Overview
- The Tampa Bay Lightning announced on Friday, May 29, 2026, that they signed Benjamin Rautiainen to a three-year entry-level NHL contract after drafting him 108th overall in 2025.
- Tampa Bay paid to buy out the final year of Rautiainen’s Tappara contract so he could move immediately to the Lightning system.
- Rautiainen exploded in 2025–26 with a Liiga-leading 77 points in 59 games, won the Lasse Oksanen Award as the league’s top regular-season player, and helped Tappara capture the championship.
- The 20-year-old will attend Lightning training camp in September and either will compete for a depth forward role in the NHL or begin North American development with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch.
- The three-year entry-level deal carries a modest entry-level cap hit just above $1 million per season and highlights Tampa Bay’s ability to convert a mid-round European pick into a high-upside offensive prospect.