Canucks: Is prospect Jonathan Lekkerimaki on his way to the NHL?

22 Mar 2024

The Province

The Canucks' star prospect season in Sweden came to an end this week; he's now eligible to play in the AHL or even the NHL

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Published Mar 22, 2024 • Last updated 1 hour ago • 1 minute read

Sweden's Jonathan Lekkerimaki (L) and Switzerland's Miles Muller vie for the puck during the quarter-final match between Sweden and Switzerland of the IIHF World Junior Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden on January 2, 2024. Photo by ADAM IHSE /TT NEWS AGENCY/AFP via Getty Ima

His Swedish league season over, it appears the time has arrived for Jonathan Lekkerimäki to take the next step on his path to the NHL.

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CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal reported Friday morning that Lekkerimäki, the Vancouver Canucks’ first round choice in 2022, was on his way to the west coast and would be in town for a week or so, before returning back to Sweden to try to make his country’s national team before the World Championships later this spring.

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A team spokesperson declined to comment on the situation, but a source said an announcement on the team’s plan for Lekkerimäki was likely coming soon.

Vancouver Canucks prospects Jonathan Lekkerimaki in action for Orebro HK of the Swedish Hockey League during the 2023/24 season. Photo by Submitted /PNG

Because his Swedish Hockey League team Örebro was eliminated from the playoffs earlier this week, he’s now eligible to play either in the AHL for the Abbotsford Canucks or theoretically in the NHL for the Vancouver Canucks, though the latter option is extremely unlikely given the team’s salary cap situation.

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Whether he’d even suit up for a game in Abbotsford isn’t clear either, though his offensive talents would certainly give a big boost to the AHL club, who are in a battle to make the Calder Cup playoffs.

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