The Canucks had their choice between Lekkerimakis – who was ranked in the top ten of most draft picks – Noah Ostlund and big winger Liam Ohren when they took the stage in Montreal. The Winnipeg Jets went a little overboard by selecting Rutger McGroarty 14th overall, giving the Canucks their pick of three talented Swedish wings. Lekkerimaki won the bronze medal with Sweden at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and wears the number 40 because of Elias Pettersson. Advertisement – Continue Reading Below Check out what our draft expert Chris Faber had to say about Lekkerimaki’s game: Possessing one of the best shots in the 2022 draft class, Jonathan Lekkerimaki saw his stock rise a ton after scoring 15 points in six games in the U18s… Lekkerimaki shines when playing with players his age and it should be noted that the SHL team was one of the worst in the league last season. Lekkerimaki has a terrific shot and scouts love what he can do with the puck on a power play. We’ll have to see where he falls in the draft, but after making a top-10 push, he’s now in the 12-18 range. This could be a player that catches the Canucks’ eye, but he could also be a good target for a team that trades up to the Canucks 15th overall if he’s available. Faber is at the draft in Montreal right now and is pushing his way through the crowds to go talk to Patrik Allvin about this pick as we speak. We’ll have full coverage and a full scouting report for Lekkerimaki tomorrow morning at 6am.
