November 11th, 2024
Alex Rickman
Following a hot start to his career in North America with Abbotsford, Canucks top prospect Jonathan Lekkerimäki appears set to make his NHL debut on November 12th against the Calgary Flames. After being called up over the weekend, Lekkerimäki has practiced for a few days in a row alongside Pius Suter and JT Miller, indicating that he will be given a chance to show what he can do at the highest level in the top six. So what can we hope to see from the 20-year-old in his first taste of NHL hockey?
Following a strong season with Örebro in the SHL last year, Lekkerimäki was given a chance to prove himself in the preseason and made a strong case for himself to crack the roster on opening night. While he would instead be assigned to the AHL to begin his season, it was clear that the front office would be keeping a watchful eye on him and have him in mind in the event a callup was needed. Now, with Brock Boeser out day-to-day, the time has come for Lekkerimäki to prove why the front office have decided to give him this chance.
In seven AHL games, Lekkerimäki has found the back of the net five times and assisted twice. There is no doubt that Lekkerimäki is a gifted offensive talent, and this has been on full display in his time in North America, where the smaller ice has yet to hold him back. However, Lekkerimäki is also currently -8, and we know how Rick Tocchet feels about players not pulling their weight defensively. In spite of these questionable defensive numbers, Tocchet seems comfortable trusting him with top minutes in order to get the best out of him defensively.
Without Brock Boeser in the lineup, and with Daniel Sprong now a member of the Seattle Kraken, the Canucks offence looked flat on Saturday night against the Oilers. By adding a dynamic offensive talent to the lineup and giving him a chance to play alongside a play driver like Miller, Tocchet could potentially be looking to see if Lekkerimäki can cover for some of what the Canucks are lacking without Boeser.
Expectation-wise, it’s hard not to be excited about Lekkerimäki, but it’s important to remember that we can never know what to expect from a rookie. Lekkerimäki has the potential to become a top-tier player at the NHL level, but at 20 years old, he may not be the complete package yet, and that’s fine. If Lekkerimäki is able to make a difference in the immediate future and become a regular in the NHL right now, that’s amazing. However, if he needs to return to the AHL and spend some time working on his game, that’s fine too. The important thing is that no matter what comes next for Lekkerimäki, he is a prospect worth being excited about long term.