Vancouver did call up centre Max Sasson from Abbotsford in a corresponding move to returning Lekkerimäki to the AHL
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Vancouver promoted centre Max Sasson, 24, from Abbotsford on Thursday in a corresponding move to the Lekkerimäki one, so a Boeser return for Saturday’s visit to the Ottawa Senators isn’t a guarantee. The Ottawa game starts a six-game road trip. The Canucks don’t play at home again until Columbus Blue Jackets visits Rogers Arena on Dec. 6.
Tocchet told reporters on Wednesday when asked about Boeser: “I think he’s coming on the trip. I haven’t talked to the medical staff yet. We have a meeting after this to decide if he’s going. Whether he stays back to skate or not, we still have to talk about that. If he doesn’t play on this trip, obviously, he won’t come, but we’ll see. We’ll see how it goes day to day.”
Tocchet has also spoken in the past about how he likes the idea of young players coming up from Abbotsford, getting a taste of what the NHL level is like, and then going back to Abbotsford to work on their game with that new gauge.
The 5-foot-11, 172-pound Lekkerimäki, who was Vancouver’s first-round pick (No. 15 overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft, averaged 14:48 of ice time in his five-game debut in the NHL. He had one goal and seven shots. In Abbotsford, he’s had five goals and seven points in seven games and registered 39 shots.
“I think we’ve thrown a lot at him. I think whether he stays up or not, we can’t be afraid to make sure that we develop him properly,” Tocchet said of Lekkerimäki on Wednesday. “I think his play without the puck has gotten better. Now he’s got to be more instinctual in the offensive. I think he’s a shooter. Sometimes shooters just want to shoot, and they kind of stand around. I think he can be a little bit more involved in the offence, going to certain spots. I think that’s probably the next level for him. But he’s obviously a talented kid.”
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