from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,
It was somewhat of a surprise when the Detroit Red Wings used a second-round draft pick to select defenseman Antti Tuomisto last month.
Tuomisto, who was back home in Finland, had the same reaction.
“It was like ‘wow,’” Tuomisto said during the Red Wings development camp. “It was a great feeling.”
Tuomisto is a 6-foot-4, 194-pound offensive defenseman who posted 35 points (nine goals, 26 assists) in 45 games with Assat in the Finland junior league.
Some scouting services mentioned how Tuomisto wasn’t a player who was rated highly at the beginning of last season. But as the season progressed, Tuomisto’s ability to move the puck and make offensive plays shot him up the charts.
The Wings were eager to select Tuomisto with the first of their second-round picks (35th overall).
“I’ve liked this kid all year, for sure,” said Tyler Wright, the Wings’ director of amateur scouting. “We talk at length, and you watch the playoffs and see the size of these guys with St. Louis and Boston, it doesn’t mean they’re big and just big.
“This is a guy that’s 6-4, plays with a real bite to his game, but he’s a good player. He’s got good sense, he can find the middle of the ice.
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