RW Alex Tuch (2014, 18th, MIN; traded to VGK)

[Granlund2Pulkkinen*]

Where is this kid supposed to go? I remember reading about him in Syracuse but haven't kept up with him too much.

Click to read more...

 

[PricerStopDaPuck]

I'm also curious. Chl rights held by Guelph big forward 6'3 219 and putting up some pretty good numbers. I've also never seen him play... Anybody here know anything about him?

 

[AmericanDream]

Alex is a rising star, top 15-20 is a legit possibility. he plays the power forward game and has an offensive game that reminds me a bit of J.T Miller and his time with the USNDP. Definitely making a name for himself this year.

 

[sigx15]

Where is this kid supposed to go? I remember reading about him in Syracuse but haven't kept up with him too much.

He's definitely seriously opening some eyes this year. The draft projections are seriously all over the map on him though. Ive seen him listed as high as #10 and as low as #45. I think the people who are listing him low haven't seen him play but right now I think its safe to say hes somewhere between picks 15-30.

Hes a guy thats really grown into his size. A lot of times, people have a hard time projecting a players size paired with skating ability/speed in the NHL. Hes really become a pretty physical player with really good skating ability and starting to fill out his large frame. Hes really come into his own this year. Now people will ask, are his numbers a product of playing with Milano and Eichel or is he doing it on his own. I think its a product of both. Now scouts will have to decide will he project to be a top line player or a middling 2nd/3rd liner with good physicality and size. Obvisouly time will tell but that will ultimately decide if a team decides to draft him 15th overall or 30th overall.

I think he'll be the kind of guy who the U18 World Championships could be massive for solidifying a high draft position.

 

[usascout1]

Plays on a line with Eichel and Milano. Very good at protecting the puck. Should be a first rounder otherwise will be an early second rounder. Definitely heading to Boston College next season.

 

[DKQ]

Reminds me of Brandon Saad. Quality puck possession player, really uses his strength effectively and is able to do solid work along the boards. I wouldn't call him a very creative player, but he plays with two of those so it's not like he's carrying his line and showing off his puck skills. I'd rank him as a late first-rounder and a fairly safe pick; his natural tools alone may cause a team to take a flyer on him in the top 15 though

 

[Nitehowl]

Reminds me of Brandon Saad. Quality puck possession player, really uses his strength effectively and is able to do solid work along the boards. I wouldn't call him a very creative player, but he plays with two of those so it's not like he's carrying his line and showing off his puck skills. I'd rank him as a late first-rounder and a fairly safe pick; his natural tools alone may cause a team to take a flyer on him in the top 15 though

Could you compare Tuch to a couple RW from 2013 draft, McCarron and Fasching?

 

[Prussian_Blue]

Plays on a line with Eichel and Milano. Very good at protecting the puck. Should be a first rounder otherwise will be an early second rounder. Definitely heading to Boston College next season.

If the Blues use their first-rounder on Milano, and Edmonton's second-rounder on Tuch, I will call that a very successful draft for my team... and that scenario seems very probable as things stand right now.

 

[ChiGuySez]

Highly unlikely Tuch falls outside the first round.

 

[Jee]

Anything new on him ? His size is interesting, pretty sure the Habs would love someone like him.

 

[Mark Edwards]

Anything new on him ? His size is interesting, pretty sure the Habs would love someone like him.

I chatted briefly about him on the radio last week. It's around the 14:50 mark

link

I'd be surpassed if he slipped past the 20th pick if the draft was tomorrow. I know a few teams that like him higher than that. We shall see how the rest of the season goes.

I spoke to him after a game as well, nice kid but a couple of his answers were 'agent speak' which many scouts hate to hear, including me. As a comparison, I spoke to Nick Ritchie last weekend and his answers were anything but 'agent speak'.

Regardless, I really like his game. We have him ranked 11th overall.

 

[Jee]

I chatted briefly about him on the radio last week. It's around the 14:50 mark

link

I'd be surpassed if he slipped past the 20th pick if the draft was tomorrow. I know a few teams that like him higher than that. We shall see how the rest of the season goes.

I spoke to him after a game as well, nice kid but a couple of his answers were 'agent speak' which many scouts hate to hear, including me. As a comparison, I spoke to Nick Ritchie last weekend and his answers were anything but 'agent speak'.

Regardless, I really like his game. We have him ranked 11th overall.

That's just great thanks. What about his compete level? Does he always give his all?

 

[theIceWookie]

I chatted briefly about him on the radio last week. It's around the 14:50 mark

link

I'd be surpassed if he slipped past the 20th pick if the draft was tomorrow. I know a few teams that like him higher than that. We shall see how the rest of the season goes.

I spoke to him after a game as well, nice kid but a couple of his answers were 'agent speak' which many scouts hate to hear, including me. As a comparison, I spoke to Nick Ritchie last weekend and his answers were anything but 'agent speak'.

Regardless, I really like his game. We have him ranked 11th overall.

Can you elaborate why you don't like agent speak?

 

[Pahlsson26]

Anything new on him ? His size is interesting, pretty sure the Habs would love someone like him.

Pacioretty-Galchenyuk-Tuch/McCarron

 

[usascout1]

Can you elaborate why you don't like agent speak?

Tuch is a great kid and actually a very intelligent kid who is well-spoken. He is anything but "agent speak" whatever that is.

 

[arsmaster*]

Pretty clear that "agent speak" means the kid has been coached on how to answer questions by his agent.

Why scouts don't like it, is because they know what the answer is supposed to be, they want to know what the kids really think.

 

[Daneurism]

Tuch is a great kid and actually a very intelligent kid who is well-spoken. He is anything but "agent speak" whatever that is.

So you know what it is or you don't know?

You seem to be taking this a little personally.

 

[Mark Edwards]

That's just great thanks. What about his compete level? Does he always give his all?

Always been good in my viewings.

Can you elaborate why you don't like agent speak?

It's very common these days, kids are coached up to give very generic answers to avoid the 'risk' of giving an answer that a team might not like. I don't hold it against the kid. They are just doing what they are being advised to do.

Pacioretty-Galchenyuk-Tuch/McCarron

As a born and raised Montreal guy, it pains me to watch McCarron this season. He's really struggled.

Tuch is a great kid and actually a very intelligent kid who is well-spoken. He is anything but "agent speak" whatever that is.

I never said anything about him not being a great kid, in fact, if memory serves I even tweeted out he seemed like a good kid. He's not the first great kid to give generic 'answers'.

Pretty clear that "agent speak" means the kid has been coached on how to answer questions by his agent.

This.

Why scouts don't like it, is because they know what the answer is supposed to be, they want to know what the kids really think.

Makes it more difficult to get to know the kid, I can tell you from my own experience and from talking to NHL guys, the kids are getting better at it each year. I'd say that 50% of players I have spoken to this year gave me the generic answers.

 

[StormSurge9]

Any chance this kid plays for the Guelph Storm? Would love to see him in major junior style hockey.

Or is he a firm BC commit?

 

[usascout1]

So you know what it is or you don't know?

You seem to be taking this a little personally.

Obviously I know what it is. I also think it was a stupid criticism to bring up. All I will say on this matter.

 

[sigx15]

Any chance this kid plays for the Guelph Storm? Would love to see him in major junior style hockey.

Or is he a firm BC commit?

Honestly, who knows now a days. Is anything really a firm commit? He did sign a LOI and committed to BC not long after he was drafted by Guelph. But to put it in perspective, here are guys who have committed or played college hockey and decided to play CHL instead...

Mike Mccarron - Western Michigan
Ryan Hartman - Miami
Adam Erne - BU
JT Miller - North Dakota
Connor Murphy - Miami
Tyler Biggs - Miami and left after a year to play for Oshawa
Brandon Saad - Michigan
Charlie Coyle - BU and left midseason to go to St Johns

Those are just a few of the most recent guys all 1st or 2nd rounders. There's been plenty of guys who have held their commitments especially to BC. They have seemed to escaped many of the late decommits but it has happened like in the case of Kenny Ryan. But they've held onto the likes of Ian McCoshen, Mike Matheson, Steve Santini, Kevin Hayes, Adam gilmore, Chris Calnan, Jimmy Hayes, Chris Kreider, Brian Dumoulin, etc. all who were high NHL draft picks and held their commitment there.

That said, its not a firm commit imho until they step foot on campus in the fall. Usually its after the draft when the shoe drops on these kids. BC followers are less worried about Tuch's commitment than they are about Sonny Milano's.

 

[Bluenote13]

If the NYR's still own their first come June, this is the kind of guy they would take. Upstate NY hometown, Power Forward, JT Miller Comparison, headed to Boston College.

 

[Steve Kournianos]

Tuch knows Boo Nieves. I can see him being a riser...maybe top 12-15.

 

[Mike Mike Caron]

Obviously I know what it is. I also think it was a stupid criticism to bring up. All I will say on this matter.

In this article he kind of point out that he is not that "firm" about his commitment.

After Tuch completed his sophomore year at Baldwinsville, it was clear that to best develop his game he'd have to pack his gear and leave in pursuit of elite competition. His primary choices were the Ontario Hockey League (one of three Canadian Major Junior divisions) or the NTDP.

"It's probably the toughest thing we ever did send him away,'' Carl recalled. "That's what everybody said, you have to send him somewhere.''

The NTDP was the choice by a narrow margin, in large part because of the frequent opportunities for international play.

http://blog.syracuse.com/sports/2014/01/baldwinsvilles_alex_tuch_heade.html

 

[sigx15]

In this article he kind of point out that he is not that "firm" about his commitment.



http://blog.syracuse.com/sports/2014/01/baldwinsvilles_alex_tuch_heade.html

I think you're kind of making the article work for you a bit. He talks of the hard decsion on whether to choose the NTDP or OHL. Note: It was after he decided to play NTDP, 3 months after the OHL draft he committed to BC.

Later on in the article his dad talks about how long he wants Tuch to play at BC...

That preparation will steer him to BC next season and presumably for a couple years after that, regardless of how strong the lure offered by the team that drafts Tuch. Carl and Sharon have hammered home to Alex there's so much work that remains unfinished, and piling on a few years worth of education is the foundation of all other plans.

"He's got a long ways to go, still. He's a hard-working kid. He understands everything,'' Carl said. "My preference, I'd like him to stay three years. If he gets drafted later (in a lower round), then stay the whole time. There's so much life after hockey. If he doesn't go three years, it's so hard to finish your degree.'

I just wouldnt use this article to make a judgement one way or the other on it.