Canucks: Prospect winger Jonathan Lekkerimaki overcomes adversity odyssey

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A lot had gone so proper for Jonathan Lekkerimaki.

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The Vancouver Canucks’ first-round choice within the 2022 NHL Draft regarded snug within the Swedish Hockey League as a 17-year-old rookie winger. His arms had been gentle. His shot packed velocity and accuracy. His confidence was excessive.

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Lekkerimaki additionally captured gold with Sweden on the world Underneath-18 championship in 2022 and led the match with 15 factors (5-10) in six video games. That captured the creativeness of what could possibly be when he finally transitions to the North American sport, tradition and strain.

He was even drawing beneficial comparisons with speedy and productive winger Nikolaj Ehlers of the Winnipeg Jets.

Then adversity paid an extended go to.

In began with a foul bout of mononucleosis final summer season on the World Juniors. It robbed him of energy and stamina, and led to a chronic scoring hunch early this season. Then got here a November concussion from a excessive hit and a month on the sidelines.

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If that wasn’t sufficient, he had a poor 2023 world junior tourney with only one objective in 4 video games and was even benched as Sweden completed fourth. His common season then ended abruptly in early February after struggling a foot damage in observe.

It got here every week after scoring a shootout winner.

“Generally, that occurs in your profession,” Lekkerimaki, 18, stated Monday by Zoom when requested about his adversity. “I wasn’t prepared for it, however I feel I dealt with it good and issues went fairly nicely within the playoffs.”

The foot ailment might need been a blessing in disguise.

After managing simply 9 factors (3-6) in 29 video games with Djurgardens IF of Stockholm within the second-tier Allsvenskan league, he had 15 factors (5-10) in 15 playoff video games.

“It (absence) helped with the off-ice coaching, so I may come again stronger,” added the 5-foot-11, 172 pound Tullinge, Sweden, native. “It was simply exit and play and don’t assume a lot. I used to be pondering an excessive amount of to start with of the season, and within the playoffs, it was simply go-with-the-flow.”

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Whether or not all that was the impetus for the Canucks to signal Lekkerimaki to a three-year, entry stage contract Saturday — slightly than wait one other 12 months — they clearly favored what they noticed within the resolve to enhance.

“They imagine in me, in order that was nice,” stated Lekkerimaki.

“With every problem he confronted, he discovered a approach to study and develop,” added Canucks normal supervisor Patrik Allvin. “We look ahead to Jonathan becoming a member of our improvement camp in July.”

Lekkerimaki is aware of that amid the encouraging ending to a season of a lot strife, there’s nonetheless a number of work to do to make him NHL-ready. He has a leg-up with former Canucks winger Mikael Samuelson serving in a player-development position and residing simply 20 minutes from Lekkerimaki.

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“He helped me lots with getting stronger on the puck and successful puck battles towards the boards,” stated the right-winger.

The prudent path for Lekkerimaki might be a full season in Sweden to mature bodily, studying to play extra of an inside sport earlier than gauging his sport and pondering an eventual leap to Vancouver.

“Possibly two years, perhaps one, I don’t know,” admitted Lekkerimaki, who wasn’t certain who he’ll be taking part in for within the fall. “I’ve to get greater and higher and sooner with my first three steps, so we’ll see. Most likely no less than yet one more 12 months in Sweden.”

When that happens, the chance to maybe align with countryman Elias Pettersson isn’t misplaced on him. Simply being in the identical group because the star centre strikes the motivation meter.

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“It feels nice,” stated a smiling Lekkerimaki. “One among my idols, so it feels unbelievable.”

Lekkerimaki was ranked as excessive as eighth for the 2022 draft and fell to the Canucks at No. 15. That may both counsel that six golf equipment might have had doubts concerning the winger or addressed different positional wants.

Those that may have been of some curiosity to the Canucks had been already off the board — defenceman Kevin Korchinski (seventh), centre Marco Kasper (eighth), blueliner Pavel Mintyukov (tenth) and centre Frank Nazar (thirteenth) — however there was a company perception that the sudden availability of Lekkerimaki was a giant bonus, not a comfort prize.

“Clearly, along with his shot and talent to learn the sport — he will get in-and-out of areas in a short time — we had been ecstatic to get him as a result of we had no expectation of him being there at No. 15,” stated Ryan Johnson, the Canucks’ senior director of participant improvement earlier than being promoted as an assistant to Allvin.

Johnson can be GM of the AHL-affiliate Abbotsford Canucks.

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