He was tipped to go top 10.
But when the Vancouver Canucks got Swedish super talent Jonathan Lekkerimäki in 15th place, the experts were lyrical.
“Good work. Great job. Fantastic job “, writes Vancouver Canucks journalist Chris Faber.
It was in advance the most uncertain NHL draft in many, many years. But it became more unpredictable than anyone could have predicted. Shane Wright, the Canadian center who threw in points in the junior leagues, was the super favorite to be chosen number one a few days ago, but yesterday he collapsed in the odds lists.
“Run up on stage!”
Many still thought that the Montreal Canadiens would choose him with the first letter, but they nobbed. So did the second team – and the third. Wright was first selected as the fourth, by the Seattle Krakens. Instead, it was double Slovak in first and second place, and the American Logan Cooley in third. The Swedes then? Before the draft, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Djurgården, was tipped to go in the top 10.
But he remained when the Vancouver Canucks would choose as the 15th team, and the Swedish general manager Patrik Allvin chose the forward, who got a lot of playing time in the SHL last season. And to the great joy of the experts.
“RUN UP ON THE STAGE AND CHOOSE LEKKERIMÄKI! HURRY “, writes Chris Faber, expert on Canucks prospect business, on Twitter.
The experts are lyrical
After Allvin chose Lekkerimäki, Faber, and other experts, were lyrical. You are absolutely sure that it was a robbery to get him in 15th place.
“Good work. Great job. Fantastic job. Jonathan Lekkerimäki is now BY FAR the most exciting talent in the Canucks organization, ”he writes.
Faber believes that no one in the entire draft has a better shot than the Djurgårds talent, and that within two to four years he will be a top six forward in the Canucks. And he’s not usually wrong. A total of four Swedes were selected in the first round: Buffalo Sabers chose Djurgårds player Noah Östlund as the 16th team, and three elections later Minnesota Wild chose a third (!) Djurgårds player in the form of Liam Öhgren. Filip Bystedt, Linköping, was chosen as 27th by the San Jose Sharks. However, the first SHL player to be selected already went as eight, in the form of Rögle’s Marco Kasper, who was selected by the Detroit Red Wings.
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