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Lightning sign forward to entry-level contract
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- Lightning sign forward to entry-level contract
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The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Benjamin Rautiainen to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced on Friday. The 20-year-old Finnish player was selected by Tampa Bay with the 108th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2025 NHL Draft and was developed with Tappara in Finland's Liiga.
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Rautiainen most recently completed the 2025-26 Liiga season with Tappara, producing a league-leading 77 points in 59 games, including 25 goals and 52 assists, along with a +24 rating. His 77-point total made him the first player to surpass 70 points in the Liiga since the 2007-08 season, and he was awarded the Lasse Oksanen Award as the league's top player during the regular season. In the playoffs, he finished with one goal and six assists for seven points across 18 games, helping Tappara clinch the Liiga championship.
During the 2024-25 campaign, Rautiainen recorded 10 goals and 33 points in 50 regular-season games with a +4 rating. He also contributed two goals and four points in nine playoff games that season. Across his Liiga career with Tappara, he has appeared in 112 games, garnering 36 goals and 75 assists for 111 points, along with 27 playoff appearances producing 11 points (three goals, eight assists).
Rautiainen also represented Finland at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he tallied two goals and two assists for four points as Finland earned the silver medal after reaching the gold medal game.
The deal required Tampa Bay to buy out the final year of Rautiainen's contract with Tappara to complete the transfer. The 5-foot-11, 174-pound center has not yet made his NHL debut.
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Rautiainen's breakout season in Finland, combined with his draft position and offensive production, led the Lightning to secure him on an entry-level contract shortly after his championship-winning campaign.
