SportsHockeyCanucks

7 things we learned about Canucks prospects at Young Stars

Noah Strang
Noah Strang
|
Sep 17 2024, 5:57 pm
7 things we learned about Canucks prospects at Young Stars
@Canucks/X

The Vancouver Canucks finished their Young Stars tournament yesterday with a perfect 3-0 record.

They outscored prospect teams from the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, and Calgary Flames 10-5 throughout the weekend.

The event gave everyone a chance to see some of the top Canucks prospects up-close in a game environment. These are the seven players who impressed this weekend.

1. Jonathan Lekkerimäki is closer to NHL-ready than expected

Jonathan Lekkerimäki struggled in his post-draft year and there was some concern the Canucks had made a poor selection. However, he flashed a ton of potential in that season’s playoffs and has continued to take steps forward since.

These were his first games in a Canucks sweater sans a handful at the AHL level last year. He looked dangerous at all times and caught the attention of many fans across social media.

While he didn’t find the back of the net, Lekkerimäki created a ton of scoring chances and hit iron multiple times. He looked dominant on the team’s top line alongside Aatu Räty and Arshdeep Bains and seems primed to make an impact this season.

His shot, stickhandling, and sense of space all look elite already.

Lekkerimäki will be at the team’s main training camp, which starts this Thursday. While it will require a herculean effort to make the NHL team, he’s closer than he was before last weekend after an impressive Young Stars.

2. Vilmer Alriksson is perhaps the Canucks most intriguing prospect

Vilmer Alriksson did the most for his stock over the weekend. The 6-foot-6 winger scored a goal in each of the last two games. More impressive than just scoring was how he did so, showing off some impressively soft hands for a player his size.

The huge Swedish winger has all the tools but struggled to put it all together at times last year in the OHL. He finished with just 33 points in 67 games. He still has room to grow at that level and should be a top contributor this season.

3. Max Sasson is deserving of an NHL call-up this year

Undrafted NCAA-signing Max Sasson had one of the more impressive seasons of any Canucks prospect last year, finishing with 42 points in 56 AHL games after making the full-time jump to professional hockey.

At 24 years old with that experience under his belt, Sasson was expected to stand out last weekend in Penticton and did so in a major way. He found the back of the net in the first game and created a ton of scoring chances.

Sasson will likely start the season in Abbotsford but will be expected to play a massive role for the team. He should be among the first forwards called up if the Canucks get hit with the injury bug. It’s a good bet that he’ll play his first NHL game sometime this year.

4. The other Elias Pettersson has game

When the Canucks selected another skater named Elias Pettersson in the 2022 NHL draft, it led to a ton of jokes. Over the years since, Pettersson, the defenceman, has shown that while he doesn’t share many qualities with the star centre, he has a ton of game of his own.

The younger Pettersson has an interesting mix of size and skating which tends to produce positive results in the NHL. He spent much of this weekend on the Canucks top pairing and looked comfortable, even adding a goal.

This year will be a big test for the young blueliner who will be making the jump to North America full-time. If his performance this weekend is any indicator, he should manage just fine.

5. Anthony Romani could be latest Canucks draft day steal

When the Canucks drafted Anthony Romani in the sixth round last summer, his OHL stats caught some people’s attention. He scored 58 goals and added 53 assists for 111 points in just 68 games last season.

Even if he doesn’t possess the high-end skating or elite shooting ability of a top NHL prospect, Romani clearly has a skill set that can be productive.

He scored in the second game of the event despite being one of the younger players at just 19 years old.

6. Kirill Kudryavtsev is one of the team’s most underrated prospects

Kirill Kudryavtsev has spent three full seasons in the OHL and seems ready to make the leap to the professional ranks soon. The former seventh-round pick showed off some smooth skating and an ability to throw a nice stretch pass in Penticton last weekend.

If he makes the roster in Abbotsford this year, which he’s expected to do, we’ll learn a lot about the blueliner’s game. The AHL is much faster and more difficult to process than the OHL, especially for young defenceman.

While making the NHL is still a long ways off, Kudryavtsev has impressed for a seventh-round pick and continues to make positive strides.

7. Arshdeep Bains dominated for Canucks as expected

Arshdeep Bains was one of the most experienced players at the Young Stars tournament, having already suited up for a handful of NHL games. The AHL All-Star drove play at a ridiculous rate across the three games in Penticton.

He scored one of the most impressive goals of the entire event when he batted a puck into the back of the net.

The Canucks pulled off two comeback wins across their three games and Bains was often the catalyst when the momentum shifted. He was noticeably better than the vast majority of players on the ice.

Bains will be fighting for an NHL spot at training camp this week. Even if he doesn’t make the team to start the year, he’ll likely get a shot at some point this season.

ADVERTISEMENT

SUBSCRIBE TO THE HIVE

Get the latest news sent to your inbox and stay in the loop