The Canucks’ most dynamic ahead prospect has two objectives in 4 pre-season video games along with his new SHL group
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It’s nonetheless summer time right here in Vancouver, however they’ve already hit the ice in Europe.
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The pre-season schedule is properly underway in Sweden and Finland and with it, various notable Canucks prospects are honing their video games for the 2023/24 marketing campaign.
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None have impressed as a lot as Jonathan Lekkerimaki, the Canucks’ fifteenth total choose within the 2022 NHL draft. The 19-year-old, enjoying for Orebro HK of the Swedish Hockey League this season, has scored two objectives in 4 pre-season video games over the previous two weeks — together with a sensational effort in a 4-0 win on Aug. 15 towards Vasteras.
Taking part in on the fourth line in his first pre-season recreation along with his new group, the 5-foot-11, 172-pound right-shot winger took a drop go on the blue-line and let his talent do the remaining, breaking down a defender with a fast head faux, reducing to the center of the ice from the left faceoff circle and wristing the puck previous a screened goaltender.
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It was the type of “go-with-the-flow” play that Lekkerimaki talked about when he signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Canucks in Might, when discussing what led to his success within the Allsvenskan playoffs final 12 months (5G, 10A in 15 video games), after a disappointing 9 factors (3G, 6A) in 29 video games throughout an everyday season at Djurgardens marred by sickness, accidents and confidence points.
“It was simply exit and play and don’t suppose a lot. I used to be considering an excessive amount of at first of the season, and within the playoffs, it was simply go-with-the-flow,” Lekkerimaki mentioned.
When the Huddinge product is on high of his recreation, his mixture of puck abilities, foot velocity and a deadly shot are unmatched within the Canucks’ prospects pipeline.
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Lekkerimaki’s different aim got here on Aug. 23 in a 4-3 additional time loss to Leksands IF. With three minutes left within the third interval and his group down 3-1, Lekkerimaki discovered some open ice within the excessive slot, took a go and one-timed a shot into the web to chop the Leksands result in one.
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Lekkerimaki additionally seems to be gaining the favour of the Orebro teaching employees, ending the pre-season on the second line after working his means up from fourth-line obligation.
After struggling out of the gate after the draft, a powerful begin to the common season is simply what Lekkerimaki wants, with Orebro going through Leksands to start out the marketing campaign on Sept. 13.
One other key Canucks prospect enjoying for Orebro, left-shot defenceman Elias Pettersson (2022, Rd. 3), skated in three pre-season video games and notched one main help. Pettersson, 19, has skated on the group’s third pairing, and performed on the suitable aspect in a 4-1 win over Farjestad on Friday.
The 6-foot-3, 196-pound D-man, who inked a three-year entry-level contract in April, skates properly, makes use of his measurement and has an excellent first go. He had one aim, six assists and a plus-6 score in 43 video games with Orebro final season, after starting the marketing campaign within the Swedish juniors.
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Each Lekkerimaki and Pettersson are anticipated to play for Staff Sweden on the world junior event of their dwelling nation, which begins on Boxing Day.
Farjestad’s Lucas Forsell, 19, confronted off towards his Canucks counterparts on Friday however didn’t rating within the recreation. Forsell, a 6-foot, 165-pound right-shot winger taken within the seventh spherical in 2021, shot his means up the prospects pecking order final season with 11 objectives in 35 SHL video games, in addition to 4 factors (2G, 2A) in seven playoff video games.
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And in Finland, defensive prospect Joni Jurmo is studying the ropes with a brand new group within the hopes of lastly incomes a contract with the Canucks on the finish of the season.
The 21-year-old left-shot D-man, now enjoying for Tampereen Ilves of the top-flight Liiga, has performed in 4 pre-season video games. Jurmo, at 6-foot-5 and 209 kilos, began the pre-season down the lineup however was bumped as much as the primary defensive pairing in a 3-1 win on Aug. 17 and a 4-0 win on Aug. 18, each towards IFK Helsinki.
Jurmo has elite skating means and might transfer the puck properly, however can nonetheless be spotty in his personal finish. He went a minus-4 in 52 video games with Jukurit final season, though the group struggled mightily to attain all through the marketing campaign.
After notching 13 factors (5G, 8A) in 52 video games final season, he’d additionally like to point out Canucks brass that he can contribute offensively as properly.
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None of those European prospects might be participating within the Younger Stars event, which runs from Sept. 15-18 in Penticton.
Canucks coaching camp begins on Sept. 21 in Victoria.
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Canucks: Prospect winger Jonathan Lekkerimaki overcomes adversity odyssey
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