At this very early stage of the rebuild, there are very few “make or break” candidates for this upcoming season. However, Jonathan Lekkerimäki may be the only exception.
Jonathan, now 22 years old, has yet to break into a full-time position with the Vancouver Canucks. Due to his lack of size, strength, and injury problems early in his career, the right winger hasn’t been able to stick around with the big club for long.
Unlike two-way players, Lekkerimäki’s biggest strength is his absolutely blistering shot. A shot that has already scored a few times at the NHL level. This makes his profile that of a top-six player and a top-six player only. Lekkerimäki’s skillset will not translate well into a bottom-six role, as former Canucks head coach Adam Foote displayed with his more than questionable deployment of the young winger during his short stint with the Canucks in the 2024-25 season.
Lekkerimäki was selected 15th overall by the Canucks in 2022 and has only suited up for 37 games with the big club, where he has registered nine points. In the AHL, his production has been great. Jonathan registered 50 points in 63 games played. The only problem is that those games have come across three seasons of play. Evidently, health has been an issue for Lekkerimäki and will be absolutely crucial to him making an NHL impact out of camp this season.
With a shot that has been NHL-ready since his draft year, Jonathan Lekkerimäki looks to round out his physical stature and off-puck play to cement himself in the Canucks’ top six.