Prospect Info: Jonathan Lekkerimaki, #15 Overall, 2022 NHL Draft

[settinguptheplay]

I was told he can't skate or carry the puck

If you don't skate like McDavid you're crap. Or so I am told.

 

[LordBacon]

If you don't skate like McDavid you're crap. Or so I am told.

BUST

 

[Hit the post]

…

 

[lawrence]

It looks like two went WAY early according to the Canucks list, would be fun to guess which those two were.

And if lekkerimaki was not available we still we still would have drafted somebody in”our” top 10.

 

[RutherPlan]

Finally some highlights coming out of him skating, he can move around the ice

 

[Chaos Giraffe]

I was told he can't skate or carry the puck

Just curious as to why that first goal on the bottom video wasn't offsides? Pass was from outside the blueline, and when Lekkerimaki's stick makes contact with the puck, his entire body is well into zone.

 

[DL44]

I'd disagree, beyond being broadly categorized as shooters. Boeser's game revolves around a lot OZP and board work. He's also a forecheck contributor.

Ohgren is a more similar to Boeser.

Border?
Boardwork?
Forecheck?
What?

Anyways..he's got three yrs to replace Brock in the lineup as he leaves in free agency.

 

[Vector]

About the Swedish scout discussion, they also scout Finland and European tournaments. They act as secondary eyes on Russian prospects also.

So unless the Canucks once had a dedicated Finish scout, our Swedish scout(s) are responsible for those picks as well (ex: Hansen, Ruutu).

 

[Aphid Attraction]

This kid has some massive shoes to fill as far as Swedish first rounders. Especially if the scouts had him as high as it looks like they could have.

 

[M2Beezy]

Yeah

 

[Russian_fanatic]

Finally some highlights coming out of him skating, he can move around the ice

He moves eerily like Naslund, which is where my Naslund comparison comes from.

Naslund was an average skater IMO, but he had quick hands and an even quicker shot. Lekkerimäki has the same traits IMO.

 

[VancouverJagger]

I was told he can't skate or carry the puck

Dang those were some nice highlights...........you forgot to say that he doesn't always have the best decision making..........some pretty nice passes in there.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

Finally some highlights coming out of him skating, he can move around the ice

Is that really what you are taking away from these clips?

 

[RutherPlan]

Is that really what you are taking away from these clips?

It's no different from people watching his highlight package from YouTube that only shows him scoring goals with his shot and say he can't skate or pass which seems like a majority are doing just that.

People who actually scout him have all talked about his speed and play making.

 

[604]

Personally, I prefer the decade of:

Cassels - Hodgson - Rodin
Shinkaruk - Schroeder - Jensen

I honestly would have. At least you would've gotten to draft McDavid.

We're stuck in no man's land if we can't re-sign Miller and find a #1 RD.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

It's no different from people watching his highlight package from YouTube that only shows him scoring goals with his shot and say he can't skate or pass which seems like a majority are doing just that.

People who actually scout him have all talked about his speed and play making.

Okkay.

So he is a fast playmaker then. Fine.

 

[Aphid Attraction]

I honestly would have. At least you would've gotten to draft McDavid.

We're stuck in no man's land if we can't re-sign Miller and find a #1 RD.

you think we are getting the first overall.

 

[Quinning]

Reminds me a lot of Jonathan Marchessault

 

[geebster]

I honestly would have. At least you would've gotten to draft McDavid.

We're stuck in no man's land if we can't re-sign Miller and find a #1 RD.

There's no chance we would have ever won the lottery even if we were dead last. We have never moved up spots in the draft. Always fell or held on. Everytime they have had a top 5 pick they have dropped spots (by the token of never winning the draft).

 

[Hansen]

Wearing #4 at camp, bold choice

 

[Vector]

 

[Johnny Canucker]

Allvin just said he’s a gamer on 650. That’s my favorite buzzword, ha.

He also said they want to get faster and then proceeded to draft the slowest forward out of the first round.

 

[MS]

Jeesh im surprised there is so much push back here on MS

2 picks in the top50 in 3yrs and both are wingers

2019 the last time we had a normal draft Podkolzin and Hoglander

At some point you have to draft C's and D.

This narrative of BPA is rich. The only issue is when you draft a inferior player like Virtanen needing shoulder surgery because he gives you Cam Neely vibes meanwhile Ehlers and Nylander are better skaters better IQ better scoring rates, better hands and vision and in the case of Juolevi you passed on a guy who had the best hands below the circles in the draft and was 2pts per game with bloodlines NHL ready and considered a 1st line talent for a guy that they were convinced would be a top4. Not exactly a good reason to pass on Tkachuk and it smashed us in the face both times.

As far as Lekkerimaki. I like watching this player. He's deceptive has excellent hands and scoring instincts. He changes angles is precise and has the IQ and vision of a potential front line player. My issue is that i dont see the skating to be able to back teams off and he's smallish and given the weight of this draft he's not being seen as a front line player by almost all scouting agencies. I'm happy to be proven wrong

So for example BPA huh......Elite Prospects had Kemell Ohgren Lambert Odelius and Pickering as BPA over JL.

I'm not gonna go on and on here because i like the upside but we have essentially just drafted wingers for 4yrs and our weaknesses are speed defense and some skilled size that can win battles. and have nothing in the pipeline at C with Miller about to be moved and Horvat turning 27

i'm not thrilled about it.

Agreed with this whole post. It's nothing against Lekkerimaki. He's obviously a very good prospect.

By the time we get to the 2023 draft it will be 5 years since the Canucks have taken a player at either of the most important, highest value positions of C and D.

Like you say, there are certain (unusual) situations where a massive scouting failure causes a Virtanen over Nylander/Ehlers or a Bourdon over Kopitar situation to happen. But these are very rare.

End result is that we're in a situation where the existing NHL team is extremely thin on C and D and the system has literally nothing ... and it's a massive problem we need to fix and we're going to pay through the teeth to do it.

I say this a lot, but managing an NHL team isn't playing videogames. There are things you need to balance.

Small skill wingers tend to be the biggest droppers in the draft, and if you look at the draft a certain way you're going to be able to convince yourself that a small skill winger is the 'BPA' every time you come up with a high pick. And if you do that every time each pick might be fine in a vacuum but in the bigger picture you're going to create a mess.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

Agreed with this whole post. It's nothing against Lekkerimaki. He's obviously a very good prospect.

By the time we get to the 2023 draft it will be 5 years since the Canucks have taken a player at either of the most important, highest value positions of C and D.

Like you say, there are certain (unusual) situations where a massive scouting failure causes a Virtanen over Nylander/Ehlers or a Bourdon over Kopitar situation to happen. But these are very rare.

End result is that we're in a situation where the existing NHL team is extremely thin on C and D and the system has literally nothing ... and it's a massive problem we need to fix and we're going to pay through the teeth to do it.

I say this a lot, but managing an NHL team isn't playing videogames. There are things you need to balance.

Small skill wingers tend to be the biggest droppers in the draft, and if you look at the draft a certain way you're going to be able to convince yourself that a small skill winger is the 'BPA' every time you come up with a high pick. And if you do that every time each pick might be fine in a vacuum but in the bigger picture you're going to create a mess.

I'll take the BPA to be honest..thats precisely one of the reasons we didnt take Tkachuk...He was a winger..

You can afford to be picky about position if you're picking at the top of the draft, but at 15...Its BPA all the way..IMO

In the late rounds you can stack up on any position you like.

edit:...just another thought...Kevin Korchinski was a massive reach at 7th OA...why ? because he was a D man..I believe this player will top out as a 2nd paring D man. (a complimentary piece)..I thought he should have gone around 12th OA..This guy is no Chychrun or Sergachev.

 

[cc]

I'll take the BPA to be honest..thats precisely one of the reasons we didnt take Tkachuk...He was a winger..

You can afford to be picky about position if you're picking at the top of the draft, but at 15...Its BPA all the way..IMO

In the late rounds you can stack up on any position you like.

Agreed. I'd hate to miss out on another Tkachuk or pastrnak by being focused too much on position. I think in the long run, it's a better strategy