Eemeli Rasanen
Jim Tanner / Josh Tessler
Eemeli Räsänen is one of the Toronto Maple Leafs most interesting defensive prospects.
The 19 year old right handed defenseman hails from Joensuu, Finland.. He was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in round two of the 2017 NHL Entry Level Draft, 59th overall. He is 6’7 so he is an absolute monster. Also, check out the pic above – he’s not only huge, he’s super spooky!
Rasanen may be huge, but he’s not necessarily a prototypical big stay-at-home defenseman. He has a rocket of a shot, and is said to be a decent skater for his size. A player like this is a project, for sure, but an intriguing one. Gone are the days where teams draft for size, but Mark Hunter still took a shot at Rasanen last year with the hopes that he can develop into a Zedeno Chara type who can move the puck and be a good two-way defender. Good luck with that, we’ll settle for Tyler Myers!
Players like this rarely pan out, but this is another example of the Leafs taking a chance on a high ceiling player who probably won’t work out. Instead of drafting safe sure-to-be-in-the-NHL-but-nothing-special players who make scouts look good in the aggregate, the Leafs, with players like Korshkov, Timashov and Rasanen, taken out lottery tickets.
Chances are Rasanen never develops into an NHL player. But if he does, well, everyone wishes they had a seven footer on their blue line. Especially if he can move the puck, score some points and display some talent.
Although, the Maple Leafs own his NHL rights, he not yet signed to an entry-level contract. This past season, he played in the OHL with the Kingston Frontenacs. In 61 games played in Kingston, he registered 5 goals and 28 assists. It was his second year in the OHL and his scoring was down slightly in year two.
Rasmasen comes in at #9 because of the sheer potential of a 6’7 defenseman with skill. If he ever makes it to the NHL, he’s going to be awesome. But the odds are low, and that’s why he’s at number nine.
He has recently signed with the Finnish KHL team, and this extends the window of the Leafs owning his rights without signing him. For a project like this, you couldn’t ask for better news. Rasmasen will play in one of the world’s top leagues against many NHL level players and the Leafs have two more years before they have to decide on him.