Rasmus Rissanen is a 19-year-old Finnish-born defenseman who is currently in his second season with the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League (WHL).  The Hurricanes drafted Rissanen in the sixth round (178th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

With a 6-foot-2, 202-pound frame, Rissanen is regarded as a shutdown, stay-at-home defenseman who isn’t afraid to throw his body around.

“He’s a big, strong kid who plays with a lot of enthusiasm,” said Jason Karmanos, the Hurricanes' vice president and assistant general manager. “We like that edge he displays in his game, and maybe more importantly, he looks to be a very powerful skater.”

Rissanen skated with Team Finland in the World Junior Championships in Buffalo a few months ago. In six tournament games, he racked up 14 penalty minutes and was a plus one. Karmanos said the organization thought he played well.

Even though putting up offensive numbers on the back-end isn’t what Rissanen’s game is about, he has recorded 11 points this season for the Slivertips, his first and only goal coming on Feb. 5.

Gritty play down low is what makes Rissanen successful and has some in the organization seeing the defenseman as a younger Niclas Wallin.

“If he can develop into a player like that, we’d be extremely happy,” Karmanos said.