It wasn’t long ago that Samu Tuomaala was an All-Star with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In his first 118 games at the American Hockey League (AHL) level, he scored 26 goals and had 49 assists. He was a healthy scratch to start this season and clearly not a part of the long-term plans for the Philadelphia Flyers. 

It’s why he was traded to the Dallas Stars, or specifically, the Texas Stars. The Phantoms get Christian Kyrou in the return, a defenseman who is also still developing, while the Stars are taking a chance on a winger with high upside. 

Tuomaala Didn’t Fit in the Flyers Plans 

At the start of the 2024-25 season, Tuomaala was the one bright spot on a Phantoms team depleted of talent. Since then, the Flyers front office has rebuilt the farm system. The new group includes. 

Denver Barkey, who has shown flashes in his first season with the Phantoms.

Devin Kaplan, who is in the same boat as Barkey. 

Nikita Grebenkin, who was acquired at the 2025 trade deadline and is now on the NHL roster. 

Alex Bump, who looked great in a handful of Calder Cup playoff games while showing flashes this season. 

All these players not only have looked more impressive lately than Tuomaala, but they also play the same position. In short, the Phantoms have wingers on top of wingers, and it made him expendable. With more prospects on the way, notably center Jett Luchanko, winger Porter Martone, and Jack Nesbitt, they had to move on from Tuomaala. 

The problem is what this says about the Flyers organization. They are moving on from another young player before finding out what they really have. There’s a chance Tuomaala becomes a star, and the Flyers didn’t see him as a fit on their roster. This isn’t the first time they’ve had a fallout with a top young player, and it might happen again. 

Why Tuomaala Fits With The Stars

For Tuomaala, it’s all about returning to the ice. He’s the type of player who needs the minutes but more importantly, just needs to get back to loving the game. The past few months, especially the past three weeks, have taken the joy of the game away from a player who showed it so many times on the ice. He’ll get that back with the Stars. 

The Texas Stars are an ideal landing spot, mostly because they’ll give him that ice time. They are one of the worst teams in the AHL and are depleted of talent. They’ll slide him into the top six and play him in all situations, which will help the offense and the winger as well. 

Moreover, the Stars have the centers in the NHL who can unlock his game. Tuomaala plays a unique style, one that is speed-based but requires open ice to make it work. The Stars have the players who can unlock his game, and it might happen soon enough. 

There are teams around the NHL that are giving up on their prospects too early. Tuomaala is still developing and has a high upside. The Stars are taking a chance when their farm system isn’t great, and it might pay off big time for them. 

The Flyers Fixing The Defense Makes This a Win-Win

The Flyers got Kyrou in the return, and he’ll play on the Phantoms defense. This trade comes a day after Emil Andrea was called up to the NHL, creating a void on the defense. It’s something Kyrou can cover up early on in the season. 

A common theme or weakness with the Flyers and Phantoms has been the defense. It’s an issue that’s prevented both teams from being near the top of the standings. The Andrea call-up helps the NHL team and creates a void at the AHL level. The Kyrou addition will address it, at least to a point, since he’s not the same player on the offensive end as Andrea. 

A few years back, the Flyers traded Gauthier for Jamie Drysdale. While they traded a talented player, they addressed a need in the process. The Tuomaala deal is doing a similar thing. Yes, they are giving up on a talented forward but they managed to help the defense in the process. 

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