Canucks' Jonathan Lekkerimaki Dethroned as Team's Top Prospect Heading Into 2025-26 Season
Photo credit: Bob Frid - Imagn Images.
Vancouver Canucks forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki has been dethroned as the team's top prospect as we inch closer to the start of the 2025-26 NHL season.
The Vancouver Canucks' prospect pool has gotten a lot deeper over the last month after making some great selections at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft including forward Braeden Cootes and goaltender Aleksei Medvedev, who were taken in rounds one and two, respectively.
Aside from the new additions to the prospect pool this summer, there are a couple of other names that'll undoubtedly make a big impact in the National Hockey League for the Vancouver Canucks in the years to come - Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Tom Willander.
Jonathan Lekkerimaki dethroned as Vancouver Canucks' top prospect
For the last few years, Jonathan Lekkerimaki has ranked high on many lists focused on the Vancouver Canucks' prospect pool, coming in at number one on a good chunk of them, even Canucks Army's mid-season edition during the 2024-25 campaign.
In the last couple of weeks, Dave Hall of Canucks Army has been revealing his top-20 prospects in Vancouver system, one-by-one, and on Monday, he ranked Jonathan Lekkerimaki at number two on his list.
"For the first time in many Canucks Army ranking installments, Jonathan Lekkerimaki has given up his crown as our top-ranked prospect." Hall said.
He later went on to add, when talking about Lekkerimaki's ceiling in the National Hockey League, "Lekkerimaki has the potential to be a top-six NHL forward, capable of scoring 30-plus goals. His elite shot, growing versatility, and deadly scoring instincts make him a dynamic offensive threat. He could become a cornerstone power-play contributor and a reliable scoring option in all situations."
He later went on to add, when talking about Lekkerimaki's ceiling in the National Hockey League, "Lekkerimaki has the potential to be a top-six NHL forward, capable of scoring 30-plus goals. His elite shot, growing versatility, and deadly scoring instincts make him a dynamic offensive threat. He could become a cornerstone power-play contributor and a reliable scoring option in all situations."
Lekkerimaki is coming off a solid first season in North America, putting up 19 goals and 28 points in 36 games with the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks, adding seven points in 16 contests in the playoffs, helping them to their first-ever Calder Cup championship.
By process of elimination, with Braeden Cootes coming in at third on Hall's list and Jonathan Lekkerimaki at second, this means that Tom Willander, who signed his entry-level contract back in May, has now taken over as the team's top prospect.
Willander has a ton of potential and in the next few years, could end up being a top-pairing guy for the Vancouver Canucks, alongside Quinn Hughes, if the latter signs a contract extension with the club before becoming a UFA in 2027.
The Stockholm, Sweden native, who spent the last two seasons in the NCAA with Boston University, will more than likely begin the year in the American Hockey League, but if an injury occurs, it would be a shock if he's called up for his first taste of the NHL.
Source: Dave Hall/Canucks Army
CA's top 20 Canucks summer prospect rankings: #2 Jonathan Lekkerimaki
CA's top 20 Canucks summer prospect rankings: #2 Jonathan Lekkerimaki
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