.
Where Will He End Up In June:
Teams are always looking for the next great big man. Tuch will likely go in the 17-26 range.
Scout’s Honor:
“Tuch is a big power winger who skates well with strong balance. He typically is called upon to be the meat and potatoes guy on a skilled line and does so very effectively. Impressive forchecker. Uses his frame to protect the puck and physically supporting his linemates.“
Aaron Vickers – Future Considerations
“If you’ve been following the draft a lot lately, Tuch’s name is one you’ve heard rather often. He was the top American ranked by Central Scouting at No. 12, which has helped increase his buzz in a big way. It’s all warranted, too. At 6-3, 215, he has a pro frame already and teams love the size. What makes teams get really excited, however, is the fact that Tuch has some really solid puck skills (and not just for a player at his size). He has make-em-miss abilities at times, though can overuse his skill every now and again. Tuch skates pretty well and drives the net. You can find him playing with Eichel and Milano a lot, which almost doesn’t seem fair when they’re on the ice together. He was third on the team with 61 points, which included 29 goals in 54 games. Tuch has the toughness you want in a big man, but his ability to make things happen offensively is why he’s going to be one of the most watched prospects in this tournament.“
Chris Peters – United States of Hockey
Statistics:
Bio/Interview(s)/Links:
Profile on Last Word On Sports
International Tournaments:
Alex Tuch has played in two tournaments for Team USA. He’s won a bronze and a gold medal scoring one goal and six assists in 13 games.
ETA:
2-3 years
Risk/Reward Analysis:
Risk: 1/5 Reward: 4/5
NHL Potential:
2nd line power forward who can put points up
Strengths:
Size
Stickhandling
Board play
Gritty
Puck control
Flaws/Aspects He Needs To Work On:
Skating
Fantasy Hockey Potential:
Offensive: 7/10 Defensive: 4.5/10
NHL Player Comparison:
– NHL comparison: Blake Wheeler
Video(s):
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THW’s The Next Ones prospect profile template design architect: Chris Ralph
Follow Shawn on Twitter: @ShawnTHW