Lightning Have Every Reason to Be Happy By Benjamin Rautiainen – Hockey Writers – Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning have locked down another important part of their future. They announced on Friday (May 29) that they have signed striker Benjamin Rautiainen to a three-year entry-level contract. After making history in Finland, he is heading to continue his professional career.

He is proving to be another example of Nyazi’s eye for talent in the middle rounds. The 20-year-old was a fourth-round pick in the recent NHL Draft. During that time, he had a strong showing for Tappara in the Finnish Liiga and World Juniors. Then came the outbreak.

Many Lightning fans keeping track of the prospect pool have been excited for a long time. It’s not even the first time I’ve written about him recently – I applauded him in a prospect update. However, now that he’s officially signed on, he’s about to star in his own full-length solo story.

For everyone, it’s time to delve into what’s to come. We’ll look back at the history he made in Finland, and talk about his strength in the NHL system.

The Best Finnish Goal Scorer in Years

In 59 games for Tappara, Rautiainen scored 25 goals and totaled 77 points. Not only did he lead the entire league, but he became the first player to surpass 70 points since the 2007-08 Liga season.

Along with the historic run, he improved his season with 15 goals and 44 points. It’s definitely a league jump that can give young players a run for their money. For context, before going first in the 2022 Draft, Montreal Canadiens star Juraj Slafkovsky scored 10 points in 31 games.

Admittedly, Slafkovsky was young (18), and his time in Liiga was very short. However, his performance is considered impressive considering the league in which he played. Now you have someone who had better per-game averages in his first year exploding to have a terrible season in his second season.

There is no guarantee that he will become another Slafkovsky. He’s a little younger, and that can make a difference. Even after the strong year he had in his first Liiga season, he fell to the fourth round instead of a top player. When the Lightning traded to get him, this was in response to the bad reputation he built after the World Juniors. The math sheet isn’t everything. However, his recent season has deservedly earned the hype.

Lightning Expectations

After this recent season, the question is whether he can be a key player in the future. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Rautiainen will attend training camp in September with the goal of making the opening night roster.

Therefore, he is considered a place where he can fight for an NHL roster spot. However, there are no guarantees. He has to find a place. If he doesn’t, he will play in Finland for another year. Tappara is under contract for another season.

According to the rules of the International Ice Hockey Federation, he will be there for the full season. After that, he’ll be able to play for the Lightning or their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch (from ‘Lightning sign prospect Benjamin Rautiainen to entry-level contract,’ The Tampa Bay TimesMay 29, 2026).

So, for now, the expectation is that he’ll be ready right out of the gate or we’ll see him next season. Tappara made a run to the championship this season. It ended in mid-May. As it stands, the only way they would be available is if they miss the playoffs or are eliminated early in the first round. Given that Tappara have won four of their last five matches, don’t count on them.

However, if he were to break the schedule for opening night, he would provide an irritating subplot for the crew. His cap hit is just over $1 million per season, which would give them a lot of flexibility.

At first, you can expect him to play more of a role as a deep piece as he finds his footing. Every league brings a different style of play, and you will likely go through an adjustment period in North America. Ideally, some of those adjustments could be made in the AHL. But, according to the rules, he has to make it to the NHL out of the gate or wait.

Most likely, it will be a waiting game. However, it may be worth the wait. Being only 20 years old, he could get another season in Finland, start the next season in the AHL before moving up to the NHL and become a very young player. That wouldn’t be a bad thing.