New Jersey Devils fans might've looked the other way when the team signed Riley Tufte this offseason. After all, the ex-Boston Bruins forward has played just 28 games over five NHL seasons, totaling three goals, one assist, and a -7 rating in those games. The box score doesn't exactly label him as someone who will make an impact.
The positives of Tufte are that he is a massive 6-6, 234-pound power forward, someone who can put up with the rigors of being a bottom-six forward. He has been a successful AHL player offensively, including his first 30-goal season with the Providence Bruins in 2025-26 with 32 goals and 24 assists. Tufte won't be a 30-goal scorer in the NHL, but there have been some good scorers from the minors who turn into solid bottom-sixers who can give you 10-15 goals.
The question is whether Tufte can be one of those players, and there are two schools of thought when it comes to his time with the Bruins.
What can Riley Tufte's time with the Bruins tell Devils fans?
Tufte looked like the prototypical Bruin when he signed with the team before the 2024-25 season. He was one of those players that Boston fans looked at as someone who could steal a spot out of training camp because of his size, but he isn't as physical as some Bruins power forwards of the past. He played just six games that first season, while tallying 42 points in 58 games in the AHL.
The problem for Tufte during the 2025-26 season was that Don Sweeney went on a spending spree of bottom-six forwards and filled out his lineup with players like Tanner Jeannot, Michael Eyssimont, Sean Kuraly, Alex Steeves, and later Lukas Reichel. It didn't give Tufte much of an opportunity to earn a spot on the team, as his two-way contract allowed Sweeney to bury him in the minors.
Tufte did get to play four games because of injuries, and he recorded a goal, but as soon as the players were healthy again, he went back to Providence. The optimistic Devils fan can say, "The Bruins didn't give him a chance, but we will."
It's time to rain on that fan's parade a little bit now. The Bruins were able to see Tufte in 2024-25, and they still elected to sign a bunch of bottom-six forwards for 2025-26 instead of giving the power forward a chance. You can argue that Sweeney hasn't always made the best decisions when it comes to his roster construction, but there is one main reason why New Jersey shouldn't get too high on Tufte.
Sweeney and Cam Neely love a big power forward. They would move mountains to play that type of player over some younger, skilled guys. If Tufte couldn't find a way to impress them and get ice time in Boston, I'm not sure if he's going to do that in New Jersey, either.
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