Welcome to The Hockey News – Vancouver Canucks site’s player preview series for the 2025–26 season. In these articles, we’ll preview the players who are expected to play for the Canucks in the 2025–26 season. Today, we’ll be taking a look at soon-to-be NHL sophomore, Jonathan Lekkerimäki.
Lekkerimäki’s 2024–25 Season
The 2024–25 season was Lekkerimäki’s first in North America, as he not only made his NHL debut, but also played in his first semi-full season in the AHL with the Abbotsford Canucks. He skated in a total of 24 NHL games, scoring his first career NHL goal the game after his debut back in November. Lekkerimäki finished the regular season with three goals and three assists for Vancouver. He had a solid rookie showing in Abbotsford as well, scoring 19 goals and nine assists in 36 games, along with three goals and four assists in 16 playoff games.
Lekkerimäki’s 2024–25 Letter Grade
For the 2024–25 season, The Hockey News – Canucks site gave Lekkerimäki a B-, which is solid for a rookie season — nevermind his first on North American ice. With his sophomore season ahead, Lekkerimäki will look to improve on his play in 2024–25, whether that’s in Vancouver or Abbotsford. As solid as he was for a young player, there were some parts in the season where he could have been a little more consistent. This was most prominent during the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs, in which he sat for four games but later reared back with a two-goal game. Staying consistent throughout the season will be something for the young forward to work on while still adjusting to an 82-game season.
Lekkerimäki’s 2025–26 Predictions
Lekkerimäki is likely to split his time with both Vancouver and Abbotsford in 2025–26, though the forward could spend the entire season in the NHL or AHL depending on the season’s injury circumstances. Had it not been for the injury to Brock Boeser back in November 2024, it’s uncertain whether Lekkerimäki would have even played during that stretch. The prospect has shown skill but should benefit greatly from more consistency — staying with one team for a longer period of time or avoiding injury could help with this. Sophomore seasons have tended to be trickier for players to navigate, so a season slump could be the case for Lekkerimäki. Even so, Lekkerimäki has shown he’s more than capable of bouncing back from slow stretches.
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