NHL Prospect Roundup: It’s Jonathan Lekkerimaki time, Canucks fans

Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

That didn’t take long.

After just seven games in the American Hockey League with the Abbotsford Canucks this year, the Vancouver Canucks have recalled Jonathan Lekkerimaki to help fill in for injuries. It was a well-deserved call-up, with the 20-year-old registering five goals and seven points in his first seven games. In fact, he only had one outing – a 4-1 loss to the San Diego Gulls in the second game of the season – where he didn’t get on the scoresheet. He’s been a massive play-driver for Abbotsford, registering at least five shots in six of his seven games.

It became clear early that he was quickly becoming too good for the second-tier league and that he needed a chance to prove himself in a top-six role with the big club. The Canucks are going to be without Brock Boeser on a day-to-day basis, so this is the perfect opportunity for Lekkerimaki to show why he’s the team’s top prospect.

We’ll see how long Lekkerimaki stays in the NHL. Given it’s his first full year in North America, there’s no need to rush his development when ice time should be the No. 1 priority. But Lekkerimaki has been such a force since the start of the 2023-24 season back in Sweden – it’s time just to ride the wave and see what happens.

If you’re looking for a cheap fantasy hockey option, it’s worth taking a shot on the Swede and seeing what happens.

AHL

– Many expected Joshua Roy to make the Montreal Canadiens full-time in 2024-25 after a solid 23-game run with the club last year. Instead, Roy struggled in the preseason and was loaned back to Laval in an attempt to maximize his ice time and further improve his intensity. So far, he’s one of the AHL’s top players with 12 points in 11 games, putting him on pace for just under 50 goals and 80 points. Roy has four multi-point games to his credit, so it would be nice to see him spread out his production on a more game-to-game basis. But as it stands, he’s Laval’s top goal-scorer – and that’s what you want to see from a future middle-six scoring NHL winger.

– Magnus Chrona was one of the pieces traded by the San Jose Sharks in the Yaroslav Askarov deal, giving the Nashville Predators a legit goalie prospect down in Milwaukee. He’s been sharing the net with AHL veteran Matthew Murray, but Chrona himself has put up the best numbers of his pro career. Each of his starts has seen him make more saves than the previous game, which included a big 40-save victory over the Chicago Wolves last year. Chrona is an older prospect at 24, and he did get into nine NHL games with the Sharks last year. But with a .953 save percentage and a 4-1-0 record, it’s nice seeing what he can do when he’s not getting absolutely crushed in the high-danger shot category like he was all year last year.

NCAA

– Gabe Perreault is ridiculous. Seriously, what a pickup by the New York Rangers. Perreault has five goals and 13 points in eight games with Boston College, registering at least one point in every game this season. He has 73 points in 44 career college games at Boston College, making him one of the most productive forwards of the era. And he’s putting these numbers up as a 19-year-old – absolutely bonkers. It’s hard not to find joy when watching Perreault play because he’s just so dominant alongside long-time linemate Ryan Leonard. Look for Perreault to challenge for the World Junior scoring title with the United States in a few weeks.

– Niagara University might not play against the toughest competition in the NCAA, but Trevor Hoskin‘s play has been noteworthy. He was a surprise overage pick last year after registering 100 points in his third and final season with the Cobourg Cougars last year, prompting the Calgary Flames to use a fourth-round pick on the 20-year-old center. With 12 points in 11 games with NU, he has wasted no time making an impact as a top-15-point producer in the country. He’s been one of the best freshmen, period. We’ll see if the Flames struck gold with a late-bloomer, but he’s looking great.

OHL

– Cal Ritchie is too good for the OHL – who knew? The 19-year-old has 14 points in seven games since getting sent back following a seven-game NHL stint with the Colorado Avalanche. Ritchie is a playmaking machine, and while he does have a pair of two-goal outings, he has managed to register at least one assist in every game so far. The Generals have only lost one game with him in the lineup this year, and while he’s set to miss time to join Canada’s World Junior roster in a few weeks, there’s no question that the Gens are a force when he’s out there.

– Sticking in Oshawa: I thought Luca Marrelli has been rock solid for the Generals. He had a solid showing with the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Buffalo Prospects Challenge in September, and he has built off it ever since. He has already set a career high with nine goals and he has 25 points in 19 games – putting him on pace for around 30 goals and 90 points in his fourth year of OHL action. You expect a lot from 19-year-olds, but the 6-foot-2, two-way defender already looks like a top-end talent since getting taken 86th overall by the Blue Jackets in 2024. It feels like he makes things happen just about every time he hits the ice.

WHL

– Berkly Catton is the WHL’s highest-scoring NHL-drafted prospect this year, with 30 points in 18 games. That includes 12 points in five games in November and a recent four-point outing in a 6-5 win over Kelowna on Nov. 5. The Seattle Kraken prospect is one of the best dual-threats as a shoot and a set-up man, although he is on pace for 20 fewer goals than his 54 a year ago. There’s no reason to worry, though – Catton is, by and large, one of the league’s most dominant offensive threats.

KHL

– New Jersey Devils fans should be excited about what they see from Arseni Gritsyuk this year. The SKA St. Petersburg forward has 22 points in 24 games, putting him on pace to crack the 60-point barrier for the first time. Gritstyuk is on a three-game pointless streak, but he has still managed to be one of the team’s most effective play drivers in that stretch as the team’s offense has seemingly dried up. Taken 129th overall in 2019, Gritsyuk has built strength and has figured out how to utilize his speed to generate offense in a way that wasn’t seen early in his career. He’s now 23, and his KHL deal is set to expire in May – could we see him make the move over to the NHL next year?

Switzerland

– While the stats aren’t too sexy with a .901 save percentage, 20-year-old French keeper Antoine Keller has received some solid reviews in his first year of pro hockey. The Washington Capitals‘ seventh-rounder has a 5-1-0 record with Lausanne HC in the top league in Switzerland, including a 36-save victory over Rapperswil-Jona last week. He’s sharing the net with 21-year-old Kevin Pasche, who has been excellent in his second year in the league. So, playing time has been a bit difficult to come by, but Keller looks good when called upon.

Article presented by Amazon Prime

This Article is a Presentation of Prime Video. Catch Prime Monday Night Hockey, all season long. Claim your free trial today.

NHL Prospect Roundup: It’s Jonathan Lekkerimaki time, Canucks fans

AHL

NCAA

OHL

WHL

KHL

Switzerland

Article presented by Amazon Prime

Recently by Steven Ellis