Another newcomer to the list as the Tampa Bay Lightning dip into the over-age European bucket of prospects to select Benjamin Rautianen.
| Name | Benjamin Rautiainen |
| Position | Center |
| Age (as of October 1) | 20 |
| Height/Weight | 6’0″, 168 lbs. |
| Expected 2024-25 Team | Tappara (Liiga) |
| Draft – Year, Round | 2025 4th Round, #108 |
| Previous Rankings | Not Ranked |
| Justin G.’s Rank | Not Ranked |
| Final Rank | 20 |
Stats:
Our Thoughts:
Benjamin Rautiainen is a type of player the Tampa Bay Lightning have been taking a shot on more and more over the past couple of years. While the bulk of their picks still fit the “high hockey IQ, 200-foot player” mode, they have branched out a few times to take players that might have some flaws but, if things break right in their development, can provide some higher-end offense. Nikko Huuhtanen, Isaac Howard (before the trade), Jayson Shaugabay all kind of fit this profile.
One difference with Rautiainen is that the Lightning have more of an idea of what type of player he is going to be simply because he’s a few years older than most draft picks. After being passed over twice in the draft, the 20-year-old was selected in the fourth round by the Bolts this past summer. It is worth noting that they swapped picks with the Boston Bruins to make this deal as Julien BriseBois sent a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Bruins for the pick used to draft the Finnish forward. So, there was something they really liked about him and they were worried that another team might have been zeroing in on him.
As a rookie in the Liiga last season, Rautiainen led all first year players with 10 goals while adding 13 assists to his scoring stats. Not exactly electric numbers, but not bad for a 19-year-old playing in one of the more competitive leagues in Europe. The 6’0″ rangy forward isn’t afraid to unleash the puck at the net as he fired off 153 shots in 50 games last year. According to the Liiga official stats he also had one of the hardest shots among rookies, cracking one on net at 140.54 KM/Hr (87.33 MPH). While it’s not near a Darren Raddysh-esque blast, it still ranked third among rookies in the league.
Will his shot play at the NHL level? That’s probably the biggest question to his game. If it does, it’ll give him more space on the ice to set up his teammates. Based on his highlights it’s a deceptive shot that he gets off quick enough to trouble goaltenders.
Based on his play so far in his career, Rautiainen isn’t going to be a 40-goal scorer as his strengths seem to line up more as a playmaker. He has excellent vision on the ice and excels at setting up his linemates. He processes the game quickly and creates offense with well strung-out passes. While not the fleetest of skaters he has decent speed and is crafty on his edges, able to turn in tight spaces and dance around defenders.
His biggest liability at this point in his career is his defensive play. We’re not saying it’s nonexistent, but the likelihood of him winning a Selke are right up there with us winning the Powerball. He will need to improve that over the next couple of seasons in order to make the leap over to North America, especially in the Lightning system.
In order to adjust to the North American game, especially with the way the NHL is tilting, he’ll also have to improve his physicality. A lot of the scouting reports refer to him as “lanky” or “slender”. He also hasn’t shown the ability to drive to the dangerous areas of the net to create plays. He plays hard and tries to do the work along the boards, but it’s not the most effective part of his game.
As of right now, he’ll probably spend the next season or two overseas before making the move to North America. Expect a season in the AHL before he contends for a spot with the Lightning. It will be interesting to see what the Bolts line-up looks like by then. At this very moment there really isn’t a spot for him with the big club, but in three years? Maybe something opens up on the top-six.
If not, and if he can improve his defense to an acceptable level, he’s likely a middle-six forward that can help on the power play. His puck distribution skills are already at the point where he could fill a role on the Lightning’s second unit, so hopefully a few more seasons playing against top competition in Finland should only make him better.
Rautiainen is the very definition of a lottery-ticket pick. He could be a bust and never make it out of Europe, or he could be a key contributor to a future Lightning team. The ability to play at different tempos, his vision on the ice, and a deceptive and often unexpected shot has shades of Nikita Kucherov’s style of play. We’re not saying he’s the next Kuch, but he plays a similar style of game, which is a skill set that the Lightning could use in the future.
Highlight Videos:
Finland's game-winning goal was a 'no-looker' on the power play#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/tUrHhPw8lf
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 4, 2025
Let’s go ahead and start with the play which will live on as the highlight of his junior career. This goal (on the power play) sent Finland to the Gold Medal game at the U20 World Juniors. Sweden is playing off of him, respecting his ability to pass. He sees the slightest of openings between the goaltender’s pads and doesn’t hesitate to fire a shot on net. One of the prospect writers referred to Rautiainen as a “confident” shooter. This is an example of that.
Benjamin Rautiainen ja lisää löylyä kiukaalle! 🔥
— Tappara Tampere (@Tapparaofficial) March 22, 2025
📺 @mtvurheilu pic.twitter.com/qRWK75STBJ
We love it when players shoot off the rush like this. He has just enough foot speed to keep the separation from the defenseman and then snaps it home. Usually, when a player attacks the net on his off-wing the goaltenders cheat to the inside post, leaving the far post open. In this case, the goalie is fairly square to Rautiainen, but he’s still able to beat him on the stick side.
It's showtime – Benjamin Rautiainen löytää Otto Leskisen lavan jatkoajalla ja voitto kotiin Tampereelle!
— Tappara Tampere (@Tapparaofficial) February 15, 2025
📺 @mtvurheilu pic.twitter.com/BmzUqgtXLl
Patience….patience…patience. Once again, on the power play (in almost the same spot where he scored the goal in the U20’s) he spots the defenseman crashing to the slot and puts the puck right on his tape. Vision and skill is what makes him dangerous on the power play.
Speaking of skill. What a nifty, confident move by a rookie.
