With the 15th pick overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, the Vancouver Canucks selected Jonathan Lekerimaki.
The Canucks had their pick between Lekkerimaki – who ranked in the top ten of most draft boards – Noah Ostlund and big wing Liam Ohren when they hit the scene in Montreal.
The Winnipeg Jets narrowly missed out on selecting Rutger McGroarty 14th overall, giving the Canucks their choice of three talented Swedish wings.
Lekerimaki won a bronze medal with Sweden at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and wears the number 40 because of Elias Petersson.
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Here’s what our project expert Chris Faber had to say about Lekkerimaki’s gameplay:
Possessing one of the best shots in the 2022 draft class, Jonathan Lekerimaki saw his stock rise a notch after scoring 15 points in six games at the U18s…
Lekkerimaki shines when playing with players his own age and it should be noted that his SHL team was one of the worst in the league this past season. Lekerimaki has an incredible shot and scouts really like what he can do with the puck on the power play. We’ll have to see where he lands in the draft, but after making a top-10 push, he now sits in the 12-18 range. This could be a player that catches the eye of the Canucks, but could also be a good target for a team to trade up to 15th overall to the Canucks if he is available.
Faber is at the draft in Montreal right now and is making his way through the crowds to talk to Patrick Alvin about this pick as we speak.
We’ll have full coverage and a full Lekkerimaki scouting report tomorrow morning at 6am.
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