Prospect Info: The 2024-2025 Prospect Thread: Part 1: Skate or Die!

[sting101]

Lekkerimaki had top end speed at the U20s was clocked faster than Fabian Lysell and all others at 39.65km p/hr. I found this one but there is another i've seen with Lysell in it who is Ehlers uber fast.

Kinda funny the pic is William Wallinder who is not fast. The other one i cant find has Lekk in it

 

[tantalum]

To begin the season people were saying Lekk had to be at 0.8 points per game (or something like that) to be a good top prospect.

He is essentially at a point per game in the AHL and in his last NHL games he definitely has shown growth in his game away from the puck. In just a few short months. He is having a strong first season in North America. He's far from a perfect player but he's definitely developing into a better player as you would hope. I think he's going to take camp by storm next season.

To be honest, it seems that despite the disappointing record the guys we would really want to see make good progress this year are doing so....Lekk, Raty, KK, and EP2.

 

[Jerry the great]

To begin the season people were saying Lekk had to be at 0.8 points per game (or something like that) to be a good top prospect.

He is essentially at a point per game in the AHL and in his last NHL games he definitely has shown growth in his game away from the puck. In just a few short months. He is having a strong first season in North America. He's far from a perfect player but he's definitely developing into a better player as you would hope. I think he's going to take camp by storm next season.

To be honest, it seems that despite the disappointing record the guys we would really want to see make good progress this year are doing so....Lekk, Raty, KK, and EP2.

IMO, Lekkerimaki's year has been quite successful. Only 2 goals off the rookie leader and he's played 16 fewer games. Shot generation has been outstanding too. The biggest impediment is really just strength IMO.

If Vancouver can't pull out of the nose dive and ends up moving on from Boeser and Miller, I think we'll see the guys you mention get some development time with the big club. Ideally the lefty defenders should be evaluated before we do major reconstructive surgery to the back end....might as well see how close (or not) they are.

 

[Hoglander]

Lekkerimaki's skating is fine. Good top speed, good acceleration, solid edgework... it's just that the game is fast for him right now, and his confidence needs to grow. His reaction speed should get better with experience, and his overall effectiveness/ will to impose his game, should improve as he physically matures. Just need to be patient and probably keep him in the AHL for a while yet.

 

[sandwichbird2023]

to me the most disappointing part of Lekkerimaki is his lack of footspeed and inability to generate plays at the AHL. He's in his draft+3, star forwards would most likely be already at the NHL level.

His shot we know basically from the draft that it will be a weapon. but I expected more from him. If he can't hold onto the puck and drive offense and create, at his size his upside is limited.
He has 7 assists in 22 AHL games.

Willander on the other hand, the only thing I can nitpick is his inzone defending, at times he's too timid. I expected him to be more assertive.

But aside from that, his skating, defending off the rush, ability to skate with the puck and move it - all looks close to the NHL.

And he's a year (development) younger.

Willander is clearly the better prospect.

Although this is his D+3 season, he did lost almost a whole year to health issue in this D+1 season, so for development purposes he is more in his D+2 season to me. I think for a first year player in the AHL, his stats and offense-generation is very good and is on the right track.

Sure, star forwards are usually not in the AHL in their D+3 seasons, but I don't really think JL is projected as a star-level player? Although that term is subjective so maybe I should quantify, he isn't projected as a top line play-driver. For a top 6 complementary scorer, I don't think he is off his developmental curve.

A lot of weaker teams play their forward prospects in the NHL before they are ready. Had they take the more patient approach like we are doing with JL, I think you will see a lot more players in the D+3 season in the AHL, so him playing there isn't a concern to me.

I think overall we have to be pretty happy with JL's development this season.