Earlier today the Flyers announced officially that they signed their top pick in the 2021 Draft, Samu Tuomaala, to a 3-year entry level contract.

OFFICIAL: We’ve signed forward @TuomaalaSamu to a three-year entry-level contract. Tuomaala was our 2nd round pick (46th overall) in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. https://t.co/cXMhapgtRV

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) August 14, 2021

Samu Tuomaala will stay in Finland next season as his contract allows him to go back to Liiga for the season, per Bill Meltzer.

The Flyers have signed 2021 second-round pick Samu Tuomaala to an entry-level contract. The contract can slide to Liiga next season.

— Bill Meltzer (@billmeltzer) August 14, 2021

The 18 year old right winger is the first 2021 Draft selection to be inked to an entry level contract for the Flyers and it’s just another example of Chuck Fletcher instilling confidence in HIS guys. Directly following the prior 2020 NHL Draft, Fletcher signed picks Tyson Foerster and Zayde Wisdom to entry level contracts out of the gate and just months after that they were progressing well in the American Hockey League.

Tuomaala is a prospect who has been widely regarded as a late first round talent that slipped to the second round, it was one of AGM Brent Flahr’s key talking points about the Finnish winger. Samu posted 11 points in 7 games when he was competing in the Under-18 World Junior Championships this year and put up 23 points in 40 games for Kärpät’s U20 team.

Personally, I think it’s exciting to see this trend continue and I think it will bode well for the club once again. It has to be a nice beacon of confidence to receive an entry level deal from your GM directly after he picked you because he believes in your abilities. Samu Tuomaala is going to be a treat to watch in rookie camp come late August if he’s participating, and we can’t wait.

Mandatory Credit: The Hockey Writers