"As a player, we always knew he was a first-round talent. He's got the speed, he's got the skill, he's playing with men in the pro league," Kings head European scout Christian Ruuttu said at the draft. "We've seen him a lot, and we knew what the new game is going towards. Rasmus is part of that game, the speed, the skill and the playmaking, all that. What he really does have, he's got a good shot on the fly."
Kupari had 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 39 games with Karpat in Liiga, the top professional league in Finland. He had seven points (three goals, four assists) in 11 games for Karpat's under-20 team.
Kupari is the ninth first-round pick from the 2018 draft
to sign an entry-level contract
.
