Lekkerimaki, who turned 18 on July 24, found an open spot near the left face-off dot and scored the tying goal on a one-timer with 7.9 seconds left in a scrimmage on the final day of camp. It was a perfect example of the ability Vancouver touted after selecting the right-shot forward.
"He's a goal-scorer," said Mikael Samuelsson, who rejoined the Canucks as a player development coach in May but has been based in Sweden the past three years and knows Lekkerimaki well. "He has things to improve as well, but he's a natural goal-scorer.
"[Development camp] was really important for him and his game, to see it's a faster game and you've got to think faster, and as the game went on I thought he got into the groove and held on to the puck, and he scored a nice goal in the end. But that's him right there."
That shot, along with his ability to find soft spots in defensive coverages to get it away, were big reasons Lekkerimaki was attractive to Vancouver.
Last season, Lekkerimaki had 35 points (20 goals, 15 assists) in 26 games with Djurgarden's team in Sweden's junior league. He also had nine points (seven goals, two assists) in 26 games with Djurgarden in the Swedish Hockey League.
Lekkerimaki then led the 2022 IIHF Under-18 World Championship in April with 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in six games to help Sweden win the tournament.
"Score some goals," Lekkerimaki said when asked what he's doing when playing his best. "When I have the puck on my blade, I feel I can score."
As for as areas of improvement, Lekkerimaki talked about being more competitive without the puck and getting better in front of the net, whether it's screening goalies or tipping pucks. He'll also have to add some muscle to his 5-foot-10, 165-pound frame, but the Canucks don't intend to rush him.
"The off-ice will be just as important as anything," Canucks assistant to the general manager Ryan Johnson said. "It can't happen overnight, but we have to give him direction to make sure as time goes on, he's getting stronger and stronger and supporting the skill set he already has."
Lekkerimaki, who missed the final month of last season with mononucleosis, will play this season with Djurgarden in Allsvenskan, Sweden's second division. He is also expected to play a big role at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, which starts Aug. 9, and at the 2023 WJC, which begins Dec. 26.
"You see how he can shoot the puck," Johnson said. "He's a darter. He's in and out of the scoring areas as a smart player, so we're excited to grow with him."
