In The System: Canucks 2022 Draft Class Prospect Update

Four years ago, the Vancouver Canucks made their first first-round selection since 2019, picking Jonathan Lekkerimäki 15th-overall at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Including Lekkerimäki, Vancouver made a total of six selections at the 2022 Draft, five of which remain within the team’s system. The lone 2022 draft prospect no longer with the Canucks is Jackson Dorrington, who was traded as part of the package sent to the New York Rangers alongside J.T. Miller. Here’s how the 2025–26 season went for the five remaining Canucks prospects drafted in 2022.

Jonathan Lekkerimäki

2022 R1, 15 OVR

Vancouver Canucks, NHL and Abbotsford Canucks, AHL

For a decent stretch of time after he was drafted, Lekkerimäki was the Canucks’ most intriguing prospect. The forward, best known for his shot and goal-scoring effort, split time between Vancouver and Abbotsford in 2024–25 after making his NHL debut on November 12, 2024 against the Calgary Flames.

Lekkerimäki was one of the players who looked like they would contend for an NHL roster spot in 2025–26 and put up a strong enough effort during the pre-season and training camp to make the team’s opening-night lineup. He scored his first goal of the season on opening night against the Flames and remained in the Canucks’ lineup until an injury sustained on October 19 sidelined him for a month. From then on, he made a couple of appearances for Vancouver, but ultimately skated in a grand total of 13 NHL games in 2025–26.

While he managed to put up consistent offensive numbers in the AHL, scoring 13 goals and seven assists in 21 games with Abbotsford through the season, Lekkerimäki’s injuries ended up keeping him out for the majority of the year. A shoulder injury cut his season off in February, with the forward’s final game of the year taking place on February 18 against the Ontario Reign.

Lekkerimäki has been a player that has gained headline attention as of late, with discourse circulating around what to do with the 22-year-old prospect heading into the 2026–27 season. While his role will ultimately be decided on a variety of roster factors, health being the biggest one, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the forward make Vancouver’s opening night lineup yet again.

2022 R3, 80 OVR

Vancouver Canucks, NHL

Pettersson, the defenceman, may have been the Canucks’ most surprising player from the 2024–25 season. In his first stint in North America, the defenceman played himself into an All-Star nod in the AHL before earning an NHL call-up and eventually a full-time role, replacing veteran Carson Soucy. He didn’t end up back in the AHL until later on in 2025–26.

While Pettersson did play himself into a full-time role in 2025–26, this particular season was a little trickier for the defenceman. Though he did play in 70 games for Vancouver, registering three goals and seven assists, Pettersson was sent down to Abbotsford for a few games after a couple of rough stretches on the blueline. Those didn’t last long, however, as he only ended up playing in three AHL games in 2025–26.

The 2025–26 season was, of course, rough for virtually every member of the Canucks. Regardless of that, Pettersson was still able to be effective, bumping his average TOI of the season from 12:49 minutes in 2024–25 to nearly 15 in 2025–26. Depending on how 2026–27 goes, that average may only go higher.

At this point, Pettersson feels like a shoe-in for a roster spot in 2026–27, especially given the changes Vancouver has made to their blueline in trading Marcus Pettersson and acquiring mentor-like players in Luke Schenn and Jamie Oleksiak. The most likely spot for the defenceman would be on Vancouver’s third-pair, possibly alongside Schenn.

Daimon Gardner

2022 R4, 112 OVR

St. Cloud State University, NCAA

The 2025–26 season was Gardner’s third year in the NCAA and his second as a member of St. Cloud State University. The 22-year-old center set a collegiate career-high in points the season prior with five goals and nine assists in 32 games but wasn’t quite able to replicate that this time around. In 26 games this season, Gardner scored two goals and two assists, marking a new career-low throughout his NCAA career.

As a whole, the 2025–26 season was subpar for St. Cloud State. The Huskies went 16–19–1 on the season, including a record of 9–14–1 in-conference. They lost both of their games against the University of Minnesota-Duluth in the first-round of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff, with Minnesota-Duluth ultimately losing in the NCHC championship round to eventual 2026 NCAA-champion University of Denver.

Gardner will play for the third NCAA team of his collegiate career come the 2026–27 season, as the forward has transfered to Minnesota State University (Mankato).

Ty Young

2022 R5, 144 OVR

Abbotsford Canucks, AHL and Kalamazoo Wings, ECHL

Young entered the 2025–26 season looking to build off a rookie pro season that saw him make starts at both the AHL and ECHL level. He played in a total of 33 games, registering a .904 SV% in the AHL and .926 SV% at the ECHL level.

The goaltender’s sophomore pro season went differently, though it started with a bit of a whirlwind.

At the beginning of November, with only three AHL games under his belt for the season, Young was forced into the starter’s role after injuries to both Vancouver and Abbotsford’s lineup left the AHL Canucks with only Young available to play. The rough start resulted in Young not notching his first AHL win of the season until his ninth game of the year, after taking a near three-month stint back in the ECHL with the Kalamazoo Wings.

Once March came around, bounces finally seemed to start going in Young’s way at the AHL level. The goaltender won his first three starts of the month with Abbotsford, also ending the year with a personal three-game win-streak. As a result, he finished the year with a record of 6–10–1, a 3.36 GAA, and a .884 SV%, also recording two shutouts.

Where Young plays next season will be heavily dependent on how Vancouver chooses to approach their goaltending situation. Nikita Tolopilo will be the player in net to watch, as if he stays up in the NHL with Vancouver, there will be more room in Abbotsford’s crease for players like Young and Koskenvuo.

Photo Credit: Kaja Antic-THN

Kirill Kudryavtsev

2022 R7, 208 OVR

Abbotsford Canucks, AHL

Kudryavtsev made his pro hockey debut in 2024–25 and has only seemed to impress since then. The defenceman played his way into a full-time role in his rookie AHL season and made himself effective during Abbotsford’s Calder Cup run in 2025. He also made his NHL debut in that same season, skating in his first game on April 14 against the San Jose Sharks.

The 2025–26 season was yet another reflection of how impressive Kudryavtsev has been throughout the past couple of years. With Abbotsford’s D-core heavily depleted after the 2025 off-season, as well as movement with the NHL club, Kudryavtsev found himself taking on sizable minutes as a sophomore. While he did end up being named Abbotsford’s representative at the AHL All-Star Challenge, an injury took the defenceman out of competition for two months.

Kudryavtsev returned to Abbotsford’s lineup in March, skating with the team for about a month before he was called-up to Vancouver and made his season debut at the NHL level. He scored his first NHL point on April 12 against the Anaheim Ducks, finishing his season’s NHL run with two points in three games. At the AHL level, Kudryavtsev’s 2025–26 season ended with the defenceman potting two goals and 18 assists in 44 games.

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