Friday, June 27, 2014

A New Face In The State Of Hockey: Alex Tuch

Alex Tuch standing between Guy Lapointe (left) and Brent Flahr (right).
Photo: Bill Streicher/USA Today
Alex Tuch
Forward
6'4"
215 lbs
Shoots: Right
Born: May 10, 1996
Birthplace: Baldwinsville, NY
Acquired: Drafted in the 1st round (18th Overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft


Tonight, the Minnesota Wild watched as Alex Tuch, a player highly coveted on their draft board, fell to them at the 18th pick. Chuck Fletcher received a few calls from other teams as to if he wanted to trade back in the first round, but with Tuch available, he declined and took the Boston College winger.

Tuch has spent the past two seasons playing for the United States Development team. He also is committed to attending Boston College in the fall, playing for the Eagles in the Hockey East Conference.





Plain and simple, Tuch is a power forward. At 6'4", he projects to be a big presence in front of the net for Minnesota. He can skate well, has great hands, gives tremendous effort, and can play a good two way game. His best attributes come in the offensive zone where he uses his big frame and great strength to win the battles out front of the net and along the boards. Tuch is also a very smart player, and knows when to take a chance on pitching in deep or when to back off and try and make a better play on the defensive side.

He is clearly a player the Wild covet for the long term. Solid two way player who can be a terror on the offensive zone.

Moving forward, we should not be expecting Tuch to be wearing the Wild uniform for quite some time. He will get a couple of years in with Boston College, allowing him to grow and get better. But one thing that will not change over time, is what he will be when he finally gets to the NHL. A power forward. A player the Wild have really lacked in their short NHL history.

In time we will get to know more about Alex Tuch, but for now, all we can do is welcome him to the State of Hockey.

Welcome to the Team of 18,001 Alex Tuch!


Follow Giles on Twitter @gilesferrell

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