Lightning Place Niko Huuhtanen On Unconditional Waivers
The Tampa Bay Lightning have placed winger Niko Huuhtanen on unconditional waivers, according to Elliotte Friedmann of Sportsnet. If he clears waivers, his contract will be terminated tomorrow and he will become an unrestricted free agent.
Huuhtanen’s prospects have followed a bell-curve trajectory. Drafted by Tampa Bay in the seventh round with the final pick of the 2021 NHL Draft out of Finland, he had posted 20 goals and 34 points in 37 junior games for Tappara. He moved to North America in 2021-22 to finish his junior career as an import draft pick for the WHL’s Everett Silvertips, where he tallied 37 goals and 77 points in 65 games, leading the league in rookie goals. He returned to Finland the following season to begin his pro career, putting up a 17-13-30 line in 48 games for Jukurit, earning Liiga Rookie of the Year honors.
By then, Huuhtanen was on the NHL radar. Elite Prospects ranked him as the No. 11 prospect in Tampa Bay’s system entering the 2023-24 season, noting that while his production was strong, his skating mechanics remained a concern. That assessment proved prescient. He stayed in Finland that year and continued to post solid numbers with Jukurit, logging 19 goals and 46 points in 52 games, but that was the last time he looked like a genuine top-level NHL contributor.
Huuhtanen signed his entry-level contract with the Lightning in 2024 and joined the organization to finish the season with AHL Syracuse. As anticipated, his production didn’t translate as hoped. The 6’3” winger finished with eight goals in 51 appearances, adding 12 assists for 20 points and a +13 rating.
This season, his role diminished further. He began the year on the non-roster list due to an undisclosed injury. After returning to health, he joined Syracuse in early November, not securing a stable spot in the lineup. Following a two-assist debut, he was reassigned to the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears, where he appeared once on November 22 and has not played since.
Through 56 career regular-season AHL games, Huuhtanen has accumulated 23 points. While that total could still attract a two-way NHL deal with another organization given his youth, the more likely path appears to be a return to Europe and signing a fresh contract there in the near term.
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