Once I was the scouting director with the Florida Panthers, we chosen Owen Tippett within the first spherical (10th total) on the 2017 NHL Draft. Mixed together with his measurement (he’s now 6-foot-1, 210 kilos) and pace (he was clocked because the quickest NHL skater in open ice final season at 24.21 mph) we felt Tippett had an opportunity to be an elite NHL purpose scorer.
We additionally acknowledged it was going to take time for him to develop. It wasn’t going to be a straight line. When he was enjoying within the OHL, Tippett had some off the puck compete points at occasions. He might dominate one shift and barely be satisfactory the following time his quantity was known as. His total compete wanted to be extra constant if he was going to maximise his potential.
Right now, he is been close to a 30-goal scorer for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Over the previous two years I’ve witnessed the expansion of Vancouver Canucks prime prospect Jonathan Lekkerimaki who, like Tippett, hasn’t at all times had an ideal improvement path. He’s suffered some setbacks alongside the best way, together with damage, however clearly put within the effort and time required to be an NHL participant.
Lekkerimaki is about to make his NHL debut Tuesday evening versus the Calgary Flames. It’s an thrilling time for the Canucks, their followers, and Lekkerimaki. Vancouver has excessive hopes for the budding purpose scorer and Lekkerimaki is deserving of the chance. He lined up with Pius Suter and J.T. Miller at apply on Monday.
To say Lekkerimaki had a productive 2023-24 season can be an understatement. His laborious work on and off the ice clearly paid off by the use of constructive outcomes.
Right here’s Lekkerimaki’s checklist of awards from 2023-2024, courtesy EliteProspects:
• SHL most objectives by a junior (19)
• SHL most factors by a junior (31)
• SHL rookie of the 12 months
• Swedish junior hockey participant of the 12 months
• WJC all-star crew
• WJC most objectives (7)
• WJC most useful participant
• WJC silver medal
Right here’s a have a look at what I’ve witnessed from Lekkerimaki within the journey to his first NHL recreation:
Lekkerimaki is well outlined. He’s a large risk on the facility play when ripping pucks from the weak facet flank. He additionally has the power to beat goalies from distance when he comes off the boards and shoots the puck in movement. He has a launch that sneaks up on goalies. The puck doesn’t seem like it is coming off his keep on with as a lot zip because it does.
Right here’s an instance of what I’ve witnessed from Lekkerimaki when he was enjoying for Orebro within the SHL final season:
Proving that he can beat North American goalies from distance, Lekkerimaki had 5 objectives in seven video games on the AHL stage with Abbotsford this season earlier than the Canucks recalled him:
Each of those sequences are examples of what I describe once I discover how rapidly the puck sneaks up on goalies off his stick. Lekkerimaki’s launch is misleading. He shoots the puck laborious and precisely from lengthy vary.
Lekkerimaki can be enjoying faster and sooner now. The power he is added permits him to create turnovers when he doesn’t have the puck and soar to house forward of opponents on his option to the online within the offensive zone.
Canucks followers must be enthusiastic about what we see within the following sequence. Lekkerimaki jumps over the boards on a line change, pressures his opponent up ice and leverages bodily. As soon as Lekkerimaki created a distraction for the San Diego defenceman, Aatu Raty arrived on the scene to knock the Gulls defender on his back-side. Lekkerimaki then had a transparent lane to the online and completed off the play with a tuck.
DEFENSIVE ZONE COMMITMENT
NHL coaches is not going to tolerate part-time dedication within the defensive zone. The very best purpose scorers within the league have traditionally been known as out by their bench boss for not having sufficient consciousness and compete aiding the remainder of the group in preserving pucks out of their web.
Lekkerimaki is a piece in progress defensively and there’s nonetheless room for development. It can take a while, however he’s working to establish his obligations and test again the complete 200 ft.
Right here’s an instance of what I sometimes noticed in Orebro final season. Lekkerimaki is in a accountable place defending the center of the ice in his zone. When he steps out to problem his opponent on the half wall (No. 43 in crimson), he anticipates a turnover and jumps up ice as an alternative of remaining together with his test.
His test then crashes the online with the puck, and the result’s a purpose in opposition to.
The margin for error, or being barely out of place, within the North American recreation can result in unlucky ends in a rush. The next clip is from a recreation versus San Diego this fall. Lekkerimaki is barely out of place within the offensive zone. He works to test again into his defensive zone, however he’s too far behind. I’ve highlighted the place Lekkerimaki might have been higher positioned within the sequence. If he had stationed himself between my illustrated traces, he would have been capable of help the play offensively and been higher ready to help on the again test.
Lekkerimaki produced 5G-2A in his first seven AHL video games in Abbotsford this season and averaged 18:17 of ice time, with the majority of that coming at even power and the facility play.
• Lekkerimaki tried 67 pictures on purpose in his seven AHL video games, together with 27 on the facility play.
• His accuracy might enhance, nonetheless, as he solely related on 33 pictures.
• He sees the ice however definitely can’t be described as a playmaker or distributor.
• His tempo has improved over the previous couple years. His added power has resulted in additional quickness out of the gate and the power to stress pucks up ice or separate in open ice.
In my view, Lekkerimaki tasks as a second-line NHL ahead. He’s a purpose scorer who will produce on the facility play and rating well timed objectives for the Canucks…maybe as quickly as Tuesday evening when he fits up within the NHL for the primary time in opposition to the Flames.
