The hype leading up to Jonathan Lekkerimäki’s first NHL game is understandable. It’s been three years since the last time a player drafted in the first round by the Vancouver Canucks made his NHL debut, back when Vasily Podkolzin started his rookie season in 2021.
Since Podkolzin, the Canucks went two years without a first-round pick and no players from the Canucks’ drafts from 2020 to the present day had played an NHL game. So, it’s been a while since Canucks fans could get excited about a top prospect stepping into the lineup.
It may not have been a dynamic debut on par with Elias Pettersson, who sniped a gorgeous first goal on his very first shot, but Lekkerimäki acquitted himself well in a top-six role on a line with J.T. Miller and Pius Suter, as well as on the top power play unit.
Lekkerimäki had great underlying numbers in his debut, fired two shots on goal which were both quality scoring chances, and generally looked the part of a legitimate NHL winger.
It’s the kind of debut that deserves a closer look to tease out just what made him effective in his 14 minutes of ice time. So, I went shift-by-shift and re-watched his entire performance to break it all down.
Shift 1 | 19:01 - 18:04, first period
Coaches often suggest to rookies that they keep their first shift short: get on the ice, make a simple play, and get off. It’s a good way to shake off the nerves and remember that it’s just hockey — the game they’ve been playing their entire lives.
Lekkerimäki’s first shift, on the other hand, wasn’t all that short. He was on the ice for nearly a minute.
His first touch on the puck was tipping a Quinn Hughes pass into the offensive zone that led to an icing by the Flames. Off the ensuing faceoff, Lekkerimäki lost a battle and the Flames were able to move the puck out.
That was an inauspicious start, but Lekkerimäki followed it up with an eye-catching play as he deked around Jonathan Huberdeau in the neutral zone, gained the offensive zone with a pass to Suter, then went to the net looking for a scoring chance.
What’s great about that play isn’t just the move on Huberdeau; it’s also the way he came down low to support the defence on the breakout, making it easy for the defence to get past the Flames’ two-man forecheck. That’s the type of connectedness that Rick Tocchet loves to see.
Even at the end of his shift, Lekkerimäki still put on enough pressure on the Rasmus Andersson to force a second icing. All around, a solid opening salvo from Lekkerimäki.
Shift 2 | 15:29 - 15:01, first period
Lekkerimäki’s second shift was uneventful. The Flames won a faceoff in their own end and got a clear, then Lekkerimäki took a pass from Miller at the blue line and dumped it in for Miller to chase on the forecheck. The Flames got another clear and that was that.
Perhaps Lekkerimäki could have sealed off the boards to prevent the second clearance but he was also looking for a soft spot to get open in case Miller and Suter won the puck along the boards, so I can’t fault him. Not all shifts are going to result in anything.
Shift 3 | 13:43 - 13:10, first period
On for a defensive zone faceoff, Lekkerimäki again supported the breakout, taking a pass from Quinn Hughes and moving out into the neutral zone, where he was cut off. He tried to get the puck in deep but couldn’t get enough on the puck, leading to a turnover just inside the Flames’ blue line.
Nothing came of it, as the Canucks still had their defencemen back and Lekkerimäki and Suter came back quickly so there was no danger of a counter-attack.
You could see there was some indecision in Lekkerimäki’s defensive zone coverage on this shift, as he had to take on the role of the centre as the F1. At one point, it looked like he wanted to pass that responsibility off to Miller so that he could take on a more traditional winger role in the defensive zone but it wasn’t clearly communicated.
Eventually, Lekkerimäki left the middle of the ice to chase a hit, which left Ryan Lomberg open for a chance. Fortunately, he didn’t get much on his shot, so it wasn’t an issue.
This is the shift where Lekkerimäki most looked like a rookie. A lot of the uncertainty should get ironed out as he grows more comfortable with the Canucks systems and the pace of the NHL.
Tocchet, at least, isn’t worried about Lekkerimäki’s play without the puck.
“I think the kid has a conscience,” said Tocchet. “You watch him play — yeah, sure, he’s going to make a mistake — but I think the difference with him, I think he’s obsessive about his game. I think he really wants to be obsessive about his play without the puck. But I want him to be creative, though, I want him to go. I’m not looking for him to be the third guy back all the time, that’s not what I’m looking for.”
Shift 4 | 11:01 - 10:39, first period
This shift started in the offensive zone with Miller winning a faceoff but Suter was beaten to the puck by Huberdeau. That led to a save by Kevin Lankinen and a defensive zone faceoff that Suter won but Soucy lost a battle on the boards, leading to another Flames shot and a Lankinen save.
Lekkerimäki was where he was supposed to be on the ice as all of this occurred but the puck never came near him.
Shift 5 | 8:51 - 8:18, first period
Lekkerimäki took a pass from Miller in the neutral zone and sent the puck in deep again for a Miller forecheck. This forecheck was more successful than the last, as the puck came free to Lekkerimäki, who moved the puck to Filip Hronek at the point, who relayed it to Hughes, who unfortunately hit Miller in a delicate area with his shot.
Lekkerimäki alertly knocked the puck out of mid-air back to Hughes to keep the play alive, but Hughes’ pass to Hronek came out of the zone, leading to an offside.
This wasn’t a highly eventful shift, but Lekkerimäki made two smart plays to keep the play alive in the offensive zone, which is the type of small detail that can lead to excellent underlying puck possession numbers.
Shift 6 | 5:21 - 4:45, first period
Nothing came of it but I liked Lekkerimäki’s work on the forecheck on this shift. He showed no hesitation in playing the body with a stiff check on Nazem Kadri that knocked the Flames centre to the ice.
He then applied good pressure before rotating up high to become F3 in the neutral zone as Miller and Suter jumped up in the forecheck, so that he was in position to pressure the puck carrier in the neutral zone and pick up a loose puck after Tyler Myers broke up the zone entry.
In hockey systems speak, Lekkerimäki was reloading, as he got back above his man as the forwards rotated on the forecheck. Tocchet suggested it was absolutely essential for any player who wants to play on his team.
“If you’re the reload guy, two guys dive in and you’re not really reloading and you’re coming back slow, I have a tough time for those type of players,” said Tocchet. “If you do that, you better score 60 goals. That’s just my rule.”
Good thing Lekkerimäki reloaded, then, as I don’t think he’s ready to score 60 goals just yet.
Shift 7 | 3:10 - 2:19, first period
Lekkerimäki again played the body on the forecheck on this shift, hitting Brayden Pachal, though he didn’t get credit for a hit by the NHL’s statisticians.
Beyond that, Lekkerimäki was mostly in a supportive, off-puck role on this shift. He did have one touch, sending a loose puck around the boards to Suter down low to keep the play alive in the offensive zone. That led to Carson Soucy hitting the post, with Dan Vladar robbing Suter on the rebound.
Shift 8 | 20:00 - 19:37, second period
The Canucks started the second period on the power play, with Lekkerimäki skating on the top unit despite practicing with the second unit earlier in the week.
This shift ended in a goal for Pettersson, with Lekkerimäki playing a small role. Again, he played the body on the forecheck, stapling Kevin Bahl to the boards to prevent him from playing the puck.
As Bahl stumbled out of the corner after the hit, he couldn’t get back to cover Pettersson at the backdoor in time. Without Lekkerimäki playing the body, Pettersson wouldn’t have had such an easy tap-in goal.
Shift 9 | 18:15 - 17:26, second period
Lekkerimäki’s next shift also led to a goal, though he didn’t get a plus in the plus/minus column for it, as he went for a line change four seconds before the puck went in
It was a dominant shift by the Miller line and Lekkerimäki got it started with a clean zone entry off a deflected pass from Vincent Desharnais. Lekkerimäki later took a pass from Miller and, instead of trying to jam a pass through traffic, smartly moved the puck back to Erik Brännström at the point.
That led to Lekkerimäki’s first shot of the game, as he disappeared behind the Flames’ defensive coverage at the backdoor and tried to jam a rebound past Vladar.
With the Canucks still controlling the puck in the offensive zone, Lekkerimäki went off on a line change. Four seconds later, Miller set up Suter for the 2-1 goal.
“There’s definitely a lot there to like. Smart player,” said Tocchet. “When he has the puck, there’s not a lot of panic. He’s just going to get better.”
Shift 10 | 14:49 - 14:01, second period
This shift featured the best chance of the game for the Flames with Lekkerimäki on the ice, though it wasn’t his fault. Suter turned the puck over at the blue line, giving Martin Pospisil a breakaway.
What I liked was that Lekkerimäki immediately got on his horse and skated back hard on the backcheck after the turnover.
You have to like that hustle.
Shift 11 | 13:27 - 12:54, second period
Lekkerimäki started this shift with a good read as he cut off a ring-around from Vladar along the boards, though the puck was cleared. On the regroup, Lekkerimäki tried to force a pass through a Flames forward on the zone entry and turned the puck over.
As rookie mistakes go, it was a mild one, as he immediately got back defensively to prevent an odd-man rush.
Shift 12 | 9:06 - 7:31, second period
This was a deceivingly long shift for Lekkerimäki, as it was interrupted by a penalty and a commercial break. Brännström had his stick slashed out of his hands to draw the penalty, but even as the Flames’ Lomberg protested the call, Lekkerimäki was already passing the puck to Hughes at the point.
That nearly led to Lekkerimäki’s first NHL point, as Hughes set up a Miller one-timer that Vladar had to be alert to stop.
After the commercial break, Lekkerimäki was again on the first power play unit. He set up in the bumper and got his second shot of the game and arguably his best chance, as he fired a quick shot off a pass from Miller that had his parents reacting demonstratively in the stands.
The shift ended anticlimactically, as he lost a pass from Conor Garland in his skates on a zone entry. Still, there’s a lot to like about Lekkerimäki on the power play and, reading between the lines of what Tocchet said after the game, maybe he can stay on that top unit even after Brock Boeser returns.
“There’s some spots there that’s almost Boeser-like,” said Tocchet. “I think when Brock starts feeling better, I think he can help him out and work with him a little bit because there’s some spots there that he knows where to go. If you give him that shot, he’s going to score.”
Shift 13 | 6:05 - 5:32, second period
This was a largely uneventful shift. Lekkerimäki had a pass blocked in the neutral zone but then took another pass and dumped the puck in for a forechecking sequence. He battled well along the wall and got away with what probably should have been a holding penalty against Bahl. That’s about it.
Shift 14 | 2:47 - 2:03, second period
Lekkerimäki took advantage of a mishandled puck by Rasmus Andersson to steal in the neutral zone, then stick-checked Lomberg to force the puck in deep. That led to a great chance for Miller from a Hughes pass, with Lekkerimäki providing the screen in front of Vladar.
Lekkerimäki’s shift ended when Hughes couldn’t take his pass cleanly on the backhand and he changed as the team regrouped.
Shift 15 | 19:19 - 18:55, third period
After a superb stretch pass by Hughes, Miller nearly sent Lekkerimäki in alone on Vladar in their first shift of the third period but the pass was too far ahead of Lekkerimäki, just out of his reach.
You can bet the roof would have blown off Rogers Arena if Miller had connected with Lekkerimäki and he had finished on the breakaway.
Shift 16 | 18:10 - 17:38, third period
An uneventful shift, with Lekkerimäki’s lone touch a tip into the Flames’ zone. It was a fine tip-in.
Shift 17 | 15:27 - 14:45, third period
This was a stronger, more decisive defensive shift for Lekkerimäki, as he twice forced Andrei Kuzmenko to turn the puck over with his tight checking. It wasn’t anything spectacular but it showed his growing confidence in the defensive zone in the space of just a couple of periods.
“I’ve got to credit the Abbotsford guys — Manny [Malhotra] and those guys,” said Tocchet. “Obviously, you’ve got to let the guy be creative and do his thing but I think play without the puck is something he wanted to work on. I think the twins grabbed him the last couple days, that’s helped. And I think Millsy was really communicative with him on the bench — they talked a lot. I think that really calmed him down.”
Shift 18 | 13:02 - 12:20, third period
Lekkerimäki already has good defensive awareness. On his 18th shift of the game, he was alert after a Carson Soucy turnover and got back to knock the puck off Kuzmenko’s stick to prevent a scoring chance.
Shortly after, Lekkerimäki led a 3-on-2 rush up the ice and dropped the puck to Miller, but his return pass was broken up. He then nearly had a grade-A chance on a pass by Miller from below the goal line, but the puck was in too tight and went through his skates before he could get his stick on it.
The offensive instincts were all there but the execution was just slightly off or Lekkerimäki could have his first NHL goal.
Shift 19 | 6:17 - 4:53, third period
Lekkerimäki went a long time between shifts but that was primarily because of a Pettersson penalty that disrupted the usual rotation of the lines. When he got back on the ice, it was for a Canucks power play.
The Flames seemed to have a lot of respect for Lekkerimäki’s shot, as their diamond played tightly on him in the bumper, making it tough for his teammates to find him for a shot.
When Lekkerimäki did get a touch on the puck, it was because he had rotated to the top of the zone to cover for Hughes as he roamed up the left side after a brilliant keep-in at the blue line. Hughes sent the puck up to Lekkerimäki, who put the puck in Miller’s wheelhouse for a one-timer from the top of the right faceoff circle that he ripped just wide.
That’s a lot of near misses for Lekkerimäki’s first NHL point in this game.
Shift 20 | 1:42 - 1:04, third period
Perhaps the most positive sign for Lekkerimäki is that Tocchet had him out on the ice for a defensive zone faceoff with under two minutes to go to defend the lead while the Flames had the net empty.
Sure, it was a two-goal lead, so the risk wasn’t all that high, but it still shows that Lekkerimäki has earned a certain level of trust already.
It’s partly to Lekkerimäki’s credit that this was an uneventful shift, which is exactly what you want when you’re defending a lead late in the third period.
Final conclusions
A close viewing of Lekkerimäki’s first game only improved my opinion of how well he played. While there was some early uncertainty in the defensive zone, he looked far more comfortable as the game progressed, to the point that Tocchet felt no need to substitute a more experienced player for him when the Miller line was sent out for defensive zone faceoffs.
Moreover, it became clear just how close Lekkerimäki came to recording his first NHL point on several occasions. That’s encouraging to see, because if he continues to play the same way, the points will come with time.
When Lekkerimäki was drafted, the concern was that he would be a one-dimensional player — a winger with a great shot but a slight frame with question marks about his defensive game. In the years since, he’s taken tremendous strides in his two-way game and his play without the puck.
Lekkerimäki still seems to default to the perimeter game but he looked to find open space in the slot and backdoor and there were a couple of occasions where he went to the net to look for a pass or to set a screen, so there’s glimmers of a more diverse approach in the offensive zone.
All around, it was an excellent debut for Lekkerimäki and he showed plenty of promise for the future.
