Canucks: Lekkerimäki has missed last four Abby games, still "being evaluated"

The Vancouver Canucks are staying quiet on the status of forward prospect Jonathan Lekkerimäki, who has missed the past four games with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks for undisclosed reasons. 

A Canucks spokesperson said Sunday that Lekkerimäki is “being evaluated.” The team has never been overly forthcoming about injuries with Abbotsford, so this latest Lekkerimäki situation is very much on brand.

The 21-year-old Lekkerimäki has six goals and 10 points in nine games with Abbotsford this season. He has one goal and two points in eight games with Vancouver this season. He was Vancouver’s first-round pick (No. 15 overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft.

Lekkerimäki last played on Dec. 20 in a 2-1 Abbotsford win at Rogers Forum against the visiting Tucson Roadrunners.

Coach Manny Malhotra’s crew opened the 2026 calendar year with a 4-1 setback on the road to the Manitoba Moose on Friday. Abbotsford is home Tuesday and Wednesday to the Bakersfield Condors. The Condors are the Edmonton Oilers’ farm team.

Abbotsford (9-17-3-3) is last in the 10-team Pacific Division and 30th in the 32-team AHL overall.

Lekkerimäki had a strong training camp, made Vancouver’s opening night roster and scored in the 5-1 Game 1 win over Calgary on Oct. 9. He suffered an undisclosed injury in Game 6 on Oct. 19 in Washington and was reassigned to Abbotsford Nov. 12 when he was healthy enough to play again. He came back to Vancouver for four more games starting Nov. 29, but he was sent back to Abbotsford again on Dec. 7.

Lekkerimäki had 19 goals and 28 points in 36 regular season games with Abbotsford last season and then three goals and seven points in 16 playoff games. He got into 24 NHL games a season ago, totalling three goals and six points in that time.

@SteveEwen

SEwen@postmedia.com