The Red Wings have something of a “wild card” in prospect Kirill Tyutyayev, who’s all of 5’10” and 176 pounds.
The 21-year-old Grand Rapids Griffins-contracted prospect missed the majority of the 2021-2022 season with what Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen reveals was a shoulder injury. However, as Allen notes in today’s prospect profile, Tyutyayev made such an impact at last fall’s prospect tournament that people still believe in his potential to–if he keeps on defying expectations–become a game-breaker:
Tyutyayev is not your traditional seventh-round draft pick. There is something about him that makes you want to see more. There’s something special about his relationship with the puck.
He was a novelty when drafted because he didn’t weigh 150 pounds. But he’s now listed as 5-foot-10, 178 pounds. He might be over 180 now. Grand Rapids teammate Jared McIsaac notes Tyutyayev protects the puck well for an undersized player. He is still only 21.
The odds are against Tyutyayev. The Red Wings haven’t signed him. He’s playing on a minor league contract. But he is still on Detroit’s radar.
But scouts saw him score 47 goals in 31 games when he was playing in a Russia junior league. In 2020-21, he registered 32 points in the Belarus League. He added 10 more points in the playoffs.
People find themselves rooting for Tyutyayev. Lucas Raymond called him “a beauty” at last fall’s prospect camp.
“He’s a smart player,” Raymond said. “He’s a bit unpredictable and I can imagine hard to play against.”
Continued; I don’t know whether Tyutyayev will earn an NHL contract, never mind crack the Red Wings’ roster, but his skill level is elite, and his work ethic is elite.
The question is whether his physical development, his mental development and his hockey development will converge at the same time.
