Manor LA Kings Select Petteri Rimpinen at No. 152 – What You Need to Know

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With their sixth selection at the 2025 NHL Draft, the LA Kings have taken Peterri Rimpinen with pick No. 152 of the fifth round.

Profile Information​

Date of Birth: April 25, 2006
Height: 6-foot-0
Weight: 176 lbs
Catches: Left
Position: Goalie
Team: Kiekko-Espoo (Liiga)
Born: Kirkkonummi, FIN

2024-25 Season Review​

Epperson spent most of his 2024-25 season playing for Liiga’s Kiekko-Espoo. In 40 games, he went 16-9-14. Other statistics: .912 SV%, 2.35 GAA, 2 SO

Early notes from scouts:

Played over 60 games last season. High compete and was the number one goalie as a 19 yr old in Liiga.

Wasn't expected to play many games, but played a ton. He also took Finland to the Finals at World Juniors. https://t.co/ZxSa6CMtqD

— The Mayor | Team MM (@mayorNHL) June 28, 2025

Scouting Reports​

McKeen’s Hockey:

He has the skating, speed, and athleticism in abundance that’s a necessity for a small goalie. He has also shown good positioning before movement and an aptitude for reading the play at high speeds. Where he begins to deviate from Saros is in poise and control. At their height, playing too erratically can be detrimental. Being of small stature, the margin for error in positioning is much smaller. With the incredible intensity that Rimpinen plays at, it will be a difficult hurdle to overcome, but it can be done. He’s already shown that he can play at an elite level in pro, shouldering a heavy workload, both in games and shots, and often coming out on top. It shows a lot about his mentals, to be able to handle that adversity and strain, and bodes well for his development. NHL starter may not be likely, but it is not out of the question for the 18-year-old.

Future Considerations

Rimpinen is a hyper-athletic and aggressive goaltender whose standout traits include excellent lateral quickness, explosive edgework, and consistent puck-tracking ability. He regularly challenges shooters at the top of his crease, using powerful pushes and sharp reactions to reach shot locations ahead of releases, which adds unpredictability for opponents and reduces their margin for error. His ability to read releases, locate pucks through traffic, and stay composed in scramble situations has earned him praise from multiple evaluators. Rimpinen’s stickhandling in the crease also draws positive marks, as he consistently directs pucks into corners and away from danger, minimizing second-chance opportunities. His progression has been evident, particularly in his improved body control and ability to maintain structure under duress, as he’s begun to let the game come to him more naturally. These strides have allowed him to better manage chaos and reduce unnecessary movement that once characterized his style. Despite these encouraging developments, technical inconsistencies persist. His heavy reliance on the butterfly stance often leaves him vulnerable on high shots, particularly around the shoulders, due to frequent premature drops that open upper-net holes. His glove and blocker positioning are inconsistent; he tends to lower his hands as he drops, which not only limits his net coverage but also disrupts rebound control.

Elite Prospects

Rimpinen’s high-profile moment came at the Under-20 World Championships in December, where he helped an overmatched Finnish team to the silver medal, which included a dynamic 43-save showing against Sweden in the semifinal.

Rimpinen also acquitted himself well as a full-time starter in Liiga this season, where he was the second-busiest goalie when it comes to shots and minutes, but also finished second in save percentage.

With his nationality and his size, it’s an easy and convenient comparison between Rimpinen and Juuse Saros. Rimpinen relies more on his athleticism than his pure dynamic skating, but it’s not too far of a stretch to see the similarities here.

Hockey Prospect

Rimpinen is a small, advanced goalie who reads the play well. He had an unbelievable season. Helping his team Kiekko-Espoo, to a playoff-berth, while also helping Finland capture an unexpected Silver Medal at the U20s. There’s a high-level of composure to Rimpinen, and he’s more calculated than a lot of other goalies available in this class. For instance, he’s very good at getting back out in-front of pucks that require further anticipation, such as point black redirects, backdoor reads, high-danger rebounds, and in-tight lateral set-ups. Basically, what this means is that if you aren’t focusing on him solely and watching the shooters instead, he just seems to almost-always be ahead of the play mentally. Which is absolutely critical for his game, considering he’s not a gifted athlete relative to his size.

We’ll update this article throughout the evening with additional information.

Highlights


Lead graphic by ALoImages

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