The Vegas Golden Knights selected right winger Tuomas Uronen with the No. 192 pick in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
In the end, it was the Golden Knights’ final pick of the draft, as Vegas traded its seventh-round pick (No. 224) to Columbus in exchange for a 2024 seventh-rounder.
Uronen, a native of Kerava, Finland, played for HIFK U20 of the U20 SM-sarja league in Finland, where he scored 20 goals and 43 points in 39 games in 2022-23. He also played five games for HIFK’s senior team in Finland’s top league (Liiga) but did not register a point.
The 6-foot-0, 187-pound winger’s best asset is his shot, particularly his heavy wrist shot.
Tuomas Uronen gives Finland a two-goal lead!#HlinkaGretzkyCup #2023NHLDraft
đź”—: https://t.co/plz3GgtvY6
— Elite Prospects (@eliteprospects) August 1, 2022
Drop pass to Tuomas Uronen makes it a 1-goal game!@leijonat #U18Worlds #SWEFIN pic.twitter.com/7y8rKgKKs8
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) April 26, 2022
He was ranked 35th on Central Scouting’s list of European skaters.
Uronen is an intriguing forward who shows strong offensive instincts and has the ability to zip off a shot with his quick release. His ability to process might be his best strength. He’s always got his head on a swivel, both offensively and defensively, and he uses his anticipatory sense in order to put himself in situations in the opposition’s end that make him a viable option for teammates.
–Aaron Vickers, FC Hockey
Tuomas Uronen is a smart winger that makes a lot of nuanced plays that make you smile. At 1:25 in the first, he bounced the puck off Latvian netminder Aksels Ozols down low to purposely create a rebound. It worked as Rasmus Kumpulainen jumped in for the goal. It’s a simple, but effective play that has allowed Uronen to become quite successful. He later scored to make it 4-0, a lead that essentially put the game way out of reach for the Norwegians.
–Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff
Uronen was expected to be a middle-round pick, so snagging him in the sixth round could be a bargain for the Golden Knights, who come away from the 2023 NHL Entry Draft with four players, including two centers, one defenseman and one winger.
Jillian Wagner
Jillian Wagner