Benjamin Rautiainen – 2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

Rautiainen’s main shortcomings lie on defense. Due to his size, he isn’t able to use physicality to make much of an impact. He’s not afraid to absorb contact, as he draws a lot of penalties, but he hasn’t figured out how to make the same kind of impact with his body on defense. As a result, he doesn’t win many puck battles, isn’t an effective forechecker and doesn’t get many stops in transition. He’ll need to bulk up if he wants to become an impact NHL defender. On the plus side, he uses his speed to win races to loose pucks and is good at getting his stick on the puck in non-transition plays in the defensive zone.

Rautiainen tends to elevate his game in the playoffs. He’s posted excellent scoring numbers in tournaments in several Finnish leagues, and he’s played well for Finland at various international events. Most recently, he scored the winning goal against Sweden in the 2025 World Juniors semifinal game.

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Benjamin Rautiainen – NHL Draft Projection

This is Rautiainen’s last draft-eligible year, and given that he’ll turn 20 before the draft, his age and size will likely lead some teams to shy away from taking him. However, his offense and smarts make him worth a late-round pick. While a fourth-round spot isn’t out of the question for him, he’ll more likely go in the fifth or sixth round.

Quotables

“Rautiainen is a highly intelligent, puck-dominant winger who thrives on pace, vision, and deception. He possesses above-average processing skills and can read pressure and coverage extremely well in the offensive zone. Rautiainen’s value lies in his ability to connect plays with tempo and find seams that others miss — traits that are difficult to teach and carry real NHL value.” – Neutral Zone

“Rautiainen doesn’t play a physical game, and some would describe his defense as lacking, but I think with a little weight added and further development of his strength, those areas of his game can be greatly improved.” – Blue Seat Blogs

Strengths

Under Construction – Improvements to Make

NHL Potential

Rautiainen won’t come to North America right away, as he needs more time to put on muscle and work on his defense. He could reach the NHL in two or three seasons, which might also include time in the American Hockey League. His peak would most likely be as a third-line center who spends time on the power play.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk: 2/5, Reward: 3/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense: 6/10, Defense: 4/10

Awards/Achievements

Interviews/Links

Kirvescast #52 – Benjamin Rautiainen (Finnish)

Benjamin Rautiainen Stats

Videos