For the first time in a long time, the Vancouver Canucks will have more than one blue-chip prospect playing in the World Junior Championship (WJC). Luckily for Canucks fans, they will be playing for the same team as Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Elias Pettersson and Tom Willander were named to Team Sweden’s final roster for the 2024 WJC on Dec. 6.
All three of them are having excellent seasons in their respective leagues so far, so it’s no surprise that Sweden’s brass tapped them on the shoulder to represent their country. They should be prominent pieces of the team and might be one of the reasons why Sweden walks away with the gold medal as the host country.
Jonathan Lekkerimaki Could Be Sweden’s Most Lethal Scorer
It’s no secret that Lekkerimäki has been having a resurgent draft-plus-two season in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). After an underwhelming 2022-23 season in the HockeyAllsvenskan, he has reemerged as the high-end prospect that every draft expert was touting ahead of the 2022 Draft. His lethal wrist shot/one-timer and soft hands have been on display all season long and have translated into a career-high nine goals and 14 points in 23 games. He’s slowed down a bit from the torrid pace of September and October where he scored eight goals in 14 games, but that’s the nature of a long season. All in all, he’s been night and day from the player everyone was panicking about last season when injuries and lack of production dominated the headlines.
This will be Lekkerimäki’s third and final go-around at the WJC and he will be looking to go out with a bang. He is arguably one of Sweden’s most lethal scorers and after two tournaments where he was less than stellar with one goal and seven points in 14 games, he is poised for a breakout and possibly an MVP performance. He will be joined by his former Djurgardens linemates (and 2022 first-round picks) Noah Östlund (Buffalo Sabres) and Liam Öhgren (Minnesota Wild), which should turn out to be Sweden’s top-line and first power play unit. Needless to say, he will have plenty of opportunities to produce as that trio was beyond excellent in their draft years, combining for 61 goals and 135 points.
Tom Willander & Elias Pettersson Head Up the Defence
Axel Sandin-Pellikka will no doubt be the headliner offensively for Sweden, but Willander should get plenty of touches and ice time as well. He was probably his country’s best blueliner at the 2023 Under-18 World Championship with three goals and eight points in seven games and has transitioned seamlessly to the NCAA with Boston University this season with three goals and eight points in 15 games so far. His size, mobility and hockey IQ have already endeared him to his coaches as he has shot up to the top pairing with Lane Hutson in recent games.
Related: 2024 Guide to the World Junior Championship
Willander will be relied on for top-four minutes at the WJC and could see some time on the top-unit power play with Sandin-Pellikka or lead the second group if Sweden prefers to run a four-forward set. He will probably see the penalty kill as well and be used in all situations. Basically, he will be one of Sweden’s most important defencemen in his first foray at the WJC.
As for Pettersson (aka D-Petey), this will be his second WJC after impressing last year with three assists in seven games along with a solid two-way performance. He has climbed the Canucks’ prospect rankings since his draft year in 2022 and made a name for himself at the 2023 tournament as a reliable defender capable of playing matchup minutes against the opposition’s top threats. He will likely be used in a similar way this year and might be one of Sweden’s most underrated defenders overall. He has bounced around the leagues this season, spending time in the SHL, J20 Nationell and HockeyAllsvenskan where he has a combined 15 points in 14 games.
Canucks Fans Will Have Their Eyes Locked on Sweden Again
The Canucks’ prospect pool continues to be dominated by Swedes as the next wave of talent is once again tattooed with the Tre Kronor. Lekkerimäki is back on track as a potential 40-goal scorer in the NHL, Willander is well on his way to his ceiling of a top-four/top-pairing defender and Pettersson, even though he’s not playing in the SHL after a 43-game stint last season, is still looking like a steal of a pick in the third round. All three could be key parts of the Canucks’ roster in the near future, and this year’s WJC could be a glimpse of what’s to come in the NHL.
It all starts on Dec. 26 when Sweden faces off against Latvia at 10:30 am Pacific. All games will be televised on TSN, so most Canucks fans should be able to watch as Willander, Lekkerimäki and Pettersson (one, two and three respectively in my preseason rankings) attempt to push their country to the golden summit on home soil.