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For Stars prospect Riley Tufte, his defensive abilities are key to earning his NHL debut

Tufte, a 2016 first-round pick, is one of the oldest players on the roster for the Traverse City prospect tournament.

FRISCO — When Stars executives and coaches talk about how different players develop along different timelines, Riley Tufte might as well be a poster child for it.

Tufte, a 2016 first-round pick yet to make his NHL debut, is one of the oldest players on the team’s roster for the Traverse City prospect tournament. His development has been a topsy-turvy one since Dallas took him No. 25 — going from a Minnesota high school scoring machine to a complementary piece on a national championship Minnesota-Duluth college team to a penalty-kill specialist the last two seasons with AHL affiliate Texas.

Six players drafted after Tufte have made their Stars debut before him. Only three players on the Traverse City roster are older than Tufte, and two spent four years in college. Tye Felhaber is the only other player on the roster with two years of professional playing experience in North America.

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Tufte, 23, will be a rookie when he eventually reaches the NHL, but this week, he’s one of the old-timers.

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“You’re looking at all these young kids that just got drafted and it’s crazy to think that it’s already going to be my third year pro,” Tufte said. “I feel like a veteran out there. I try to talk to these younger guys and make sure they’re on the same page and know they can look up to me and ask me questions.”

Tufte will be entering the final season of his entry-level contract and looking to position himself for an in-season callup should Dallas need help in the bottom six. At 6-6, he’s a long, rangy defensive forward at this stage but still may be behind players such as Ty Dellandrea, Rhett Gardner, Nick Caamano and Tanner Kero if the Stars need someone to fill that role.

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Finding his niche is a new development for Tufte. As he struggled to score in the AHL (six goals in 89 games), Texas coach Neil Graham plopped him on the shutdown line with Gardner and fed him PK minutes.

At this point, Tufte knows that’s his path to the NHL.

“I think coming in, my defensive game wasn’t there, but playing in the American League the past few years, I feel like my defensive game has come a long way,” Tufte said. “I think if I’m going to make it to the NHL, that’s going to be a big part of it.”

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Tufte also physically stands out among Stars prospects as recent draft picks have trended toward smaller, skilled players over big, physical ones. Tufte is the only Stars prospect taller than 6-3 and heavier than 215 pounds.

Graham wants Tufte to use his size more.

“Especially moving forward and trying to establish himself at the next level,” Graham said. “He’s done a nice job for us on the penalty kill, using his reach, using his speed. He has to continue to do that on a nightly basis, and he has to add that physical element that you guys all talk about.

“He’s a big man, right? And he can skate extremely well for a big man, so it’s important to bring that presence, whether it’s finishing a bump, having a presence around the net, possessing pucks low. Those are areas that he needs to continue to work at and excel at to be an everyday player up top.”

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