Lekkerimäki is on an impressive point pace for Canucks right now
Heading into this season, Jonathan Lekkerimäki had done little to prove he belonged in the NHL.
In 37 games across two previous seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, Lekkerimäki had just five goals and nine points — decent for a two-way role player at the bottom of the lineup, but not what was needed from a sub-six-foot finesse winger without separating speed.
It wasn’t entirely his fault. Lekkerimäki’s post-draft development was derailed and delayed by injuries. Even this past offseason, Lekkerimäki couldn’t start training fully until July as he recovered from shoulder surgery.
That makes Lekkerimäki’s ascension early this season all the more remarkable.
“It’s him learning this league”
There were legitimate reasons to wonder if the 22-year-old might top out as the dreaded quad-A player: elite at the AHL level, where he had 13 goals and 20 points in 21 games last season, but unable to carve out a spot in the NHL.
But the Canucks’ commitment to rebuilding put them in a unique position to give Lekkerimäki a significant opportunity this season.
“I’m ready to give him a chance to say, ‘Hey, you’re an NHL player. Go do what you can with the comfort of not feeling make one mistake and oh man here we go,'” said general manager Ryan Johnson to Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston. “That you can make some mistakes and grow and build some sustained confidence.”
Reasoning that Lekkerimäki had already proven all he could in the AHL, Johnson flat-out told Lekkerimäki he was going to be a full-time NHLer ahead of training camp.
“We’re going to give [Lekkerimäki] a chance,” said Canucks co-president Henrik Sedin. “He needs to see where he is, and we’re excited for him. He has a tremendous shot; he can score from anywhere, so it’s him learning this league.”
That’s the key to understanding the opportunity the Canucks gave Lekkerimäki this season: “learning this league.”
The Canucks already knew what Lekkerimäki could do in the AHL, so there was no reason for him to return to the minors to prove himself. It also wouldn’t do anything for his development, because what he needed to learn was how to play his game in an NHL environment.
This season, Lekkerimäki has been a quick study.
Lekkerimäki is scoring from everywhere
Playing primarily on a line with Jake DeBrusk and Elias Pettersson, Lekkerimäki has produced like a legitimate top-six forward.
After his two-goal, three-point night in Anaheim, Lekkerimäki leads the Canucks in goalscoring and is second in points with six goals and 12 points in 14 games. That’s a 36-goal, 72-point pace over a full 84-game season.
Scored 2 goals in 49 seconds to tie.
Drew a penalty in OT.
Set up the game winner.Jonathan Lekkerimäki, an absolute gamer. 😤 pic.twitter.com/HUWzB6GSq2
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) October 28, 2026
Lekkerimäki is currently fourth in scoring among under-23 players in the NHL, in heady company amongst the likes of 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, 2023 second-overall pick Leo Carlsson, and 2024 third-overall pick Beckett Sennecke.
His shot is undoubtedly elite, as he demonstrated on Tuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks. He has a ridiculously quick release, with the puck exploding off his stick at a moment’s notice with the pace and precision to beat goaltenders from distance.
He hasn’t relied solely on one way to score either, as he’s scored goals from everywhere on the ice. He’s scored off the rush, he’s scored by going to the net to finish off a rebound, and he has scored by sneaking in behind the defence at the backdoor.
HockeyViz
On top of the goals, Lekkerimäki is proving to be a crafty playmaker, whether on the power play or at even-strength.
Before he scored the game-tying goal, Lekkerimäki nearly assisted on it instead, setting up DeBrusk for a point-blank chance at the top of the crease.
Then, in overtime, he had the wherewithal and selflessness to pass up an opportunity to shoot during a 5-on-3 power play in overtime — and complete his hat trick — instead setting up a much better chance in the high slot for Filip Hronek and Brock Boeser.
Lekkerimäki has rounded out his game
The most encouraging part of Lekkerimäki’s game hasn’t necessarily been the scoring; what’s most impressive has been his improvement away from the puck.
That was always a major question for Lekkerimäki: if he could be well-rounded enough that a coach could trust him in major minutes, which would give him opportunities to produce offensively.
So far this season, Lekkerimäki has been as well-rounded as a Spheal. He’s held his own defensively against tough competition as he often goes head-to-head with the best players in the world when he’s on a line with Pettersson.
Head coach Manny Malhotra acknowledged Lekkerimäki’s shot after last night’s game, but was quick to highlight other aspects of his game that helped the team.
“He’s elite in terms of his ability to get [his shot] off and pick corners,” he said. “But more so, I just think his poise that he had recovering a couple of pucks, just settling it down for us, put us in a good spot.”
Lekkerimäki’s puck pursuit has become a real highlight of his game. He’s a crafty forechecker, using his intelligence and stick to win the puck, rather than trying to jar the puck loose with hits.
It's plays like this that are making me increasingly optimistic about Jonathan Lekkerimäki. That's some clever work to steal the puck twice on the forecheck. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/xkGoGXRxO8
— Daniel Wagner (@passittobulis) October 16, 2026
Obviously, his ridiculous shot will always be Lekkerimäki’s biggest strength, but the development of the other parts of his game will give him more chances to use that shot.
In a rebuilding season, this is exactly what the Canucks — and their fans — need: a young player taking a significant step forward to make his case to be a part of the future of the franchise.