Canucks prospect Lekkerimäki closing in on Pettersson's SHL goal mark
It’s been a roller coaster journey for Vancouver Canucks prospect Jonathan Lekkerimäki.
The Swedish winger has fought through injury and illness since being drafted in July 2022 and the work is paying off. He has eight goals in his last seven SHL games and is pacing all U24 skaters in scoring.
He also is tied for fourth among all SHL players in goals despite being just 19 years old.
Lekkerimäki’s goal-scoring pace means that he could match current Canucks superstar Elias Pettersson’s SHL rate at the same age. The team’s 25-year-old assistant captain put up 24 goals and 32 assists in 44 SHL games when he was the same age Lekkerimäki is now.
With six regular-season games left, the prospect needs to go goal-per-game to match Pettersson’s mark of 24 goals. While difficult, it’s far from an impossible task for the winger who has been on fire as of late. That number is the second most goals ever by a U20 SHL player.
Shootout game winners do count as goals in the SHL and Lekkerimäki is his team’s go-to option, resulting in more opportunities to add to his goal total.
Most goal by U20 skaters in SHL history:
1. Kent Nilsson – 28 goals, 36 games.
2. Elias Pettersson – 24 goals, 44 games.
3. Peter Forsberg -23 goals, 39 games.Jonathan Lekkerimäki – 18 goals, 40 games.
He has six games remaining in his regular season schedule. #Canucks
— Dave Hall (@hall1289) February 27, 2024
Lekkerimäki had just three goals and nine points across 29 games in the second-division Allsvenskan last season. The mediocre production had some worried about his future as an NHL contributor and questioned if the Canucks made the right decision in drafting him.
He’s managed to erase many of those doubts with his play this season.
The right-handed forward possesses a wicked shot that can beat goalies cleanly from a distance. He’s especially effective when at the top of the left circle and is even more deadly with the added space available on the power play.
Don’t look now, but Jonathan Lekkerimäki has 7 goals in his last 7 games.
He’s up to 17 goals in 40 SHL games – tops among all U24 skaters.
He’s 19 years old.
— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) February 27, 2024
Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin went to Sweden around Christmas time for the World Juniors, a tournament where Lekkerimäki won MVP. While there, Allvin spoke with local media about a rough timeline for some of the team’s top prospects and indicated that the club is hopeful Lekkerimäki will make the jump across the pond for the 2024-25 season.
Örebro HK, the Swedish prospect’s team, currently has a good shot at making the SHL postseason. They have a two-point hold on the ninth spot and the top 10 teams make the playoffs.