The Vancouver Canucks have some exciting prospects coming up through their system who have been turning heads in the AHL.
Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Elias Pettersson (the defenceman), and Kirill Kudryavtsev are all AHL rookies, yet you wouldn’t know that from their play thus far. All three of them are contributing to Abbotsford, putting up impressive numbers, and showing promise for the future.
Lekkerimäki, the prized jewel of the Canucks prospect pipeline, scored four goals in two games over this past weekend. He now has 10 goals in just 14 AHL games this year, tied for 10th league-wide in scoring despite spending time in the NHL.
There is always some concern when a European prospect makes the jump to North America that there will be growing pains dealing with the new rink size and style of play. Those concerns are heightened for a player like Lekkerimäki, who has a slight build and might struggle to get to the middle of the ice. So far, they’ve been completely unfounded.
He’s finding the back of the net in different ways, including a sweet breakaway goal recently.
HERE HE GOES AGAIN SCORING GOALLLSSS 🎶 pic.twitter.com/r0eqADN3HY
— Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) December 8, 2024
Lekkerimäki has already played five NHL games and will likely get another shot with the big club later this week. As he continues to develop and gain confidence, he’s looking like a big part of this organization’s future.
There’s also the pair of defence prospects who have been looking good for Abbotsford. Pettersson, who shares a name with the Canucks superstar forward, has 10 points in 22 games. That’s really solid production for someone playing their first full season in North America, especially considering he’s viewed as mostly a defensive defenceman.
The 6-foot-3 blueliner has also been delivering his signature bone-crushing hits, making opponents think twice whenever they enter the zone.
Elias Pettersson has his first goal in the American League! #Canucks pic.twitter.com/fIstZPuNb3
— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) November 30, 2024
While Pettersson’s point totals are impressive, Kudryavtsev has been filling up the box score even more in his rookie AHL season. The Russian blueliner has 12 points through the first 20 games and has been a pleasant surprise.
Kudryavtsev drew a lot of praise from Rick Tocchet back at training camp and seemed to be rising up the organization’s depth chart. If he keeps progressing at this rate, he’ll eventually get his shot at the NHL level, an impressive feat for the one-time seventh-round pick.
The strong progress from these three players is an encouraging sign for a Canucks organization that has traded away a lot of draft picks in recent years. Having some of their mid and late-round picks, like Kudryavtsev, to develop into contributors would go a long way.