2018 NHL Draft Profile: Rasmus Kupari

Rasmus Kupari is a bit of a project, but he could wind up being one of the most talented players from the 2018 NHL Draft

Prospects are hard to project. The 2018 NHL Draft is no different. After the first 10 prospects or so, the draft is more or less a crapshoot. Center Rasmus Kupari is one of the more interesting lottery tickets in the draft, as he could wind up being one of the best players in the draft. Or he could flame out.

Kupari’s talent ensures he will be drafted in the first round. But his very low floor and unimpressive draft season could knock him down quite a bit in the draft.

Prospect Profile

Height: 5’11” (181 cm)
Weight: 163 pounds (74 kilograms)
Team: Karpat U20, Karpat (Liiga); Hermes (Mestis); Finland U18, Finland U20 (WJC)
Country: Finland
Position: Center
Handedness: Right-handed
Date of birth: March 15, 2000
Liiga regular season stats: 11 games, three goals, four assists, seven points (U20), 39 games, six goals, eight assists, 14 points (Liiga)
Mestis regular season stats: Five games, one goal, three assists, four points
Liiga postseason stats: Three games, zero goals, two assists (U20); six games, zero goals, zero assists, zero points (Liiga)
U18 stats: Four games, two goals, one assist, three points
U20 stats: Five games, zero goals, zero assists, zero points
Average Prospect Ranking*: 16.25

All profile info is courtesy of Elite Prospects.
* Average prospect ranking is the collective average of a prospect’s four major rankings (McKeen’s, Hockey Prospect, Future Considerations, ISS Hockey)

Strengths

More from Puck Prose

Kupari is very fast and very quick. This should suit him very well in today’s NHL. He shows flashes of brilliance, especially when he has the puck. Kupari has a ton of physical tools, but his best is his skating. He’s also an above-average shooter and passer. Kupari had a rough season in Liiga, but it’s worth noting he was a 17-year-old playing against grown men.

He has a ton of upside. The 2018 draft doesn’t have many centers, so Kupari should be one of the first ones to go. He’ll need to be drafted by a patient team in order to develop properly. Kupari’s skill set makes his floor higher than it normally would be for a player who hasn’t shown too much. He has been impressive whenever he’s gotten to play against his peers.

Kupari can be very dangerous around the net and shows hints of being a natural goal scorer, despite what his lack of goals this season might suggest.

Weaknesses

Kupari never looked like he belonged in Liiga. He was especially quiet in the postseason. Kupari also needs to bulk up to be an NHL player. In Liiga, he can get away with certain things because of the lack of physicality. Kupari won’t be able to do so in the NHL if he’s only about 170 pounds. He had an unimpressive draft season. Kupari’s defense might force him to become a wing in the NHL, but I think he has the skills necessary to be effective there.

What They’re Saying About Him

https://t.co/ShTASUYyjE
ISS #9 Rasmus Kupari
Slick Finnish forward, very dangerous with the puck on his stick, always a threat offensively
— ISS Hockey (@ISShockey) October 13, 2017

"“Slick, dual-threat center with size who took to his role as a depth player on a contender in Finland’s elite league” – Steve Kournianos (SportingNews/The Draft Analyst) “Kupari is all of the things the NHL is trending towards: Agile, up-tempo, crafty” – Scott Wheeler (The Athletic)"

Highlights

Overall Outlook

Kupari is a bit of a project because he has yet to show his potential. Being rushed into Liiga certainly didn’t help. That said, Kupari has enough upside to warrant being a top 20 draft pick. Perhaps even a top 15. Hopefully, he’ll be drafted by a team willing to be patient and let him grow.

Next: Post-Lottery 2018 NHL Mock Draft

Player Comparison

Stylistically, Kupari is very similar to Sebastian Aho. However, the latter showed far more in his pre-draft years than the former.

For more NHL Draft profiles, check out our 2018 NHL Draft hub page!