@@Vancouver Canucks

Canucks Prospects Get A+ at World Juniors

  • January 8, 2024


Grading each NHL team’s prospects’ performance at the WJHC
https://www.thescore.com/wjhc/news/2814837

Vancouver Canucks
Representatives: Jonathan Lekkerimaki (SWE), Elias Pettersson (SWE), Tom Willander (SWE)

Lekkerimaki surged late in the tournament to snag MVP honors in a silver-medal effort. His one-timer was near automatic down the stretch, firing nine shots on goal against both Switzerland and Czechia in elimination games.

But don’t overlook Willander. The right-shot blue-liner was superb in his own zone, outscoring opponents 11-2 at five-on-five. And Pettersson was Axel Sandin Pellikka’s counterpart on the top pairing, playing over 20 minutes a night.

Grade: A+

7 comments

  2. I can’t remember a time when the Canucks were not only really good, but also had a solid prospect showing at the WJC. Unreal times, praise be unto Alverford!

  3. All three of them were fantastic, but Lekkerimaki really stood out. It felt like anytime he was on the ice, he was creating opportunities for himself and his line mates. His development from last season to this season has been fantastic to see, and I can’t wait to see how he does when he comes to Abbotsford to join the AHL squad.

  4. Love this, no notes.

    So glad we’re making drafting a priority again. To compete, you need skill in your lineup on ELCs.

  6. I was at the tournament and lucky enough to go to every game in the medal round (skipped USA Latvia). I agree with the assessment.

    Pettersson in particular was better than I expected. Really steady in his own end.

    I had expected more of Willander but he was good. Perhaps my expectations were too high.

    Lekkerimaki had an amazing tournament, really stood out on the ice most shifts.

  7. Agree with the grades, as all 3 were excellent esp Lekki and Willander. Only quibble is that Pettersson most definitely was not ASP’s counterpart on the “top” pairing, as that was Salomonsson. EP2.0 played with Havelid. That said, there really was no “top pairing”, as all the pairs played pretty similar minutes.

Leave a Reply