The Los Angeles Kings used a fifth round pick on the 19-year-old Petteri Rimpinen, a Finnish goalkeeper whose play leans on balance, efficient routes and “quiet” in the Liiga. For Kings fans, the most important question is not flashing, it is how his technical basis and decision-making translate into North American ICE and a final Ontario Reign Runway.
In this report I will follow his preseason after taking off, assess his toolkit with the help of my reconnaissance framework and explain how it fits with the Kings long -term plan. I will also touch the development pipeline of Kiekko-Espoo, sketches where his progress could block, Juuse Saros can use as a template for how a “smaller” keeper plays large, the profile of rimpinen with Daniel Salonen and ends with concrete KPIs for 2025-26 plus a 2-5 year proceedings.
Bio -box
Petteri rimpin
Provisional version: 2025, round 5, no. 152 General (Los Angeles Kings)
Current club: Hockey-Esspoo (League, Finland)
Age: 19 (April 25, 2006)
Height / weight: 6-foot-0, 176 pounds
Catches / position: Left; Goalkeeper
2024–25 Snapshot: Liiga: 40 GP, 2.35 goals against average (GAA), .912 Save percentage (SV%) (Kiekko-Espoo); WJC: 2.34 GAA, .933 SV%, Silver Medal, best goalkeeper + All-Star.
“We did not respond to the design looking for a keeper … By 152 we had already passed him twice because of our goalkeeper situation … He is a bit substandard, but he claimed a number 1 job in Liiga on 19; that is rare.”
Source – ‘Kings slowly emerged from competition sensation petteri rimpins’ – Mark Yannetti (Kings SVP, Scouting) – NHL.com/fi – 29/06/2025
What has happened since the design (preseason tracker)
La Kings Development Camp (at the end of June -ARly July): First look in Kings colors; Organizational background about why the kings liked him after his Liiga/WJC year.
World Junior Summer Showcase (at the end of July -ARly August): Two Starts, two victories for Finland (6-3 versus vs; 3-1 versus Sweden), 46/50 Saves; Lak Insider emphasized a composed 26-of-27 final.
“He was so great, game after game … His focus was so good.”
Source – ‘2025 World Junior Summer Showcase: 3 things learned on day 3’ – Lauri Mikkola (Finland U20 Coach) – NHL.com – 29/07/2025
League preseason Friendly competitions (August): Dressed for August 15: K-Espoo 0-1 (OT) HIFK
Why De la Kings put him on
Rimpinen is 19 and already a Liiga starter who has activated a Liiga workload and has treated pressure events (WJC, WJSS). It is not great according to NHL standards, but the tape shows balance, reads and efficiency, properties that assign to LA’s structure-first identity.
“Speed and agility are strengths, but they still have to improve, especially if a smaller keeper in North -American ice cream … and add a certain calm so that it does not overlook.”
Source – ‘Petteri Rimpinene demands more and more of himself with Puck-Versprijs Doel“ – Petteri Rimpinen – nhl.com/en – 13/08/2025
| Letter | Score | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 8.5–9.0 | NHL-Kaliber Top-6/Top-4D-Elite, ready for NHL role |
| A | 7.5–8.4 | True League level Talent-High-End Pro / League Regular |
| B+ | 6.5–7.4 | Solid Mestis-Level Performer-Pro Depth in Finland’s 2nd Tier |
| B | 5.5–6.4 | Fringe Mestis / Top Junior-Upper-Junior / Lower-Mestis |
| C+ | 4.5–5.4 | Top Junior League Regular-High-End U20/U18 |
| C | 3.5–4.4 | Mid/Lower Junior League development junior |
| D – F | <3.5 | Under Pro Standard – Development phase |
Goalie Toolkit Statement: Find a system, part II: building structure in goalkeeper evaluation
Skating: 7.1 -Efficient routes, balanced edges, rapidly repainters; Minimal over -connections at the pace of men.
Transitions: 7.2 – Cleaning up/downs and RVH – Listing/outputs; arranges clambering without haunting.
Hands: 7.3 – Quiet glove; Blocker usually sends to safe lanes; Puck-handling reads trending.
Tracking: 7.8 – Head/eye through traffic is the separator; Late screen saves “quiet” at Liiga speed.
Post: 7.0 -Scherere seals on wraps/short side; Still an area for incremental tightening.
Depth: 7.4 – Disciplined corner management; Rush challenges without too much too much.
Overall snapshot: 7.7 (A-Low-a Liiga Starter)
Well within the A-band that is given throughout the season Liiga Starts Plus International CV; Room to push mid-a with top-quartile SV% and cleaner post integrations.
How 7.7 stacks under Liiga -Starters
| Bond | Figure | Archetype (also) | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-A | 8.1–8.4 | Top-5 starter | ~ .920 SV%, strong gsax, heavy workload, play -off impact |
| Mid-a | 7.8–8.0 | Top-10 Starter | Boven-AVG SV%, consistent PK/SAVE quality, limited volatility |
| Low-a | 7.5–7.7 | Lower performing #1 / strong 1a | Reliable starts, positive trends in rebounds and after playing |
| Upper B+ | 7.2–7.4 | 1B/Peloton or emerging starter | Good spurts, some pace/detail leaks under load |
Take -away meals: On 7.7, Rimpines projects as Low-A todaya credible liiga #1 whose next step to Mid-a Is sharpening RVH/post details and keeping top-quartiel Shot-quality results.
Context versus other Finnish goalkeeper 2025 NHL Draft Pick, Daniel Salonen
On my scale I have salons at 7.2 (B+), a promising keeper still proves sustainability and pace at the pro -level. I sketched that reasoning in a related article. Rimpinen, on the other hand, is 7.7 (A) for me today: a Teenage Liiga starter with a clearer track record against men, a noticeable tracking edge and strong pressure events results (WJC best goalkeeper; WJSS two starts, two wins).
Related: what the oilers need from goalkeeper Prospect Daniel Salonen
What Kings Fans should watch (2025–26 Season KPIs)
Rebound -Control (Hands/Tracking): Limit second appearance; Steering or nipping under traffic.
Sharp-Hoek Defense (Post): Clean RVH seals on jam/wraps; Minimize leaks on the short side.
Rush -corners and resets (depth): Challenge-Dan adjusts itself on East West; Arriving square.
Recovery discipline (skating/transitions): Controlled slides, fast repeatants after clambering.
Delivery points and why he lasted to no. 152
Under average NHL size: ~ 182 cm; Clubs discount height due to the net front traffic and coverage. (Nhl.com/fi Draft function emphasized the context of the size and why La waited until 152.)
Detail work is still ripening: Post-integration and first-touch rebounds can be hot when pace spikes, exactly the right focus areas of the next step.
Translation risk: Only one season of full men’s League starter monster pre-Draft; Goalkeepers that are grown in Europe can be the same as a North -American translation risk
Where the development could store
North -American translation: Smaller ice corners; Bouncing endboard arrive faster; Traffic layers are heavier. Rimpines themselves marked ‘More speed … and a certain calmness“ As priorities for NA -Game.
Net front layers/screens: To his size, tracking + post must be consistently elite against heavy folding game.
Workload -rhythm: American Hockey League (AHL) Back-to-Backs/Travel can consistence Nick; He will have to show pro-routine personnel.
Juuse Saros -comparison: a template for “Small But Elite”
Why it fits: Juuse Saros (5-foot-10) is the modern blueprint for shorter goalkeepers That “playing big” with corners, edges and tracking. (NHL.com and technical malfunctions repeatedly note that he is the shortest keeper and thrives by squadrating early and reading.)
Usable lessons for rimpins
- Beat Passes on your edges, not with Depptegunges: Arrival early, stay square; Let Silent Hands make you “Looks big.”
- Traffic toolkit> RAW -Maat: Saros: “I don’t really pay much attention to the size … You appreciate how [a goalie] Checks his body and changes direction. “
- Step -by -step job: Another Liiga year to insist messages/rebounds → AHL Ontario Reign Acclimation → NHL reps (Saros’s HPK → AHL Milwaukee → NHLpad).
Kiekko Opzitter development: What Kings fans must expect
Club context: Top League Hockey returned to Espoo with The admission of hockey to Liiga before 2024–25; The club also joined the EHC Alliance.
Why that is important for goalkeepers:
Adult League representatives early: Young professionals are confronted with the shot quality of Liiga before they cross; The preseason/fixture tax of K-Espoo adds repetition (eg 15 August versus HIFK).
Ecosystem and scale: Kiekko Espoo is the largest junior ice sports organization in Finland (~ 3,000 athletes in hockey/ringette), which feeds the ladder consistent, detailed habits.
Projection and Kings Timijn (2-5 years)
2025–26 (also): Hold the starter’s chair; stay Above League-Mean SV%; Quiet rebounds and lock short seals. (WJSS -Kalmte is a promising story.)
Related: Finland made a statement in the World Junior Summer Showcase 2025
2026–27: AHL Ontario Reign Acclimatization, corners/traffic on smaller ice; Build third defender Puck-Handling routes.
2027–29: Press NHL 1B/Back -up minutes; Starting ceiling If post/hands, trends and “silent rescues” remain his identity.
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