Prospect Report: Rasmus Kupari

Day five of 10 prospects in 10 days is Rasmus Kupari, the Kings’ first round, 20th overall draft pick in the 2018 NHL draft.

Kupari is a forward who plays with tenacity. He had an excellent draft year, earning him high rankings. He spent the majority of the season playing for Kärpät of Liiga, Finland’s premier men’s league. Taking into consideration that he was a seventeen year-old playing in a men’s league, he had solid offensive numbers. He posted 14 points (6+8=14) in 39 games played en route to a league championship.

Kupari also played for Kärpät’s junior team posting 7 points (3+4=7) in 11 games in the 2017-2018 season. Representing Finland, he played in the IIHF under-18 World Juniors Tournament and the under-20 World Juniors Tournament. In the under-18 tournament, he helped lead Finland to the gold medal, scoring 3 points (2+1=3) in 4 games and he went scoreless with the under-20 team.

Due to his evident offensive capability, NHL experts and scouts placed him in the middle of the first round of the 2018 NHL draft. He slipped a little bit, going 20th overall with the Kings.

After completing development camp with the Kings, Kupari signed a three-year, entry-level deal. He was then loaned back to Kärpät for the 2018-2019 season. He had another solid offensive season, posting 33 points (12+21=33) in 43 games played. He also represented Finland in the IIHF World Juniors Tournament for the second straight year. He scored 5 points (1+4=5) in 7 games, helping Finland win the gold medal.

Entering the 2019-2020 season, Kupari was ready to play in North America. He began the season with the Ontario Reign, the Kings’ AHL affiliate, and quickly demonstrated his offensive ability. He posted 8 points (6+2=8) in 27 games played before he represented Finland in his third consecutive IIHF World Juniors Tournament. Sadly, in the first game of the tournament, he tore his ACL, requiring surgery that ended his season.

Losing the majority of his season due to this injury was a hinderance to his development; however, he is still an extremely promising prospect for the Kings. Next season, he will likely split time between the Kings and the Reign. I presume that he will start with the Reign in order to continue recovering from his injury.

Looking further into the future, Kupari will be a mainstay with the Kings. He brings something that the Kings clearly lack: speed. He is a wonderful skater with a complementing shot. He should be extremely valuable at the NHL level as soon as next season.