Prospect Info: Leafs 2017 2nd (Via OTT) (#59 OA) - Eemeli Rasanen - 6'7" 209lbs RHD - Kingston (OHL)

[Mr Hockey]

Going to be a solid third pairing RHD for us. Big steady body with some offensive skill.

Rielly - Liljegren
Gardiner - Zaitsev
Dermott - Rasanen
Nielsen

I think he becomes a top 4 dman.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Nice, this is a somewhat regular occurrence?

Could he be a Finnish version of Colton Parayko maybe??

Maybe I am wrong but Parayko dropped because he was actually shorter in his draft years? Parayko can skate pretty well.

Rasanen is tallllll but skating is the issue?

 

[Walshy7]

Nice, this is a somewhat regular occurrence?



Maybe I am wrong but Parayko dropped because he was actually shorter in his draft years? Parayko can skate pretty well.

Rasanen is tallllll but skating is the issue?

Parayko went through 2 drafts, he is a year older than Morgan Rielly!. I wish we took him in 2011 instead of biggs or percy that's for sure

edit: my bad 1 draft obviously if he is only 1 year older than rielly haha

 

[Walshy7]

Nice, this is a somewhat regular occurrence?



Maybe I am wrong but Parayko dropped because he was actually shorter in his draft years? Parayko can skate pretty well.

Rasanen is tallllll but skating is the issue?

in the development camp thread SEER posted an interview with Rasanen and scrum pretty much only talk to him about how mean he is, and how he likes to hit

 

[WTFMAN99]

in the development camp thread SEER posted an interview with Rasanen and scrum pretty much only talk to him about how mean he is, and how he likes to hit

Maybe a poorer man's Ristolainen?

 

[moon111]

Also consider that what would take Mitch Marner several strides, a guy like this is going to do in two. And the long reach and stick... just means they won't be moving their legs at times when others would. And really, it's quite normal to have one defenseman who clears the front of the net and another who clears the puck.

 

[43Kadri43]

Maybe a poorer man's Ristolainen?

A poor man's Ristolainen!? Sign me up!

 

[Apotheosis]

He can definitely be our Parayko. Parayko was a worse skater at the same stage of development. All of Rasanen's other tools are comparable and he has better skating.

 

[Bullseye]

He can be our Pylon.

 

[Cotton]

I think he becomes a top 4 dman.

I think the same, though I'm fan of his and could be using homer judgement.

Regardless of where he ends up 1-6 I think he's going to be an everyday NHL'er.

 

[SEER]

Nice, this is a somewhat regular occurrence?

Rasanen is tallllll but skating is the issue?

in the development camp thread SEER posted an interview with Rasanen and scrum pretty much only talk to him about how mean he is, and how he likes to hit

Yep..! He actually smiles a lot like Leo does about it.., when questioned.. and seems to be pretty laid back off ice.., which makes me smile, too..
Imagine having someone who might be able to hit like Leo.., but, with this size,...

 

[Brock Radunske]

Thanks for posting that.
With everyone talking about how "mean" he is, are there any videos of his physical play?

 

[supermann_98]

I love the thought of having a big strong guy on our D core, because the guys matching that description who can actually play and keep fast, skilled forwards outside of the scoring areas are few and far between.

Chara, as much as I hate him because he's a Bruin and a Sen before that, is an absolute game-changer and a beast of a human, let alone a hockey player.

If this kid can play, being as mean (self-admittedly) as he is and with a reported bomb of a point shot, he will be a welcome addition to our mostly averaged sized Dmen who play more positionally and more utilize their speed.

I'm definitely gonna keep my eye on Kingston games this year and hey, if Gilmour says Leaf fans are gonna like Rasanen ... allow me to get my hopes up.

Saying that I still have very high hopes for Neilsen and am hoping he takes another step this year towards being that big, nasty Dman. Hopefully Rasanen joins him someday in our top 6

 

[nuck]

With that size, and being a hitter, he will be absolutely blowing people up by the time he is 22-23. I think he will be a 3rd pairing guy if he makes it, but that's fine. Love the pick. 6'8" and 240ish when he makes the show. What will he look like this year in Junior? More offense? More rough stuff?

 

[supermann_98]

With that size, and being a hitter, he will be absolutely blowing people up by the time he is 22-23. I think he will be a 3rd pairing guy if he makes it, but that's fine. Love the pick. 6'8" and 240ish when he makes the show. What will he look like this year in Junior? More offense? More rough stuff?

Imagine Polak in a 6'7-6'8, 225-240 pound body? Would be scary as hell

 

[Maple Leaf]

Does Hunter know what he is doing?

That is the question

 

[garce]

He can definitely be our Parayko. Parayko was a worse skater at the same stage of development. All of Rasanen's other tools are comparable and he has better skating.

Never saw Parayko play before the NHL but I did see Rasenen about 10 times last season. I saw a big rangy kid who I never once thought that the Leafs should draft. Not a scout or a expert, guys that I was with work in hockey and thought his skating was suspect. Stepped up for the big hit a lot, and that's not a bad thing. Surprised that Jason Robertson went to the Stars at 39 looked like a top 20 to me.

 

[MJ65]

Does Hunter know what he is doing?

That is the question

Why? what explanation you have to question his expertise / integrity

 

[MJ65]

Just drafted this year - need some work, it's not realistic to form any opinion, yes he look good

He is big and mobile, but need 2-3 years to develop

 

[Bullseye]

Just drafted this year - need some work, it's not realistic to form any opinion, yes he look good

He is big and mobile, but need 2-3 years to develop

In what world is he mobile? He is big and mean and has a bomb of a shot but he is anything but mobile.

 

[Randy Randerson]

In what world is he mobile? He is big and mean and has a bomb of a shot but he is anything but mobile.

seems to have decent straight-away speed, but definitely some baby-deer-on-a-frozen-lake type smoothness which is probably more important with so much transition in a dman's game. Not bad for a project pick with his size though

 

[Artorius Horus T]

With that size, and being a hitter, he will be absolutely blowing people up by the time he is 22-23. I think he will be a 3rd pairing guy if he makes it, but that's fine. Love the pick. 6'8" and 240ish when he makes the show. What will he look like this year in Junior? More offense? More rough stuff?

I predicted elswhere (another web site) that Räsänen would produce
10-20 goals (maybe 16 ) 60 points,100 pims this upcoming season plus and minus...way better than last season.

I think Kingston will imorove tons what they were last season
1) their young quality players are year older 2) lots of teams
in the OHL got weaker after last season

 

[deletethis]

It takes significant edgework, balance and mobility to be a good point man on a power play even at the OHL level. There's obviously something to build on. Does it need a lot of growth? Of course, pro hockey is much faster.

 

[Walshy7]

It takes significant edgework, balance and mobility to be a good point man on a power play even at the OHL level. There's obviously something to build on. Does it need a lot of growth? Of course, pro hockey is much faster.

this, he was a 0.59 PPG player in his 1st ohl season and only season on NA ice. People see a giant and assume he cant skate, those guys are middelton and Mattinen. Middelton is a career 0.18 ppg in 3 ohl seasons, Mattinen 0.17PPG in 2 seasons, these guys are pylons and alot of the best shutdown D put up closer to Rasanen's #'s than those 2 before people come at me with but they are shut down D. For instance little offence Dman Chris Tanev was a 0.68PPG in the NCAA

 

[saltming]

In what world is he mobile? He is big and mean and has a bomb of a shot but he is anything but mobile.

I would say he's mobile as he gets around the ice ok but he's not agile.
He will need to improve that. In general his skating will need to improve but that's normal for most kids trying to become a pro but he has the tools to make it happen.