How Jonathan Lekkerimäki is realizing his potential with Canucks

This article originally appeared on hockeysverige.se and has been translated from Swedish to English.

After bouncing between the NHL and AHL over the past few seasons, Jonathan Lekkerimäki is finally starting to establish himself with the Vancouver Canucks.

The 22-year-old forward has emerged as one of the few bright spots in Vancouver’s difficult start to the season, recording seven goals and 15 points in his first 20 games.

Now, with an increased role and a growing sense of confidence, Lekkerimäki believes he has found his place at the NHL level.

“I feel like I can play my game and know what I need to do to succeed at this level,” Lekkerimäki told Hockeysverige.se.

The Canucks have endured a disastrous start to the 2026-27 NHL season, sitting at the bottom of the league standings. But there have been a few encouraging individual performances, and Lekkerimäki has been one of them. The Swedish forward ranks third on the Canucks in scoring behind Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser and tied for first in goals with seven.

It has not been a straightforward path to becoming an NHL regular for the former first-round pick. Lekkerimäki’s frequent trips between Vancouver and the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks over the past three seasons have tested his patience, but he believes those experiences have helped him grow both on and off the ice.

“It’s definitely helped me develop as a person and as a player,” Lekkerimäki says. “There have been a lot of ups and downs, but I feel like I’ve found more consistency now and have a better understanding of my game. Things have been good. I feel more comfortable within the group and the team. Moving up and down and playing with different players while trying to find my game has obviously been challenging.”

How difficult has it been to remain patient while moving back and forth between Vancouver and Abbotsford?

“It’s difficult to be patient as a hockey player,” he said. “You always want to play as much as possible and play with the best players. But I think it’s been okay. I’ve trusted the process and just taken things day by day.”

How would he evaluate his start to this season?

“I think it’s been good,” he said. “I’ve been given a lot of opportunities, including playing on the first power-play unit. I’ve played with different linemates, too. Earlier, I played a bit with EP [Elias Pettersson] and (Jake) DeBrusk, but the coaching staff likes to mix things up quite a bit.”

Lekkerimäki has already shown that his scoring touch can translate to the NHL. The next step is building on that production and becoming a consistent contributor for Vancouver.

One of the biggest differences this season has been the trust Lekkerimäki has received from head coach Manny Malhotra. Rather than having to completely reinvent his game to succeed in North America, the young Swede feels he has been able to rely on the qualities that made him such an exciting prospect in the first place.

“I feel like I can play my game and know what I need to do to succeed at this level,” he said. “I like the system Manny has implemented. He gets a lot out of me, and I enjoy playing for him. He knows what he wants to see from me, and I think we’ve had a really good relationship over the years.”

How would Lekkerimäki describe Malhotra’s coaching style?

“He’s very clear in what he wants,” Lekkerimäki said. “He spends a lot of time going through the system and explaining how we’re supposed to play. “This is my third season with him, so I know what he expects from us. As I said, he’s very clear in his communication, and that’s been good for me.”

While Lekkerimäki has taken a step forward individually, the same cannot be said for Vancouver as a team. The Canucks’ start to the season has been far below expectations, leaving the players searching for answers after a difficult opening stretch.

“It’s been tough. It’s definitely not what we expected,” Lekkerimäki said. “We have to learn something every night, try to take positives from each game, and make sure we start winning some games soon.”

So what needs to happen for Vancouver to turn things around?

“We just have to keep working hard and trust the process,” Lekkerimäki said. “Once we figure it out, we’ll figure it out. I don’t think we’re that far away from starting to win games.”

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