The Toronto Maple Leafs used their second-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft on defenceman Eemeli Rasanen from the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs, and the 18-year-old’s most obvious attribute is his size.
Listed at six-foot-seven and 209 pounds, Rasanen said on Saturday that he likes to make big hits and plays hard. He compared his game to Buffalo Sabres defenceman Rasmus Ristolainen, who is known for playing with an edge.
The native of Joensuu, Finland considers himself a two-way player and has been focusing on improving his skating. Rasanen did show some offensive ability with the Frontenacs last season, tallying six goals and 33 assists in 66 games. He also picked up 41 penalty minutes.
Rasanen said he had several conversations with the Maple Leafs leading up to the draft, but was still unsure where he would wind up. He’s happy it worked out the way it did.
“I really don’t have words,” Rasanen told reporters after he was selected. “It’s an amazing feeling and Toronto is a nice city so I’m looking forward to going there.”
Asked how long it would take him to make it to the NHL, the 59th overall pick was optimistic.
“A year or two.”
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