It appears that the Tampa Bay Lightning have come to an agreement to part ways with prospect Niko Huuhtanen.

Rooney (UT) on waivers

Huuhtanen (TB) on waivers for purposes of contract termination

— Elliotte Friedman (Bot) (@notfriedgehnic.bsky.social) December 2, 2025 at 2:04 PM

It appears he has indeed cleared the waivers, and the Lightning’s 7th-round pick in the 2021 draft will be free to pursue new opportunities. The 22-year-old was always one of the Lightning’s more intriguing prospects as he had one solid skill, his shooting, and then a lot of question marks. He also played with a bit of a mean streak, which, in today’s NHL, isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

His game never really translated to the pro level in North America. After two solid seasons with Jukurit, he came over at the end of the 2023-24 season, just in time to join the Syracuse Crunch for their playoff run. He posted a couple of assists in four games, and showed some potential heading into the 2024-25 season.

In addition to joining the Crunch, the Lightning signed him to an entry-level contract which they are now terminating with more than a year to go.

Armed with the new deal Huuhatanen had an…okay season. He finished with 20 points in 51 games, but found the back of the net only 8 times. There was also the issue of the fact that he only appeared in 51 games. This season saw him start on injured reserve as he recovered from an undisclosed injury. The right-hand shot returned to action on November 1st and recorded two assists against Belleville Senators. Just four games later, the Crunch/Lightning assigned him to Orlando on November 20th.

The Orlando Solar Bears tenure lasted just one game before the Lightning put him on waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract.

Where does he go from here? It is possible that the Finnish national returns to Europe and resumes his career in the Liiga. Or, he could latch on with a different organization that might present a little more of an opportunity. Things were getting a little crowded at the forward position with the Crunch, and Huuhtanen’s inconsistent production left him on the outside looking in.

For a long time, it looked like the Lightning might have picked a winner with the seventh-round lottery ticket they used to select Huuhtanen. Following the selection he scored 37 goals in his lone season with the Everett Silvertips in the WHL. It was back to Finland after that were he scored 17 goals as a 19-year-old. The Helsinki native followed it up with a 19-goal campaign the next season.

Unfortunately for the Lightning he hasn’t been able to make the next leap to be a consistent performer. At 22, there is still time, but it appears both parties have decided it will happen somewhere else. While it’s never great to lose a young player, it’s also a testament to the fact that they’ve added some higher-end talent at the forward position over the last year.

Players like Jakob Pelletier, Dominic James, and Sam O’Reilly have moved ahead of him on the prospect depth chart, and with a full roster in Syracuse, allowing him to move on now gives him a chance to find a spot now. He could be an intriguing option for a team looking for some forward depth at the AHL level.

Best of luck at you’re next stop, Mr. Huuhtanen.