Canucks Prospects: Jonathan Lekkerimäki tops the prospect power rankings

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The Abbotsford Canucks had won five games in a row and then things went even better for them.

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The Vancouver Canucks sent 2022 NHL first-round draft pick Jonathan Lekkerimäki back to their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford on Sunday, and Lekkerimäki had a goal and two assists to help in a 5-4 triumph over the visiting San Jose Barracuda, extending the winning streak to six games.

All of the wins in this streak have come at the Abbotsford Centre.

Lekkerimäki, playing in his first game with Abbotsford since Jan. 4, scored the winner Sunday against San Jose with 0:48 left and was named the game’s first star. He has scored 13 goals with Abbotsford this season, which marks a team high. He has played 11 games with Vancouver so far this season.

Abbotsford (20-15-1-1) is sixth in the AHL’s 10-team Pacific Divisionand they will look to extend the run when they come to visit Tucson Roadrunners for a doubleheader weekend starting Friday. They are back at home on January 31st, when the Calgary Wranglers provide the opposition.

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Abbotsford center Aatu Räty has been an offensive spark in the team’s recent success. He is the reigning AHL Player of the Week after totaling nine points in Vancouver’s four wins last week. He had a goal and three assists in a 6-3 win over the Ontario Reign on Tuesday, three assists in a 5-2 triumph over Ontario, and a goal and an assist in Sunday’s win over San Jose.

Räty was kept off the scoresheet in a 3-2 triumph over San Jose on Saturday.

Here is our latest edition of our Canucks top-10 potential power rankings.

Lekkerimäki returns to the mix – players with the big squad are exempt from the top-10 – and the offensive burst from Räty brings some notable moves.

As a reminder, players must also be born in 2000 or later to be eligible. Last week’s ranking is in parentheses.

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1. Jonathan Lekkerimäki, RW, Abbotsford (NR)

Lekkerimäki (22-13-7-20) was in line with Nils Åman and Tristen Nielsen in his return to the lineup. Along with leading Abbotsford in goals, the 20-year-old is second in shots (85), behind only Danila Klimovich (86).

2. Tom Willander, D, Boston University Terriers (1)

The 2023 first-round pick helped BU (13-7-1) to a pair of wins in a home-and-home last weekend against New Hampshire, with a 6-3 triumph on the road Friday followed by a 2-1 overtime win as hosts on Saturday. Willander (20-2-9-11), a 19-year-old sophomore, was kept out of the scoring column. BU, which jumped three spots this week in the USCHO national rankings to No. 8, has a home-and-home this weekend with their crosstown rival Boston College (16-4-1), which is the No. 1.

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3. Aatu Räty, C, Abbotsford (5)

This latest surge has bumped Räty (21-7-13-20) into a tie for third in team scoring. The 22-year-old lined up alongside Arshdeep Bains and Nate Smith on Sunday. He was acquired in the January 2023 trade with the New York Islanders involving Bo Horvat.

4. Elias Pettersson, D, Abbotsford (2)

Abbotsford’s representative at the upcoming AHL All-Star Classic, Pettersson (36-1-12-13) leads the team in plus-minus (plus-eight). The 2022 second-rounder, who is 20, had a four-hit season on Sunday. He has been paired of late with Mark Friedman.

5. Kirill Kudryavtsev, D, Abbotsford (3)

Kudryavtsev (31-2-14-16) remains Abbotsford’s top-scoring blueliner, and the 2022 seventh-round pick is also second on the team in plus-minus (plus-seven). The 20-year-old teamed up with Cole McWard on Sunday

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6. Nils Åman, C, Abbotsford (NR)

The 2022 free-agent signing is on a six-game hitting streak (4-5-9), including a goal and two assists on Saturday and a goal and an assist on Sunday. Åman (27-6-18-24), who is 24, has jumped into the team lead in scoring with this sprint.

7. Arshdeep Bains, LW, Abbotsford (4)

The 2022 free-agent addition had an assist Sunday. The 24-year-old Bains (21-3-14-17) has four points (1-3) in his last five games.

8. Ty Mueller, C, Abbotsford (6)

Mueller (34-7-13-20) returned to action this weekend after missing three games with an undisclosed injury, and the 2023 fourth-round pick had an assist Sunday. The 21-year-old is third in team scoring and was in line on Sunday with Sammy Blais and Linus Karlsson.

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9. Sawyer Mynio, D, Calgary Hitmen (7)

Mynio (23-6-16-22) recorded an assist in a 3-2 shootout loss to Medicine Hat on Saturday and a goal in a 4-1 win over Regina on Sunday. The 19-year-old, who was a third-round pick in 2023, was selected as the game’s third star in the latter. The Hitmen (25-12-3-2) are at Moose Jaw on Wednesday.

10. Artūrs Šilovs, G, Abbotsford (8)

The 23-year-old, who was a sixth-round pick in 2019, recorded his third straight win in Sunday’s 5-4 triumph over San Jose. The win was the 50th in the AHL for Šilovs (5-3-0, 2.53 goals-against average, .906 save percentage).

Dropped from the rankings this week: Danila Klimovich, RW, Abbotsford (9); Riley Patterson, C, Barrie Colts (10).

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