Does Tobias Rieder Have First Line Talent?
He came out of nowhere, and he shocked the Arizona Coyotes and the National Hockey League. It’s not everyday a 4th round pick makes such a big splash, but Tobias Rieder did.
Tobias Rieder was the Edmonton Oilers 4th round pick in the 2011 NHL Draft. In March of 2013, the Oilers traded their rights to Rieder to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Kale Kessy.
The German born, Rieder, signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Coyotes after concluding his season with the Kitchener Rangers in the Ontario Hockey League. He played on the Germany men’s national team during the 2014 IIHF World Championship.
Feb 14, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Coyotes center Tobias Rieder (8) is stopped by New York Rangers goalie Cam Talbot (33) on a penalty shot in the third period at Gila River Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
In 2013-2014, his first year playing in the American Hockey League with Coyotes’ affiliate Portland Pirates, Rieder played in 64 games scoring 28 goals and 20 assists.
Rieder preformed well in camp of 2014, but did not make the club and was sent to Portland. He only played in nine games with the Pirates before he was recalled to the Coyotes. On November 2, 2014 in his first game, Rieder scored is first NHL goals, which was the game winner for the Coyotes.
On December 1st, Rieder set an NHL record by being the 1st first-year player to score two short-handed goals. He scored the goals 58 seconds apart during the same penalty kill, in a 5-2 Coyotes victory against his former team.
Rieder played in 72 games with the Coyotes in 2014-2015, finishing with 13 goals and eight assists. He was one of the bright spots in a year filled with disappoint and frustration, that ultimately landed the team with the number three pick. Rieder is the future of the Coyotes, a fast young wingman that can help in all faucets of the game.
Dec 29, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Philadelphia Flyers goalie Steve Mason (35) makes a save on Arizona Coyotes center Tobias Rieder (8) during the second period at Gila River Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
The Coyotes would like to see more out of him in 2015 as one of many young players that will be featured on the 2015-2016 team. He has great scoring prowess and a sense of defensive ability; Rieder will help the Coyotes a lot offensively if he can finish. In 2014-2015 he finished third among all rookies in shots on goal− behind Filip Forsberg and Anders Lee. The difference between these players and Rieder is that they have a high shooting percentage. For Rieder he sits 455th in the NFL in shooting percentage, with a 5.9 percent, so in order to be a better player he needs to learn how to finish.
Rieder can be a phenomenal player if he is able to score more goals, and with time he should be able to do that. For now he will most likely finish the 2015-2016 season with around 20-22 goals, but as he matures into a great NHL player Rieder should put up some great points for the Coyotes.