Jonathan Lekkerimäki is on a heater down in the AHL. The Vancouver Canucks forward has goals in five straight and has multi-point efforts in each of his last two outings. Overall, this year, Lekkerimäki has points in seven of his eight games, totalling 10 on the season.
While Lekkerimäki's point totals are impressive, so is the number of shots he is getting on goal per game with the Abbotsford Canucks. Over his eight games, he has 38 shots, which averages out to 4.75 per game. Lekkerimäki has at least six shots in four games this year and recorded nine on December 14 against the Calgary Wranglers.
One positive to note about Lekkerimäki is that his goals are not restricted to just the power play. He has only two power play goals so far this season, which shows that he can generate chances at even strength. At this point, it appears that Lekkerimäki is rounding out his game and looks more confident when the puck is on his stick than he did last year.
Lekkerimäki is projected to play a significant role for Vancouver in the near future. The 21-year-old has a dynamic shot and has shown he can be a goal-scoring machine at the AHL level. The question now is whether Lekkerimäki can translate his success to the NHL, where he has just eight points in 32 games.
One factor that could help Lekkerimäki once he is called up again is reuniting with Liam Öhgren. The duo played together both in Djurgårdens IF youth program and for Sweden internationally. If the two can continue to build their chemistry in the NHL, they could become a dynamic duo for the foreseeable future.
As for Lekkerimäki's immediate future, he will most likely spend more time in the AHL. This is not a reflection of his recent play, but more due to the current construction of Vancouver's roster. If the Canucks start moving some unrestricted free agents and get picks and prospects back instead of roster players, it may open up a spot for Lekkerimäki to finish the year in the NHL.
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