For a team that made it pretty far into the playoffs last season and did not have a first or second-round pick at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Vancouver Canucks have several prospects to keep an eye for this upcoming season. Some are easier to watch than others, but there are several high-level prospects playing in North America that most Canucks fans should keep their eyes on.
Jonathan Lekkerimäki, RW, Abbotsford Canucks (American Hockey League)
Jonathan Lekkerimäki will finally make his triumphant voyage to North America on a full-time basis as he will be playing in the AHL and possibly the NHL for the entirety of the 2024-25 hockey season. Lekkerimäki was drafted 15th overall by the Canucks in the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal.
Lekkerimäki has seen steady development since being drafted. Last season, he was loaned to Örebro HK and scored 31 points in 46 games along with representing Sweden at the World Juniors where he scored 10 points in seven games and helped his country secure a silver medal.
Lekkerimäki then made his way to North America after his season concluded and played six games with Abbotsford to get a taste of North American hockey before flying back to Europe to play at the World Championship where he sadly did not play a game. He is a dynamic winger with a lethal shot especially when on the powerplay. His skill set should translate well at the next level and should be a great watch at Abbotsford games this season.
Elias Pettersson, Defence, Abbotsford Canucks (American Hockey League)
Another Swedish player from the 2022 Draft, Elias Pettersson was selected in the third round out of Örebro HK. He isn’t a point producer by any means as his highest point total last season was 14 when he played for Västerås IK of HockeyAllsvenskan. But his lack of scoring is made up for by his defensive ability. He is a mean and nasty defensive defenceman who can play hard down low in the defensive zone. He is also great at staying defensively sound and splitting up 2-on-1 chances when he needs to. Pettersson made the jump to North America at the end of last season like Lekkerimäki and played in eight regular season games for Abbotsford and one playoff game. A full year of him playing in the AHL will be extremely beneficial to his development and should be fun to watch in Abbotsford.
Sawyer Mynio, Defence, Seattle Thunderbirds (Western Hockey League)
Sawyer Mynio is an interesting prospect that Vancouver selected in Round 3 of the 2023 Draft in Nashville last year. Mynio is a smooth skating defenceman who is responsible in all areas of the ice. He is very defensively responsible and when he jumps up into the rush for an offensive chance he can help create opportunities for his teammates or even score himself. His play was recognized not only by the Canucks but by Hockey Canada as he was asked to participate in Canada’s U-20 Summer Camp for the World Junior Summer Showcase. He is hoping this will help him potentially earn a spot on Canada’s World Junior team come Christmas time. Although playing in Seattle may make it a little hard to watch him this season, Vancouver fans should see him play live when the Thunderbirds come to Vancouver and play against the Giants.
Anthony Romani, Center, North Bay Battalion (Ontario Hockey League)
A new addition to the Canucks’ prospect pool, Anthony Romani is fresh off of scoring 111 points with the North Bay Battalion and getting drafted by Vancouver at the June draft in the sixth round. He was a scoring machine last season as he was given the chance to play a much bigger role than in years previous. While leading the Batallion in scoring, he also led the team to an incredibly successful season but was unable to play in the playoffs due to an injury. Had he been healthy in the playoffs, maybe the team would have gone further than they did. Romani was also invited to Team Canada’s camp like Mynio and has a chance to be on their World Junior team. He may be a difficult player to watch because he plays in Ontario, but if you get a chance to watch him at any point during this next season, you should because he is worth the price of admission.
Tom Willander, Defence, Boston College (Hockey East)
A player that is probably the most difficult to watch live for Canucks fans, Tom Willander was a standout this past season at Boston College. After being drafted in the first round in the 2023 NHL Draft, he had his first full season of North American hockey and excelled in his new home. The defender helped bring Boston College to the Finals of the Frozen Four where they unfortunately lost to the University of Denver.
But in this past season, Willander learned a lot and kept developing his game and adapting to the North American game. He is an incredibly smooth skating right-shot defenceman with a lethal shot from the point and a great first pass through the neutral zone. He has great offensive instincts but is able to get back and defend once the play transitions back into the defensive zone. It will obviously be hard to watch him play live, but he will most likely be on Sweden’s World Junior team come Christmas. Even to just watch him for that short a time will be worth it for Canucks fans.
Related: Canucks’ Top 15 Prospects for 2024-25 Season
The Canucks are obviously looking at competing for a Stanley Cup this season, but the team has done a good job at drafting over the past few years and has many prospects that fans should keep their eyes on in 2024-25 and the seasons that follow.
