Jasper Kuhta

Jasper Kuhta
Rankings
Jasper Kuhta – NHL Draft Projection
Quotables
Strengths
Under Construction – Needs Improvement
NHL Potential
Awards/Achievements
Interviews/Links
Jasper Kuhta Stats
Jasper Kuhta Videos

2025-26 Team: Ottawa 67’s (OHL)
Date of Birth: Oct. 28, 2006
Place of Birth: Helsinki, FIN
Ht: 6-foot-2
Wt: 198 pounds
Shoots: L
Position: C/RW
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2026 overager (passed over in 2025)

Rankings

NHL Central Scouting: 93rd (among NA skaters)

The name Kuhta carries weight inside HIFK. Jasper’s uncle Kimmo captained Helsinki’s most famous hockey club and had his No. 9 retired by the organization in 2018. The same HIFK pipeline that produced Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz, and Anton Lundell shaped Jasper’s junior career. But when the 2025 NHL Draft came and went without his name being called, Kuhta did not stay in Finland to wait for the phone to ring. He crossed the Atlantic, signed with the Ottawa 67’s after being selected 72nd overall in the 2025 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft, and went to work.

Jasper Kuhta Ottawa 67's — Jasper Kuhta, Ottawa 67’s (Brandon Taylor/ OHL Images)

Kuhta’s stats did most of the talking. He led the 67’s with 32 goals and 63 points in 62 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) regular-season games, establishing himself as one of the most productive overagers in the league. He added seven points in seven playoff games. His arrival coincided with Ottawa’s emergence as the OHL’s biggest surprise team, a club that finished 44-14-3-3 after being expected to sit in the bottom half of the standings. Kuhta was not the only reason for the turnaround, but he was the most consistent offensive engine the 67’s had.

Kuhta’s 2024-25 season at HIFK U20 in Finland’s U20 SM-sarja had already signaled a player outgrowing his level. He scored 18 goals and 25 assists for 43 points in 38 regular-season games, finishing 13th in league scoring, and earned an eight-game callup to HIFK’s Liiga roster. He was a point-per-game player in the U20 playoffs. The tools were there. The visibility was the issue.

For Kuhta, moving to the OHL solved that problem. He adapted quickly, scoring twice with an assist in his first three games. By mid-November, The Hockey News was highlighting him as the driving force behind Ottawa’s early-season surge, noting that he led all 67’s players in goals, points, and shots on goal. The Finnish forward’s two-goal, four-assist weekend against Sarnia and Niagara prompted The Hockey News to declare the 67’s the OHL’s biggest early-season surprise story.

Kuhta earned a roster spot for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in Minnesota, where he recorded two goals and six assists for eight points in seven games as Finland finished fourth. Daily Faceoff named him among the tournament’s notable draft-eligible standouts. That performance, combined with the OHL production, moved him onto NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings at 93rd among North American skaters.

Elite Prospects’ 2025 Draft Guide described Kuhta as a crafty finisher who scores from close range and off the half wall on the power play. He owns a capable one-touch release and can beat goalies from his backhand, a skill set that separates him from the typical late-round profile. Beyond the scoring, the EP report highlighted his two-way reliability, his ability to facilitate others down the middle, and his willingness to use his 6-foot-2 frame along the wall. That combination of size, finishing, and defensive responsibility is what 67’s general manager (GM) James Boyd pointed to when Ottawa signed him, calling him “a big, intelligent centreman who has represented Finland in international competitions, and gained professional experience in Finland’s top professional league.”

The concerns are the same ones that kept him undrafted the first time. Kuhta’s skating does not project as a difference-maker at the NHL level. He is effective in the OHL because of his processing speed and shot quality, but the footwork lacks the burst to win races to loose pucks or to create separation against faster, more physical competition. He is also older than almost every other draft-eligible player in the OHL, which means the production advantage needs to be weighed against physical maturity. A 19-year-old posting 63 points is not the same signal as a 17-year-old doing it.

Kuhta committed to the University of Massachusetts for the 2026-27 season, a move that will put him in the NCAA against college-aged competition and remove the age advantage entirely. How he produces at UMass will answer the question the OHL season raised: Is this a player whose hockey sense and shot translate when the gap narrows, or was the production a reflection of a polished player dominating younger competition?

Jasper Kuhta – NHL Draft Projection

Kuhta projects as a fifth-to-seventh round selection. His Central Scouting ranking of 93rd among NA skaters places him squarely in late-round territory, but the combination of size (6-foot-2), goal-scoring ability (32 goals), WJC production (eight points in seven games), and an NCAA commitment gives him more runway than most players ranked in that range. A team looking for a projectable two-way center with professional experience and international pedigree could see Kuhta as a low-risk selection with clear development markers to track. If he produces at UMass the way he did in Ottawa, the team that drafts him will look smart.

Quotables

“Jasper is a big, intelligent centreman who has represented Finland in international competitions, and gained professional experience in Finland’s top professional league during the 2024-25 season. We are excited to welcome Jasper to Ottawa.” – James Boyd, Ottawa 67’s general manager

“Kuhta is a crafty finisher, particularly from closer distances but also from the right half wall on the power play. He’s got a capable one-touch release, but can also beat goalies from his backhand. Outside of the scoring, he brings value as a reliable two-way supporter who facilitates others down the middle, keeps track of his assignments, and can use his 6-foot-2 frame along the wall when required.” – Elite Prospects 2025 NHL Draft Guide

Strengths

NHL-ready frame at 6-foot-2, 198 pounds with the willingness to use it along the boards
Crafty finisher with a quick one-touch release and effective backhand
Led the 67’s in goals (32) and points (63) in his first OHL season
Two-way reliability; tracks assignments and plays responsibly without the puck
Produced eight points in seven games at the 2026 World Junior Championship for Finland
Liiga experience (eight games with HIFK) and international pedigree through Finnish U19 and U20 programs

Under Construction – Needs Improvement

Skating lacks the explosive first step and top-end speed needed to create separation at higher levels
Age-adjusted production: 63 OHL points as a 19-year-old carry a different weight than the same total from a first-year eligible player
Playmaking can be limited to half-wall distribution; he is a finisher first and a creator second
Did not land on any major public draft boards outside NHL Central Scouting, suggesting a limited consensus on his NHL upside

NHL Potential

Kuhta’s path from here runs through UMass. The NCAA will test whether his OHL production was a function of skill translating against younger players or a genuine indicator of pro potential. His size, shot, and two-way habits give him a realistic projection as a bottom-six center who can kill penalties and contribute 10 to 15 goals in a depth role. The HIFK background, the WJC experience, and the Liiga callups give him a more complete developmental resume than most players ranked in the 90s. If the skating improves even modestly at UMass, the ceiling shifts from “organizational depth” to “useful NHL regular.” The infrastructure is there. He needs the engine to catch up.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk: 4/5, Reward: 2/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense: 4/10, Defense: 5/10

Awards/Achievements

Led Ottawa 67’s in goals (32) and points (63) in 62 regular-season games (2025-26)
Represented Finland at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship (two goals, six assists, eight points in seven games)
HIFK U20 Liiga callup (eight games) during 2024-25 season
Selected 72nd overall in the 2025 CHL Import Draft by Ottawa
Committed to the University of Massachusetts for 2026-27