Lightning select F Joona Saarelainen with the 149th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft

With the 149th overall pick, the Tampa Bay Lightning selected forward Joona Saarelainen from KalPa of the Finnish junior league. He was ranked 49th^e overall in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings for leagues outside North America.

Saarelanien, a native of Mikkeli, Finland, scored 13 goals and 36 points in 41 games as an alternate captain for KalPa last season. The 5-foot-9, 183-pound center represented Finland as an alternate captain in the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, scoring three goals and four points in five games.