C Rasmus Kupari - Karpat, Liiga (2018, 20th, LAK)

[Kaako Kappo]

Rasmus Copper - is he, unfortunately, one of those "all tools, no toolbox" guys or what : "all wheels, no tools, let alone a box for them"?

I'll get back to you with an answer in say....2021?

 

[Hostile Offer]

I'm not pretending I would know better than NHL scouts, who pegged him around the position he was picked at, but... I don't really like this pick for LA. Honestly I just wasn't very impressed with him in Liiga or WJC last year. Looks like a 4th liner to me but I haven't probably watched him enough.

 

[Hokinaittii]

Hard to see Kupari not making into NHL at some point, maybe not as your elite first liner but should be a good potential addition to 2nd/3rd line in a few years.

 

[JJTT]

Another good game with 2 assists. Could've had a few more with better luck. Looks like a completely different player than last last season.

 

[Frolov 6'3]

Another good game with 2 assists. Could've had a few more with better luck. Looks like a completely different player than last last season.

I believe the season has started, so first two points of the season.

 

[tomd]

I believe the season has started, so first two points of the season.

It was a Champion's League game against a french team...not sure if those are counted in the Liiga standings but I doubt it. Regular season starts on the 14th.

 

[JJTT]

Sub is showing todays CHL game for free. Starts at 19:00

Champions Hockey League: Kärpät - Nürnberg Ice Tigers (GER)

 

[Kaako Kappo]

Assist for Kupari so far. He's scored in like every preseason and CHL game so far. He'll have an insane season, i think.

 

[JJTT]

Assist for Kupari so far. He's scored in like every preseason and CHL game so far. He'll have an insane season, i think.

Yep. Needs to work on his one timer on the powerplay but looking good so far.

Heponiemi looks better with each game too.

 

[JJTT]

 

[King'sPawn]

So is the Champions Hockey League in the regular season now or is it still preseason? I'm confused.

 

[Loffer]

So is the Champions Hockey League in the regular season now or is it still preseason? I'm confused.

Well, it is just CHL, the league hasn't started yet. Why confused?

 

[Ippenator]

So is the Champions Hockey League in the regular season now or is it still preseason? I'm confused.

Champions Hockey League has already started with official games. Liiga games have not started though. They start only around the 14th of September or something around that time. So Liiga has still pre-season going on, but some of the Liiga teams are playing already against the CHL participants from other European countries. And those games are already the official CHL games.

 

[kelsier]

Well, who would have guessed a pre-season like this? Very impressing. I just hope he carries this form into regular season. These CHL games do count already though. At least right now he's confirming that the problems last season were largely on the physical side. Of course the addition of Heponiemi hasn't seemed to hurt based on the performance. Goes again to show how f*** difficult it is to perform in the FEL at the age of 17 and how much difference one more year can do. Wouldn't mind at all if he turned into another great late first round pick like Tolvanen and Vesalainen.

 

[Loffer]

Yet there are an abundance of examples (don't ask me to cite them) in which a prospect shines in pre-season beer league games and come the real hockey vansihes into the great buzz like a fart of a desert rat into the great salt flat.

Edit: Don't count too much on these performances. And knock the wood.

 

[Mara]

At least right now he's confirming that the problems last season were largely on the physical side..

Way too early to tell. It's a bit different to play regular season games than it is against somewhat unknown foreign teams that have a different approach to the game. And let's face it, the French and German opponents didn't exactly fly on their skates.

 

[Ippenator]

I’m honestly thinking that Heponiemi is exactly going to be a huge boost for Kupari’s success, if they get to play together for most of the season.

I’m definitely not sold yet on Kupari having more than a pretty mediocre hockey IQ, but with the speed that he has he can be a tremendous player, if he gets to play with exactly the kind of a very speedy and extremely high IQ and soft handed talent like Heponiemi. When playing together they should both succeed very well, at least at the Liiga level. But both of them are most likely still quite far away from doing well on the NHL level. If they can ever even make it there.

With Heponiemi the problem is mostly with his huge lack of physicality, and with Kupari it is still with his hockey IQ. But in Kupari’s case his pretty ok physicality should make it anyway possible to have at least some kind of an NHL career. Of course it could very well be possible even with Heponiemi, but in his case I think there is still a pretty strong complete boom or complete bust possibility, which I don't really see in Kupari’s case.

 

[BusQuets]

I’m honestly thinking that Heponiemi is exactly going to be a huge boost for Kupari’s success, if they get to play together for most of the season.

I’m definitely not sold yet on Kupari having more than a pretty mediocre hockey IQ, but with the speed that he has he can be a tremendous player, if he gets to play with exactly the kind of a very speedy and extremely high IQ and soft handed talent like Heponiemi. When playing together they should both succeed very well, at least at the Liiga level. But both of them are most likely still quite far away from doing well on the NHL level. If they can ever even make it there.

With Heponiemi the problem is mostly with his huge lack of physicality, and with Kupari it is still with his hockey IQ. But in Kupari’s case his pretty ok physicality should make it anyway possible to have at least some kind of an NHL career. Of course it could very well be possible even with Heponiemi, but in his case I think there is still a pretty strong complete boom or complete bust possibility, which I don't really see in Kupari’s case.

Well at least in the pre-season and CHL games Kupari's decision making with the puck has been a notch above Heponiemi's. Whether that is due to hockey iq who knows.

 

[Ippenator]

Well at least in the pre-season and CHL games Kupari's decision making with the puck has been a notch above Heponiemi's. Whether that is due to hockey iq who knows.

I don’t know what games you have been watching, but I have watched 3 of them too and in none of them Kupari was better in his decision making than Heponiemi. Quite the contrary really. But hey, you are the guy praising Puljujärvi as the more talented player than Laine, so there is that kind of different thinking of course.

 

[Hokinaittii]

Luckily for Kupari there are many fast and skilled players in the NHL whose hockey IQ is not on pair with their other attributes and they are still doing just fine.

I believe some poster mentioned last season that Kupari didn't produce well earlier because his low hockey IQ is holding him back, I wonder what's the excuse now that he is suddenly producing just fine in men's games?

I just don't see dumb players getting the opportunity to play center at 17 for one of the best teams in Europe. I think his coach even mentioned last season that Kupari is a mix of Aho and Puljujärvi. I doubt he would give that kind of praise without a reason or it would just turn into unnecessary pressure for the kid to succeed.

Heponiemi and Kupari are going to be nasty in Liiga since their skill and speed are on the next level compared to opponents. Having Pyörälä next to kids won't hurt the line either.

 

[Frolov 6'3]

I don’t know what games you have been watching, but I have watched 3 of them too and in none of them Kupari was better in his decision making than Heponiemi. Quite the contrary really. But hey, you are the guy praising Puljujärvi as the more talented player than Laine, so there is that kind of different thinking of course.

Yeah i am sure you wasted your time with three meaningless games to watch ‘Kupari’s hockey IQ and decision making”.

Even me as fan couldnt get through it.

 

[Ippenator]

Luckily for Kupari there are many fast and skilled players in the NHL whose hockey IQ is not on pair with their other attributes and they are still doing just fine.

I believe some poster mentioned last season that Kupari didn't produce well earlier because his low hockey IQ is holding him back, I wonder what's the excuse now that he is suddenly producing just fine in men's games?

I just don't see dumb players getting the opportunity to play center at 17 for one of the best teams in Europe. I think his coach even mentioned last season that Kupari is a mix of Aho and Puljujärvi. I doubt he would give that kind of praise without a reason or it would just turn into unnecessary pressure for the kid to succeed.

Heponiemi and Kupari are going to be nasty in Liiga since their skill and speed are on the next level compared to opponents. Having Pyörälä next to kids won't hurt the line either.

First of all what he has done so far now is only pre-season games and against weak opponents in the not so high level CHL stage. On that level Niklas Nordgren had already last season a hattrick, but we didn't see him do much of anything in Liiga.

But yes, I have said that part of Kupari’s weak production in Liiga last season for sure was his mediocre hockey IQ. If someone is lacking with their hockey IQ, but they have some other great abilities still, they are usually players whom need very specific players in their line to do well with their productivity. Luckily Kupari has excellent skating and great hands. So if he can play the whole Liiga season with players like Heponiemi and Pyörälä, there should be no way how he could be as unproductive as last season.

Heponiemi is really excellent for Liiga level with his speed, hands, passing and IQ. The only question with him is really with his lack of strength. But in the bigger rink, I’m quite confident that Heponiemi’s great abilities should truly help him and his teammates shine. Kupari and Pyörälä seem also like quite well suiting linemates for Heponiemi and his abilities.

My point with Kupari’s mediocre hockey IQ and not so good production was still the fact that he shouldn't have been picked in the draft in the earlier rounds. I said exactly clearly that I see him at best as a late first rounder. And that’s how he was picked, so so far my estimation on him has been pretty accurate. And if he is expected to ever have an NHL career, he will need to start producing at least close to or preferably over PPG in Liiga. He should really be able to do it with the linemates that he seems to get for the season. Of course his ice time will be a big factor also with how his productivity will be.

Still, as I said, I’m not sold on him having more than mediocre hockey IQ, and thus I’m at least not yet changing my prediction of him being most likely a 3rd or 4th line winger at the NHL level.

 

[Ippenator]

Yeah i am sure you wasted your time with three meaningless games to watch ‘Kupari’s hockey IQ and decision making”.

Even me as fan couldnt get through it.

I am extremely interested in Heponiemi. Not even close to as much about Kupari. And in general I tend to watch almost all Kärpät games, as the team is great with developing juniors to playing well in Liiga. So there are the reasons for me first of all watching Kärpät play even in the pre-season or CHL starting stage.

I always watch the most the teams with the most promising prospects and that prospect for me in Kärpät is definitely Heponiemi. Definitely a boom or bust prospect, but a very talented one that many Finns don’t seem to understand even close, what his potential at best could be.

So trying to accuse me of lying, I guess? Your reasoning is pretty sorry though, and of course your claim is really false too. I wonder why even do something like that?

 

[King'sPawn]

Well, it is just CHL, the league hasn't started yet. Why confused?

I honestly don't know what the CHL is or how it compares to Liiga. Is it just a cross league exhibition?

Ultimately, I know it's a couple games so I never read too much into it anyway, but I don't know to feel about Kupari's performance during the CHL games.

 

[ookhaab]

I always watch the most the teams with the most promising prospects and that prospect for me in Kärpät is definitely Heponiemi. Definitely a boom or bust prospect, but a very talented one that many Finns don’t seem to understand even close, what his potential at best could be.

You are not alone! For me Heponiemi is also the player to watch in Kärpät. Such an exciting prospect, reminds me of faster Granlund.

Though I admit Kupari has looked way better so far, than last season.