Around The AHL: Tufto taking it pro in Syracuse

Syracuse Crunch forward Odeen Tufto hopes to tread a similar path that Yanni Gourde and Alex Barré-Boulet have taken to the Tampa Bay Lightning via their AHL pipeline.

Both Gourde and Barré-Boulet landed in Syracuse as undrafted, undersized, speedy offensive dynamos. With some patient seasoning, Gourde eventually became a fixture in the Tampa Bay lineup, got a Stanley Cup championship, and is in the midst of a six-year $31 million dollar contract with the Lightning. Like Gourde, Barre-Boulet dominated the QMJHL and has continued that pace with Syracuse; the 23-year-old has occupied a top-line role with the Crunch (eight goals and four assists in 12 games), but he has also played his first two NHL games with Tampa Bay and is on another recall to the Lightning, perhaps to stay for good.{