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

[RobertKron]

I feel like he’s a bust, looks like another Anton Rodin. We’ve seen so many development cycle over the years that we can just tell…

The Jensens, Gaunces, Gendurs, Rodins, Schroders, Juolevi, the list goes on.

Dan Gendur, noted 7th round bust.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Dan Gendur, noted 7th round bust.

Yeah I knew I should have never got that Dan Gendur Canucks jersey.

 

[Vector]

 

[Vector]

 

[Hodgy]

Thanks for posting. Hopefully lack of preparation and/or mono are the reasons for the poor start. However, I’ve folllowed Canucks prospects for twenty years and 9/10 times when a prospect struggles for a sustained period of time it’s because they aren’t good not because of any excuse as much as we’d like to believe it.

Of course this hasn’t been a “sustained period of time yet” so we must withhold judgment.

 

[sting101]

Elite prospects Swedish based scout said that Lekkerimaki was the worst of Ohgren Ostlund Kasper and Odelius but someone would overvalue his U18 performance and shot and would probably go higher than he would take him

Looks like he was spot on so far. He's certainly doing the worst to date

It's the lack of pace that is much more concerning than muscle. A undersized winger will have to have elite pace to turn the needle. Basically were hoping for a straight line faster but weaker version of Boeser at this stage.

If the right deal comes along for a defenseman i would easily include him in the package. (To be clear a young defenseman not a UFA to be) Especially if that value can represent a first round pick. Not getting a warm and fuzzy feeling about this eventual turnout

Man if we could have traded the 15th to Montreal for 26 and 33 we could have walked away with Kulich and Chesley. That would have been unreal but i also get it's hindsight to be fair and none of these prospects are absolutes

Really hoping this turns a corner soon but im not buying much of those excuses given he played SEL last year and has had time to adjust previously. Looks more like a case of someone struggling with the reality of less time and space and stronger opposition now that the initial adrenaline has worn off from his first 26games and 7 goals..

Hope to be proven wrong on this but it's gonna be devastating to not have a 2nd rounder last draft, trade away another for ridding Dicks contract, the pathetic OEL trades accumulative cost and then Lekkerimaki fall flat if he does. It's 2016 all over again if so

 

[Peen]

Elite prospects Swedish based scout said that Lekkerimaki was the worst of Ohgren Ostlund Kasper and Odelius but someone would overvalue his U18 performance and shot and would probably go higher than he would take him

Looks like he was spot on so far. He's certainly doing the worst to date

It's the lack of pace that is much more concerning than muscle. A undersized winger will have to have elite pace to turn the needle. Basically were hoping for a straight line faster but weaker version of Boeser at this stage.

If the right deal comes along for a defenseman i would easily include him in the package. (To be clear a young defenseman not a UFA to be) Especially if that value can represent a first round pick. Not getting a warm and fuzzy feeling about this eventual turnout

Man if we could have traded the 15th to Montreal for 26 and 33 we could have walked away with Kulich and Chesley. That would have been unreal but i also get it's hindsight to be fair and none of these prospects are absolutes

Really hoping this turns a corner soon but im not buying much of those excuses given he played SEL last year and has had time to adjust previously. Looks more like a case of someone struggling with the reality of less time and space and stronger opposition now that the initial adrenaline has worn off from his first 26games and 7 goals..

Hope to be proven wrong on this but it's gonna be devastating to not have a 2nd rounder last draft, trade away another for ridding Dicks contract, the pathetic OEL trades accumulative cost and then Lekkerimaki fall flat if he does. It's 2016 all over again if so

if we could trade lekkerimaki and OEL unretained i would do it

 

[Cancuks]

We have a Swedish GM and the twins on staff and they still pick the guy from Sweden who looks like a bust? Don't they have access to the top Swedish scouts?

 

[canuckking1]

As a team with as few prospects and picks as we have we couldn't afford another project or underachiever.

The Team is hurting right now

 

[VanJack]

Just once, I'd like to see a high Canuck draft pick just kill it in his draft-plus-one season. But it seems every guy the pick lands with a thud in his next season.

The only exception would be Pettersson and maybe Hughes. But everyone else just seems to start sliding from where they were drafted. Hopefully Lekkerimaki is different. But doesn't look good so far.

 

[Goon42]

the draft was 4 months ago in case anyone was wondering

 

[kanucks25]

Just once, I'd like to see a high Canuck draft pick just kill it in his draft-plus-one season

The only exception would be Pettersson and maybe Hughes.

??

Boeser and McCann, as well, AFAIK

 

[Hoglander]

Don't worry, we'll develop him. That's what well-run franchises do.

 

[M2Beezy]

If he can develop better that would be great

 

[PuckMunchkin]

We have a Swedish GM and the twins on staff and they still pick the guy from Sweden who looks like a bust? Don't they have access to the top Swedish scouts?

People got their expectations way too high for him.

He fell for a reason. He needed to get faster and stronger to play against men. I got made fun of for this take when he was drafted.


If he gets stronger and faster he will get back on track.

What worries me the most is that comment about him not being able to train last summer because of WJCs and the draft and being busy. I dont... I dont buy that.

 

[RobertKron]

??

Boeser and McCann, as well, AFAIK

Hodgson

 

[Josepho]

if we could trade lekkerimaki and OEL unretained i would do it

This would have been a no-brainer even before we made the pick.

 

[Canucks LB]

He is clearly not even remotely close to being ready for the NHL, Slow roll his development, There is literrally no rush, Let him have a long stint in the AHL after, and let him learn the NHL Game.

 

[Brookbank]

This was Jim Rutherfords first pick as GM.

 

[rypper]

This was Jim Rutherfords first pick as GM.

So?

(And actually it was Allvin's first pick as GM)

 

[WetcoastOrca]

If I recall a lot of scouting reports had him ranked quite high. It’s just way too soon to say whether he’ll pan out or not. He’s still a few years away.

 

[JanBulisPiggyBack]

I’m willing to wait another 3-4 days for this prospect to become a NHL ready before I call him a bust

Patience people patience

 

[MS]

Obviously calling him a bust is silly.

Saying that his performance so far is disappointing and that he’d fall considerably in a re-draft today is accurate.

 

[Pip]

Obviously calling him a bust is silly.

Saying that his performance so far is disappointing and that he’d fall considerably in a re-draft today is accurate.

It’s funny that any prospect tracking moderately well can be put into future lineups but when someone is not tracking well you have to wait and see to making any comments.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

It’s funny that any prospect tracking moderately well can be put into future lineups but when someone is not tracking well you have to wait and see to making any comments.

Yeah. The answer lies somewhere in the middle usually. Don’t overpump prospects based on small sample sizes and don’t write them off too soon as well.