HELSINKI, Finland -- Finnish goalie Tuukka Rask attempted to make a glove save, but the puck whistled by him into the top corner and rippled the net.

The shooter stood in the high slot and showed no reaction to the goal as he waited for another pass from a teammate during practice. The laser-like shot came off the stick of Finnish prospect Patrik Laine, who was the No. 2 overall pick by the Winnipeg Jets in last June's NHL Entry Draft.

"He's a great shooter," said Rask, who has played eight seasons with the Boston Bruins. "A big body and a really, really good shooter."

There will be a lot of focus on Laine as the 18-year-old forward displays his talents and his 6-foot-4, 206-pound frame for Team Finland at the upcoming World Cup of Hockey, which begins Sept. 17 in Toronto.

"He's a natural goal scorer, so if he gets a shot he's pretty much going to score," said Rask. "He's a great threat on the power play. He's going to score goals. If he doesn't then he'll probably get down on himself and might have some issues, but he's going to have an immediate impact for sure."

Auston Matthews, the 2016 No. 1 overall pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs, won't be given a major role with Team North America, at least to start the tournament, but that's not the case with Laine. He will be playing on the top line with Aleksander Barkov and Jussi Jokinen. Laine will also play on Finland's top power-play unit.

"With my strengths, you can get more out of me in one or the two top lines," he said. "If you're on the third or fourth line, your job is going to be a lot harder with my strengths, so it's good that the coaches are counting on me and they know what I can do. It's a huge honor, and I just want to play and have fun on the ice."

Competing at the international level is nothing new for Laine (who played for Finland at the 2016 World Junior Championship and the 2016 World Championship) but facing the best in the world on this big of a stage will be a little different.

"It's a new level for me," he said. "It's always nice to be able to play against those top guys in the world. I'm excited to play and we'll see what happens.

"I just want to be me on the ice and show everybody what I can do, and maybe can't do. I just want to be brave on the ice and show my skills and help my team."

"He's a natural goal scorer, so if he gets a shot he's pretty much going to score," said Tuukka Rask of Laine, in action here at the 2016 IIHF World Championship. "He's going to have an immediate impact for sure." Anna Sergeeva/Getty Images

Not only is Laine a remarkably talented athlete, his confidence and poise make him a dangerous force on the ice. Nothing seems to bother him. He enjoys the spotlight and wants it shining on him when he's playing. Coaches normally don't like to talk about players on other teams, but everyone is excited to see how Laine will transition to the pro game.

"He's got a tremendous skill set," said Sweden coach Rikard Gronborg, whose team will face Laine and Finland in a World Cup exhibition game at noon ET Thursday. "The guy can put the puck in the net. He can challenge a player one-on-one. He's someone we need to be aware of. He can challenge, and he has the shot for sure."

Laine is already being compared to former Jets forward -- and fellow Finland native -- Teemu Selanne, who was selected in the first round (No. 10 overall) by the Jets in 1988. Laine does not shy away from those comparisons. Once the NHL season begins and he embarks on his rookie campaign, many believe he has the talent to quickly become his own type of player.

"A pretty big impact," Gronborg said. "Everyone expects him to be a top player on [Winnipeg] and with his age, and his poise and his confidence in himself he'll be pretty interesting to see. I expect him to be a top-tier player in the National Hockey League for sure."

Finnish team captain -- and Minnesota Wild veteran forward -- Mikko Koivu first saw Laine play last year during the World Championships. During training camp for the World Cup, Koivu has already seen a difference in the young prospect from a physical and strength standpoint.

"He gained a lot of strength during the offseason and that's usually good for younger players to get better, get stronger. You can see that on the ice," Koivu said. "Obviously it's different in practice from what it's going to be in a game but he looks pretty good so far."

Laine is entering a whole new world of talented hockey players and it begins when he steps onto the ice at Hartwall Arena on Thursday night to face Sweden in a World Cup of Hockey preseason game. Star goalie Henrik Lundqvist is not starting that game for Sweden, but it doesn't matter to Laine. "I don't care who is in the net," he said. "I want to help my team -- and hopefully I can score in my first game."