Update: The Lightning have officially announced the signing:
Original post below:
While the team has yet to officially confirm the transaction, Cap Friendly is reporting that the Tampa Bay Lightning have signed their 2021 7th-round draft pick, Niko Huuhtanen to a three-year, entry-level contract set to begin with the 2024-25 season.
The 20-year-old forward has spent the last two seasons playing in the Liiga, Finland’s top professional league. With Jukurit, he’s put up 76 points (36 goals, 40 assists) in 100 games and was named the league’s top rookie in 2022-23 when he scored 17 goals in 48 games as a 19-year-old. After his team was eliminated by Karpat in the quarter-final round of the playoffs, Huuhtanen, who had three assists in six games, jumped on a plane and joined the Syracuse Crunch on an ATO contract.
The 6’2″, 209 lb. right-shot winger made his North American professional debut in the Crunch’s Game 5 win over Rochester, registering two shots on goal while skating on a line with Daniel Walcott and Tristan Allard. He also found some time on the second unit power play in his first game as a member of the Crunch.
Despite earning the Mr. Irrelevant title as the last player picked in the 2021 draft, Huuhtanen possess some intriguing skills that has helped him skyrocket up the Lightning’s prospect charts. The Athletic had him ranked as the Lightning’s 6th best prospect, writing,
“He’ll forecheck and go to the dirty areas and the net/slot. He’s got the tools of a good bottom-six, up-and-down-the-lineup, checking-and-scoring winger if he can stay on his current trajectory.”
We had him ranked ninth in our most recent Top 25 Under 25, complimenting his shot and his willingness to play physical in the offensive zone. Skating isn’t his greatest asset, and is probably the skill he needs to work on the most, but as we all know, that is something that can be improved with instruction and hard work. Even in his limited minutes as a member of the Crunch, you could tell where his footwork could use a little work.
The Lightning did have until next summer to offer him an entry-level contract, but the timing seems right as his contract with Jukurit expired this season. While the club is notoriously patient with developing their prospects, especially forwards, there is a chance that Huuhtanen, with his skill set, could compete for a spot on the bottom-six next season.
