Rick Tocchet Gives Blunt & Explicit Response When Asked About Top Prospect Jonathan Lekkerimaki

It's been nearly a month since the Vancouver Canucks called up top prospect Jonathan Lekkerimaki from the American Hockey League's Abbotsford Canucks and it's safe to say it's been a bit of a difficult period for the rookie.

Lekkerimaki has been made a healthy scratch on three occasions since his call-up and in some games, has been reduced to a fourth line role, which hasn't sat well with fans and many believing he would be better off playing first line minutes in the AHL right now.

Following Tuesday's practice, Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet met with reporters and was asked about Jonathan Lekkerimaki's utilization since being called up from the American Hockey League.

Tocchet gave a pretty lengthy response, but got blunt, saying that in the past, the media would complain about prospects being rushed or put in too early, adding that the team isn't going to do that.

In this exact scenario, two things can be right - Lekkerimaki's play since being called up on March 4th isn't worthy of second line minutes, for example, but at the same time, having a top prospect playing on the fourth line or being a healthy scratch isn't helping his development at all.

With the Vancouver Canucks' season winding down and their odds to make the playoffs nearly impossible, it's only a matter of time before Jonathan Lekkerimaki heads back down to Abbotsford in time for the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs.

In 32 games with AHL Abbotsford this season, the Tullinge, Sweden native has 28 points (19 goals, nine assists), no penalty minutes and is an even-rating.

Lekkerimaki and the Canucks will be back in action tonight as they return to Rogers Arena for the first time in 15 days to host their Pacific Northwest rivals, the Seattle Kraken, with puck drop set for 7:30 pm PT.