We pick the series back up with an intriguing prospect.
| Name | Niko Huuhtanen |
| Position | Forward/Wing |
| Age (as of October 1) | 22 |
| Height/Weight | 6’3″, 198 lbs. |
| Expected 2024-25 Team | Syracuse Crunch |
| Draft – Year, Round | 2021, Round 7 (224) |
| Previous Rankings | 9 (2024), 9 (2023), 20 (2022) |
| Justin G.’s Ranking | 12 |
| Final Rank | 9 |
Stats:
Our Thoughts:
In our very first inclusion of Niko Huutanen in the Top 25 Under 25, which was all the way back in 2022, Hardev titled the post “Niko Huutanen should be a top ten prospect”. From his mouth to our ears apparently, because the big power forward has now locked down the number nine spot for three consecutive years. Which, with the Lightning’s system the way it is, seems about right.
There was some excitement around Huuhtanen last season as it was his first in North America since he played for the Everett Silvertips prior to the Lightning drafting him in 2022. After a brief debut in the 2024 playoffs for the Syracuse Crunch (where he picked up a pair of assists in four games) the Finnish forward was set to get some playing time on a Crunch team that needed scoring.
The end result was mixed. He put up 8 goals and 12 assists, but only played in 51 games as injuries nagged him throughout the season. Things started off for him pretty well. He scored in the season opener, and then rattled off 17 points in 19 games during a stretch from the end of October to early December. If you do the math, you can see the “but” coming. After that stretch, he only recorded two more points (both assists) over the final 28 games of the season while bouncing in and out of the line-up.
When he is on his game, Huuhtanen is the prototypical power forward that has a lot of skills that can translate to productivity at the NHL level. He has good hands, a hard, heavy shot, and a willingness to much it up in the corners and in front of the net. One might even say he plays an angry game and doesn’t shy away from physical contact.
However, in his first season in the AHL, there were a few too many nights where he wasn’t effective at all. His skating has improved, but is still a bit suspect, and can leave him slightly behind the play. That’s not unusual, and the Lightning as an organization have been able to assist their prospects to the point where they are at least average skaters.
This should be a big season for the 22-year-old, but it’s going to take him awhile to get on the ice as he is starting things on the season-opening injured list with the Lightning (so officially he made the opening night roster. Yay!). At one point he was expected back in time for the Crunch’s season opener, but with that date having come and gone, his return is officially unknown.
When he does come back, he’ll have to work his way back into the line-up. By the end of the season last year, he was mostly playing fourth-line minutes, and with the additions the Crunch have made over the summer, he’s likely to start there. That’s not a bad thing. He is still learning the defensive side of the game, and that is something he can focus on in a bottom-six role in the AHL. Should he play well, coach Joel Bouchard will move him up in the line-up.
A big focus for him this year will be to stay healthy. We saw flashes of what he can bring to the ice when he’s on, and if he can build on that, he should be in contention for a bottom-six role with the Bolts next season. Like a lot of young players consistency is key for his development.
Highlight Videos:
Apologies for the Jason Bourne-esque shaky cam footage here, but the nice thing about the on-ice angle is it showed how smooth Huuhtanen’s hands are. He got the puck and faked the defender on the slapshot, which opened up the space to get the shot on net. Even at the AHL level, beating a goaltender from distance and no screen is an impressive feat.
Again, this is a goal-scorers goal. How many times did we see Steven Stamkos just say, “Here is my best, if you can stop it, good on you”? While Huuhtanen’s shot might not be quite that good, it is really, really good. When he has space to get it off, there aren’t many that are better.
Again, he made just a tiny little adjustment on the initial shot to change the angle and handcuff Nico Daws on the initial shot. Then, instincts took over and he’s able to use his reach to complete the wraparound. Nice situational awareness and skill to pick up his first AHL goal.
