With the 15th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Incoming Draft, the Vancouver Canucks have selected Jonathan Lekkerimaki.
The Canucks chose between Lekkerimaki, who ranked in the top ten of most draft boards, Noah Ostlund and great winger Liam Ohren when they took to the Montreal stage.
The Winnipeg Jets came off the board a bit when they selected Rutger McGroarty in 14th place overall, giving the Canucks their choice between three talented Swedish wingers.
Lekkerimaki won a bronze medal with Sweden in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup 2021 and is number 40 due to Elias Pettersson.
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Here’s what our draft expert Chris Faber said about the Lekkerimaki game:
Possessing one of the best shots of the draft class of 2022, Jonathan Lekkerimaki saw his actions increase by a ton after scoring 15 points in six games in the under-18 …
Lekkerimaki shines when he plays with players his age and it should be noted that his SHL team has been one of the worst in the league last season. Lekkerimaki has a tremendous shot and scouts love what he can do with the puck in a power play. We’ll have to see where he falls in the draft but after making a push for the top 10, he’s now still in the 12-18 range. This could be a player that catches the attention of the Canucks, but it could also be a good goal for a team to switch to the 15th overall Canucks if available.
Faber is in the draft in Montreal right now and is making his way through the crowds to go talk to Patrik Allvin about this pick as we talk.
We will have full coverage and a full scan report on Lekkerimaki tomorrow morning at 6am.