His first season as a pro in North America was delayed by injury. But Antti Tuomisto has made up for lost time.

The 6-4 Finnish defenseman, taken with the No. 35 pick in the 2019 NHL draft, spent last season in Finland (TPS Turku) after playing the previous two years at the University of Denver. A shoulder injury sustained in practice early in this season sidelined him until mid-December.

Since then, he has played in 45 games, with five goals and 12 assists and a plus-minus of +7, gaining the admiration of his teammates, and attention from the highest levels of the Red Wings organization.

The post Tuomisto GR Development Drawing Attention in Detroit (+) appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Make that two titles for Shai Buium.

Buium became a national champion for the second time in three seasons. It happened when the University of Denver beat Boston College 2-0 on  Saturday night. The big defenseman was taken in the second round by the Red Wings (No. 36 overall) in the 2021  NHL Draft.

It’s the 10th NCAA national title for Denver, breaking a tie with Michigan, and the fifth title for the Pioneers in the last 20 years.

“It’s what we go for, why you come to Denver —  to win championships,” Buium said in a postgame interview on ESPN. ‘There’s no better feeling, especially playing with my brother, I’m so happy right now.”

Buium Brothers Assist On Goals

Shai Buium assisted on Denver’s first goal and brother Zeev assisted on Denver’s second goal. The game was scoreless after one period. The Pioneers (32-9-3) got goals from Jared Wright and Rieger Lorenz in the second period, then turned things over to their defense.

Goalie Matt Davis allowed only three goals in the tournament.  He turned in a virtuoso performance in net in the third period. The veteran stopped 25 shots in the period, some in spectacular fashion, as the Pioneers held off a Boston College team that led the NCAA in scoring this season.

Denver won at least 30 games for the third season in a row.  Boston College (34-6-1) had won 15 in a row.

https://t.co/RNfeZBWjgg

— Sara Civ (@SaraCivian) April 14, 2024

Zeev Buium, expected to go early in this year’s NHL Draft, was named to the All-Tournament team. Davis was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

A pair of Red Wings prospects were on the Denver team that won the 2022 title. Carter Mazur and Antti Tuomisto were busy Saturday night as the Griffins played Chicago.

‘It’s always fun to talk talk about about Denver and our experiences there and how they’re doing right now,” Mazur said earlier this month. ‘”So it’s been really fun to follow.”

They have more to talk about now.

The post Red Wings Prospect Adds Another Natty To Resume appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

One subplot of the Grand Rapid Griffins’ strong season has been the pleasing development of defensemen Antti Tuomisto and William Wallinder.

While Simon Edvinsson and Albert Johansson receive most of the attention in the assessment of the Grand Rapids’ defensive prospects, Tuomisto and Wallinder are demonstrating their NHL potential. The 6-foot-5 Finn Tuomisto has five goals and owns a plus-7 plus-minus. The 6-foot-4 Swede Wallinder shows three goals and is plus-1.

“They’ve progressed really well,” Detroit GM Steve Yzerman said earlier this month. “Both of them are really good. Antti’s a right shot, William is a left shot. Different players but they’re both big. Antti’s big and strong, physical, great shot, passes the puck really well. William probably a little bit lighter. Tall, lanky guy, really good skater, moves the puck really well. Probably a little bit more active in the rush offensively.”

The post What the Red Wings Really Think About Tuomisto and Wallinder (+) appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Marco Kasper produced the kind of weekend performance the Detroit Red Wings hoped they would see from him when they drafted him No. 8 in the 2022 NHL draft.

The day after scoring an overtime goal to give the Grand Rapids Griffins a win, Kasper scored twice and assisted on the game-winner in a come-from-behind behind 4-3 win against the Manitoba. This was his second three-point game of the season, and fifth multi-point game, for the young Austrian forward.

The Red Wings know Kasper has a hard-nosed style that will get him in the NHL, but are hoping they will see him building his offensive game in his time in Grand Rapids. Kasper played one game last season in Detroit.

The Griffins scored four third-period goals after falling behind 3-0 in the game. Austin Czarnik and Zach Aston-Reese also scored for the Griffins in this road game. On Friday, the Griffins erased a 4-1 deficit to win in OT. Grand Rapids (16-15-4-1) are in third place in the AHL’s Central Division. That’s a playoff position. The Red Wings want to see the Griffins in the playoffs to give their prospects that experience.

Simon Edvinsson assisted on the first Kasper goal. Edvinsson now has 21 points in 34 games.

The Griffins scored four unanswered goals in the third period for their second straight come-from-behind victory in a 4-3 win over the Manitoba Moose at the Canada Life Centre.

: https://t.co/TFXt64I9qA pic.twitter.com/1mFfp06XdL

— Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) January 21, 2024

Defenseman Antti Tuomisto also added two assists in the win to give him three points on the weekend. After missing the start of the season with an injury, he has seven points in 16 games. He also had six points in five games for the Toledo Walleye when he was playing there as a step in his injury recovery. Although Tuomisto isn’t considered a premium prospect, he is making the Red Wings take notice.

The post Marco Kasper 5-Point Weekend Sparks Griffins to Two Wins appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

If you are looking to solve the case of the Grand Rapids Griffins’ five-game winning streak, the evidence shows that the fingerprints of Detroit Red Wings prospects are all over it.

The Contributors

• Jonatan Berggren (drafted 33rd in 2018) registered a goal and an assist Saturday night to help the Griffins down the Iowa Wild 4-1 for their fifth consecutive win.  The Swedish forward has two goals, three multiple games and seven points during the streak.
• Carter Mazur (drafted 70th in 2021) also tallied his sixth goal in the past eight games in that win against Iowa. Mazur totals four goals, five points and 18 shots on goal in the five victories.
• Marco Kasper (drafted eighth overall in 2022) assisted on Joel L’Esperance’s goal to give him six points in the five games. After a slow start, he now has 14 points in 31 games.
• Amadeus Lombardi (drafted 113th in 2022) assisted on Berggren’s goal. He has three assists in the streak. Lombardi now has 12 points.

Tuomisto Rising

• After an injury undermined the start of his first season in North American pro hockey, defenseman Antti Tuomisto  (drafted 35th overall) has established himself as a significant contributor on Grand Rapids’ defense. The 6-foot-5 Finland native has two goals and three points in the five games. If count the time he spent with the Toledo Walleye as part of his rehabilitation stint, Tuomisto has launched his North American pro career with seven goals and 10 points in his first 17 games.
• Defenseman Albert Johansson (drafted 60th overall in 2019) picked up an assist to give him two goals and three points in the streak. He’s also +6. Johansson may not be a top pairing defenseman at the NHL level, but he’s going to play and be a dependable player. He’s +13 this season for the Griffins.
• Prize prospect Simon Edvinsson (drafted sixth overall in 2021) is +4 during the streak and boasts three points.
•  Goalie Sebastian Cossa (drafted 15th overall in 2021) is 2-0 during the Grand Rapids run. One of his wins was an impressive 29-save effort to best Jesper Wallstedt who was rated ahead of him in the 2021 draft year.

pic.twitter.com/sv3K1b7ZYY

— Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) January 7, 2024

Last summer, Detroit GM Steve Yzerman made it point to say he wanted to make Grand Rapids a more competitive team. The Red Wings will continue to have top prospects playing for the Griffins. He wants to make sure their AHL experience includes playoff action.

With their recent run, the Griffins are 14-3-3-1, good enough for third place in the AHL’s Central Division.  One of Yzerman’s goals was to solidify the Griffins’ goaltending. The signing of veteran Michael Hutchinson, 33, has helped in that regard. He has given up only five goals in three wins during the streak.

The post Red Wings’ Prospects Carrying Their Weight in Griffins Win Streak appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

GRAND RAPIDS — Detroit Red Wings prospect defenseman Antti Tuomisto’s season got off to a delayed start, but he’s making up for that lost time.

His season went on pause in October after just two games. A shoulder injury sustained in practice put him on the injured list for six weeks, followed by a five-game stint with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye.

“It had been a long time without playing, so it was nice to get in some games,” he said. “I got a lot of ice time, which was nice.”

The post Tuomisto Rebounding From Early Season Injury (+) appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Under the tutelage of GM Steve Yzerman, the Detroit Red Wings have made 12 selections in the NHL entry draft. That’s good news from a rebuilding standpoint. On the other hand, there’s also worrisome news. There isn’t one among those 12 players who’ve suited up for an NHL game.

Granted, three of those players – goaltender Trey Augustine and defensemen Andrew Gibson and Brady Cleveland – were only recently selected in the 2023 draft. It’s far too early to write any of them out of the future.

And, it’s also worth noting that for the most part, Yzerman and his scouting staff are opting to be selecting players who are heading to play U.S. college hockey, or who are playing in Europe. They are certainly specializing in players that they can afford time and patience to while they are developing.

That being said, the team has now gone through five drafts under Yzerman. And really, beyond first rounders like defenseman Moritz Seider (2019) and winger Lucas Raymond (2020), the Red Wings haven’t come up with another NHL regular from that draft pool.

Red Wings 2019 Draft Class Under Scrutiny

Alarm bells certainly went off earlier this week when winger Robert Mastrosimone was signing an AHL deal with the Toronto Marlies. He was part of Yzerman’s first draft class, chosen 54th overall in 2019 and wasn’t considered even worthy of a contract offer.

“At some point we hope to have a really good nucleus, but the reality is that somewhere along the way they don’t all play,” Yzerman said of NHL draftees. “Maybe you don’t have room for them all. One player hasn’t developed the way you hoped, so you take another at that position, or trade and acquire to fill that void.”

That being the case, it’s also abundantly true that in a salary cap world, the fastest way to climb up the standings is by drafting effectively.

“If you don’t have a good team, you better have a lot of draft picks, because how are you gonna get better?” Yzerman asked.

Playing in an exhibition game with Färjestad+NHLers fostered there Albert Johansson scores on a penalty shot. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/poy89Agbtu

— Lars Thorsell (@LarsThorsell) August 2, 2023

Of Detroit’s other two second rounders, defenseman Albert Johansson (60th) spent last season with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins. Word within the organization was were it not for a late-season injury, Johansson likely would’ve been getting an NHL look.

The first second rounder ever chosen by the Yzerman regime, Finnish defenseman Antti Tuomisto (32nd) will be making his North American pro debut with the Griffins this fall. Considering that forward Elmer Soderblom (159th overall) was also seeing duty in 21 NHL games for Detroit last season, there’s still a chance that the club could be producing three NHLers from the 2019 crop, which in hockey circles is considered a good draft.

Red Wings 2nd Round Picks Under Steve Yzerman

It’s going to be a big year for Detroit draftees in terms of turning corners. Defenseman William Wallinder (32nd, 2020) is also going to be debuting in Grand Rapids. Left-winger Cross Hanas (55-2020) is beginning his second campaign with the Griffins. He’ll be looking to rebound from season-ending shoulder surgery.

Right-winger Theodor Neiderbach (51-2020) needs a breakthrough year with MoDo of the SHL. Otherwise it’s unlikely he’ll be earning a Detroit contract. Scouts are offering mixed reviews of Denver defenseman Shai Buium (36-2021).

First goal in KHL for 19-year-old Dmitry Buchelnikov! pic.twitter.com/REPZdikyra

— KHL (@khl_eng) September 28, 2022

It’ll be another two years at least before left-winger Dmitri Buchelnikov’s Russian commitments are complete. He remains an international man of mystery. Left-winger Dylan James enters his sophomore year at North Dakota after finishing strongly in 2022-23.

Still Too Early To Write Off Detroit’s Second Rounders

It will take another year or two before anyone will be penning an epitaph regarding Yzerman’s first two draft classes. That doesn’t mean there isn’t justifiable cause for concern.

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When Yzerman was building a Stanley Cup contender in Tampa Bay, he and his staff unearthed several gems in the later rounds of the draft. Nikita Kucherov (58th) and Ondrej Palat (208th) were selections in 2011. Brayden Point (79-2014) was another steal.

If the Red Wings want to get better, they’d better start finding some players of this ilk.

The post On Draft Day, Red Wings Aren’t Second Best appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Almost everyone on the Grand Rapids Griffins roster has something to prove this season. If a player is not a young prospect trying to show he deserves a chance to play in the NHL, then he is an older player trying to earn a second chance in the NHL. Antti Tuomisto, 22, falls in the first category.

He was drafted 35th overall in 2019. But perhaps he has a special distinction because the Red Wings are looking forward to having a better read on Tuomisto’s potential. The 6-foot-5 Finn seemed like an ordinary prospect when he was playing college hockey at Denver in 2021-22. But the Red Wings were impressed with Tuomisto’s progress playing last season in Finland’s top pro league. Now, Tuomisto is a true curiosity.

His sole purpose of returning to Finland was to improve his NHL potential.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Tuomisto said. “Get a bigger role maybe than I had in Denver and also play with older guys, a little bigger guys in Finland.”

As a college player, Tuomisto looked as if he was becoming a defense-first prospect. But he demonstrated more offensive potential for TPS Turku, totaling five goals and 20 points.  The Red Wings like his first-pass ability.

He received power play time in Finland.

“I got more ice time,” Tuomisto said. “That really helped me getting those reps. I want to use my shot. That’s something I worked on a lot with Sammy Salo, our D coach in Finland and Niklas Kronwall, we worked a lot on that. I think I got a lot better in that last season.”

Where Does Tuomisto Fit?

This season, the Red Wings will sort out where Tuomisto fits among the prospects. The Red Wings seem to have already established that Simon Edvinsson, Albert Johansson and William Wallinder are their top three defensive prospects. Although younger, 2023 first rounder Axel Sandin Pellikka, might be right after them. Does Tuomisto fit right after this group?

Tuomisto said leaving Denver was a hard decision. He reached the decision. It was not the Red Wings’ idea.

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“I thought about it for a long time, for months, what’s the right decision for my future,” Tuomisto said. “But I think I made a good choice.”

It made sense because Tuomisto was playing against older, more experienced players.

“There’s a lot of skating in Finland, too. Bigger sheet,” Tuomisto said. “Also puck battles and stuff like that, with bigger guys, it’s harder. That helped me a lot.”

His skating improved this past season.

“Skating is a big thing for me as a big guy, got to be able to skate,” Tuomisto said. “And also if I want to defend good I got to be good in the battles, harder.”

He feels comfortable with the idea of playing in the American Hockey League

“After playing two years in college it’s not going to be a completely new thing for me playing in North America,” Tuomisto said. “It’s going to be higher than college, so I have to see what that’s going to be like.”

The post Red Wings Will Have a Better Read on Tuomisto Playing In GR appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Any Detroit Red Wings fan who wants to see what the team will look like when the rebuild is completed only needs to make the 157-mile drive to watch the Grand Rapids Griffins play this season.

Depending on who makes the Red Wings roster this season, it’s possible, on some nights, 55 percent (11 players) of the Griffins’ lineup could be Steve Yzerman draft picks.  That doesn’t include Yzerman undrafted prospect free agent signings, such as Wyatt Newpower, Alexandre Doucet and John Lethemon. It also doesn’t include prospect Jared McIsaac, 23, who was a Ken Holland draftee.

Since taking over as GM in 2019, Yzerman has participated in five drafts and selected seven first round picks. Two of the first round picks (Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond) are in Detroit, and three (Sebastian Cossa, Simon Edvinsson and Marco Kasper) could start in Grand Rapids. The 2023 first rounders (Nate Danielson and Axel Sandin Pellikka) will return to their teams from last season.

Dan Watson, the highly successful Toledo Walleye coach from last season, is the Griffins’ new coach this season. This is the Yzerman draft picks he might have this season:

First-Rounders

They start with goalie Sebastian Cossa, considered by many to be the Red Wings’ goalie of the near future. The team’s top draft pick in 2021 had a strong season Toledo.

Defenseman Simon Edvinsson (No. 5 in 2021) is recovering from surgery and it’s hard to say with certainty whether he will be ready for the start of the season. He could start in Detroit or Grand Rapids.

Forward Marco Kasper, taken in the first round in 2022, played in one game for the Red Wings last year. In theory, he could win a Detroit roster spot in training camp.

Second-Rounders

Defenseman Antti Tuomisto is a 2019 pick who played in Finland after two years at the University of Denver.  Defenseman Albert Johansson, the third of the three second-round picks that year, spent last season in Grand Rapids.

Another defenseman, William Wallinder, a 2020 second-rounder  who played in a single game at Grand Rapids last year, spent most of last winter playing in Sweden.

Forward Cross Hanas, the third of three second-round picks in 2020, returns to Grand Rapids after scoring nine goals in 30 games last season.

Third-Rounders

Defenseman Eemil Viro spent most of his first pro season with Grand Rapids last winter.  He was taken in the third round in 2020. Forward Carter Mazur, a third-round pick in 2021, played in six games with the Griffins last year after leaving the University of Denver, scoring three goals.

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Other notables

Amadeus Lombardi, a fourth-round pick in 2022, is highly touted in his first full pro season after scoring 45 goals for the Flint Firebirds of the OHL last season.

Elmer Soderblom, a sixth-round pick in 2019, played in 21 games for Detroit and 20 for Grand Rapids, recording the same scoring line (5-3—8) at both levels. There’s certainly a chance he will start the season in Detroit.

The post The Griffins Will Mostly Be Yzerman Players in 2023-24 appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

(Editor’s Note: This is the latest installment in Detroit Hockey Now’s Tomorrow’s Red Wings series about Detroit’s prospects).

Like left-handed pitchers in baseball, there’s always going to be a market for right-shot defensemen in the NHL. That’s why the Detroit Red Wings were happy to get Antti Tuomisto to put pen to paper and sign with the club. The right-shot blueliner inked a two-year entry-level contract beginning with the 2023-24 season on March 19.

UPDATE: The #RedWings today signed defenseman Antti Tuomisto to a two-year entry-level contract beginning with the 2023-24 season.

» https://t.co/NkM6aSh8ih pic.twitter.com/sQOkZzWtXJ

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 19, 2023

Tuomisto, 22, was Detroit’s 35th overall selection in the second round of the 2019 NHL entry draft. At 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, he’s certainly bringing NHL size to the ice.

Tuomisto Making His Best Decision

A year ago, after winning an NCAA title with the Denver Pioneers, where he was teammates with fellow Red Wings draftees Carter Mazur and Shai Buium, Tuomisto was making the choice to return to his native Finland to play for TPS Turku in the SM-liiga. Tuomisto would finish with 5-15-20 totals over 60 games. His point total was the highest of any defenseman 23 years of age or
younger in Finland’s top professional league.

Antti

Tuomisto drills his first career goal for @DU_Hockey #NCHCHockey x #PioneerTogether pic.twitter.com/gnWWoeXE7S

— The NCHC (@TheNCHC) January 24, 2021

“If not the best, then one of the best decisions in my career to come to TPS and I’m really happy that I came, Tuomisto told Finnish website iltalehti.fi.

“I developed as a player during the season and there were a lot of skills that developed both on and off the ice. Maybe I have improved in defensive playing and consistency.”

Analysis

The Red Wings took their time before bringing Tuomisto to play pro on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. As a European draft pick playing NCAA hockey, they could afford to allow the lanky Finn the time to evolve his game.

“Antti’s a guy who’s maybe taken a little bit longer to get over here then some but not in a negative capacity,” Red Wings assistant GM Shawn Horcoff said. “I just think he’s a big kid who was underdeveloped. I think he needed some time.

As a junior with Assat Pori, his hometown team, there was evidence of an offensive upside in Tuomisto’s game. He posted successive campaigns of 35 and 49 points in the Finnish U20 league. However, at Denver, he fell into more of a shutdown defender role. His offensive instincts seem to be returning as he came back to his homeland.

“Last year we saw him take a step forward in his development,” Horcoff said. “He played very meaningful minutes and did very well in that league.”

Forecast

Expect to see Tuomisto making the adaptation to the North American game by starting the 2023-24 campaign with Detroit’s top farm club, the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins.

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“We signed him with the idea of stepping into Grand Rapids next season,” Horcoff said. “We’re all hoping he can come in and step in right away and win a position on that back end and be good for us right away.”

The post Tomorrow’s Red Wings: Antti Tuomisto a Coveted Right-Shot Defender appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.