Niko Huuhtanen made his North American professional debut last season after another successful season with Jukurit. Now he’ll have a full season with Syracuse to take his game to the next level.
| Name | Niko Huuhtanen |
| Position | Right Wing |
| Age (as of October 1) | 21 |
| Height/Weight | 6’2″, 209 lbs. |
| Expected 2024-25 Team | Syracuse Crunch |
| Draft – Year, Round | 2021, Round 7, #224 |
| Previous Rankings | #9 (2023), #20 (2022), |
| Writer’s Ranking | 9 |
| Reader’s Ranking | 11 |
| Final Rank | 9 |
Stats
Our Thoughts
It seems like Niko Huuhtanen has been in the system a lot longer than he has been. That comes with the territory when an 18-year-old starts playing with grown men shortly after he was drafted by the Lightning. Huuhtanen played one season with the Everett Silvertips in the WHL before heading over to Europe to play with Jukurit in the Liiga.
He acquitted himself well with 30 points (17 goals, 13 assists) as a rookie, and then improved last season with 19 goals and 27 assists. He added 3 more assists in the playoffs before making the jump across the pond. After Jukurit was eliminated in 6 games, he signed his entry-level contract with the Bolts and joined the Crunch for their playoff run. Playing on an ATO so that his contract would slide to this season, he put up 2 assists in 4 games for the Crunch.
Now 21-years-old, Huuhtanen is lining up for a full season with Crunch as he looks to adjust to the North American game. With his offensive skills, there is a chance that Huuhtanen could make a run at the rookie scoring title in the AHL. Yes, it’s a lofty goal for a seventh-round pick, but his shot (and his willingness to let it go) should play well at this level.
He has the size to keep from getting pushed around on the ice, and he plays with a bit of a mean streak as well. If there is a puck along the boards, he’s going to get into a battle to go get it. The big Finn is the prototypical power forward and it will be interesting to see how coach Joel Bouchard uses him this year.
The big knock on Huuhtanen at this point is his skating. It was noticeable in his appearances with the Crunch last season, but even if he hasn’t improved over the summer, his physical play should still help him out on the ice. He doesn’t need to get to Brayden Point-levels of skating, but a slight improvement should be more than enough to get him to the next level.
While there is a desire to see how he does at the NHL level (wouldn’t his one-timer look great from the left circle on a power play?) there is no need to rush him through this season. There are plenty of other forwards a little closer to the NHL level in the organization, so the Lightning can take their time letting him develop. Let him get used to the smaller ice and more confined offensive areas and see if he can generate offense.
There is going to be a chance for him to play up in the line-up considering the injuries the Crunch are dealing with right now. If he’s paired up with a playmaker like Gage Goncalves, Huuhtanen could get off to a quick start.
In some of our previous profiles of Huuhtanen, we’ve referred to him as a boom-or-bust prospect. As he’s developed he’s lessened some of the “bust” concerns and appears to be blossoming into a legitimate player. We’ll keep an eye on him this season to see if he can keep that progress going.
Highlight Videos
Huutanen isn’t all goals, all the time, he can dish the puck. Here he waits until the forward’s stick is out of position before sliding the puck back across the ice to start the passing play.
He does have a willingness to shoot from anywhere. Here he just lets a wrister go from inside the blueline knowing that the goaltender was screened by at least three players.
The one-timer will play well at the AHL and NHL levels. We’re looking forward to him cranking out some similar shots like this on the Crunch power play this season.
With his size, Huuhtanen doesn’t have to rely on shooting from distance. He can get in front of the net and jam home the dirty goals as well.
