The first round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft was wild. Shane Wright proved the consensus number one wasn’t the consensus as he dropped all the way to fourth place. The Montreal Canadiens drove and dealt with the New York Islanders to add Kirby Dach from the Chicago Blackhawks. The San Jose Sharks moved down from 11th overall for three picks. The Vancouver Canucks were rumored to be involved in a potential trade with the Islanders prior to making a deal with the Canadiens, but it never materialized. Instead, the Canucks stayed where they started, at 15th overall. With the pick, the Canucks drafted Jonathan Lekkerimaki.
“We were excited that it was going down.”
Lekkerimäki is a top scoring right winger from Djurgårdens IF in Sweden, splitting time last season between the J20 Nationell and the SHL. At Nationell, Lekkerimäki dominated, scoring 20 goals and 35 points in just 26 games, second only to teammate Liam Öhgren in points per game. The difference between Lekkerimäki and Öhgren is that Lekkerimäki produced in the SHL, scoring 7 goals in 26 games. Lekkerimäki was rated as high as 8th overall by Bob McKenzie and International Scouting Services, with most public draft rankings expecting him to be a top-10 pick. As such, it was a surprise when he fell to the Canucks at 15. “We had him a little higher rated and we were excited to see him go,” Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said. Lekkerimäki is still just 17 years old, turning 18 later this month, giving him a longer runway to develop than some of the older players in the draft. That will give him time to add more strength to his 5’11” frame, which is one of the reviews of his game. He is expected to play in the HockeyAllsvenskan next season, Sweden’s second-tier men’s league. “A lot of these younger players need to get stronger,” Alvin said. “He is a skilled, intelligent player who is playing at a professional level this year. There is no rush with us to overcome him.”
“He has one of the fastest releases in the entire draft.”
Lekkerimäki can score any way you want, with an array of shooting options that are all NHL caliber. “Catch-and-release, one timer, wrist shot, snapshot, slap shot — Lekkerimäki has the tool for every occasion, and they’re all already elite, even by NHL standards,” says the scouting report from Elite Prospects . “You watch him shoot the puck, and it’s obviously perfect.” Like most big scorers, Lekkerimäki is adept at adding some deception before he shoots – pretending to freeze a defender or goalie, pulling the puck on his skates to change the angle, or pushing the puck wide, a more unexpected move for readers to read goalkeepers. “He has one of the fastest releases in the entire draft this year,” Will Scouching said. “Backs hit his stick and it doesn’t take long for him to change angles and get his stick out.” The puck simply bursts off Lekkerimäki’s stick in an instant and has the speed and accuracy to beat goalies from distance, but it’s not his only offensive weapon. He also has slick hands, which he can use to strip goalies with tight ends or weave through opponents to get to scoring areas in the middle of the ice.
“It has a smooth, flowing gait.”
An important factor is that Lekkerimäki is adept at handling the puck with speed — he doesn’t coast when he makes moves, but can combine his slick skating with the puck in his hip pocket. “He has a smooth, fluid stride that takes him quickly to all three zones of the ice, and as his speed increases, his skill remains at a high level,” reads his scouting report from Draft Pro Hockey. “He is capable of carrying the puck at full speed, forcing the opposition to retreat quickly, giving him time and space to create opportunities.” This makes him a dangerous threat in transition. As he adds strength, his skating should also improve as he could use a bit more speed. All that aside, Lekkerimäki has decent vision and playmaking ability for a player who is ostensibly a sniper. His game lets him hold pucks until he finds the best passing option, often spinning down the goal line before sliding the puck into the slot for a big chance. Lekkerimäki showed more of this side of his game at the 2022 U18 World Championship, where he led the competition in scoring with 5 goals and 10 assists in 6 games, winning the gold medal with Sweden.
Areas where Lekkerimäki needs to improve
Offensively, the biggest question for Lekkerimäki is whether he will be able to regularly get inside to use his shot. Some of his bad-play habits are a little raw: he doesn’t always get to the soft spots on the ice in time for his teammates to find him with the puck. In order for Lekkerimäki to regularly score goals in the NHL, he needs to adapt his game away from the leg because those pockets of soft ice are smaller and harder to find. There are also some concerns on the defensive end of the ice, as he struggles in pack battles and isn’t always as committed to the defensive zone as he needs to be. That’s not unusual for a goal-scoring winger, of course, and his ability to transition up the ice will help him win possession, even if he’s not going to win any Selke trophies. With his handles and shooting, Lekkerimäki could potentially put up enough goals that it won’t matter how he plays defensively, but he will have room to develop that side of his game before he reaches the NHL. Lekkerimäki is an incredibly exciting player for Canucks fans to watch develop as he will produce highlight-reel plays for years to come. It’s hard to score goals in the NHL — Lekkerimäki has the ability to make it look super easy.
