Centre Ty Mueller is another player to watch with Abbotsford, coming off an appearance the AHL All-Star Classic
With Lekkerimäki, 20, it will be interesting to see how he responds if he is back in the Abbotsford lineup when the team visits the Colorado Eagles on Friday and Saturday.
He took a nasty spill into the end boards in the waning moments of a 6-2 win in Tucson on Jan. 25.
There has been no timeline offered on Lekkerimäki’s return to action. Ryan Johnson, who is both an assistant general manager with Vancouver and GM of Abbotsford, told Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma early last week that there are “just some precautionary days here, but he’s feeling good.”
Even with the games missed, the 20-year-old Lekkerimäki is keeping the No. 1 position in our Canucks top-10 prospects power rankings this week. The right winger’s 14 goals have him tied for the Abbotsford team lead. Lekkerimäki’s five game winners have him tied for fourth overall in the league, and he’s done all that despite playing just 24 games with Abbotsford to date.
Meanwhile, Mueller, 21, heads into this weekend with Abbotsford coming off being the club’s representative at the AHL All-Star Classic festivities in Palm Desert, Calif., which featured a skills contest on Sunday and a 3-on-3 tournament on Monday. Mueller and his Pacific Division mates made the tournament final.
A centre who was picked in the 2023 fourth round by the Canucks, Mueller has seven goals and 22 points through 39 games this season.
“Just trying to be consistent,” Mueller told reporters about Abbotsford’s game Saturday. “I think that’s one of the biggest things … being someone who the coaches can trust, and for them to know that they have a guy who’s going to play the same way no matter what.”
That leads us to this week’s rankings, which continue to be a combination of trying to mesh both the short and long term.Players must be born in 2000 or later, and they’re not eligible for the poll when they’re with the big club. Last week’s rankings are in parenthesis.
1. Jonathan Lekkerimäki, RW, Abbotsford (1)
Lekkerimäki (24-14-7-21) missed a 5-2 road loss to Coachella on Wednesday, a 5-1 loss at home to Calgary on Friday, and a 5-1 win at home over Calgary. Abbotsford (23-17-1-1) is sixth in the 10-team Pacific Division and their next home game is Feb. 11, when San Diego visits.
2. Tom Willander, D, Boston University Terriers (2)
BU (15-9-1) beat Harvard 7-1 on Monday in the Beanpot semifinals and will face nationally No. 1 ranked Boston College next Monday in the final for the annual tournament between Boston-area schools. BU is No. 8 in the rankings this week. Willander (24-2-13-15), a 19-year-old sophomore who was Vancouver’s first rounder in 2023, recorded an assist versus Harvard.
3. Aatu Räty, C, Abbotsford (NR)
The 22-year-old was called up for a one-game stint Friday with Vancouver before being reassigned again. Räty (24-9-15-24) had a goal in Abbotsford’s win Saturday, giving him six points (3-3) in his past four games with the team. He was part of the Bo Horvat trade with the New York Islanders in January 2023.
4. Kirill Kudryavtsev, D, Abbotsford (3)
The 2022 seventh rounder had a goal and an assist Saturday. The 20-year-old Kudryavtsev (36-3-17-20) continues to lead the team’s defencemen in scoring.
5. Ty Mueller, C, Abbotsford (7)
Mueller (39-7-15-22) is third in team scoring, trailing Nils Åman and Räty.
6. Max Sasson, C, Abbotsford (NR)
The 24-year-old was returned to Abbotsford from Vancouver and played his first games in the minors this weekend since Nov. 19. Sasson (18-5-6-11) had a goal Saturday. He was a 2023 free-agent signing.
Bains (26-5-16-21) had a goal and was named the game’s third star Friday. He was named first star Saturday after scoring one and getting one assist. The 24-year-old was a 2022 free-agent signing.
8. Sawyer Mynio, D, Calgary Hitmen (5)
Calgary (30-13-3-2) is duelling with Medicine Hat (33-15-2-1) for top spot in the Eastern Conference. Mynio (29-9-18-27), a 19-year-old who was a 2023 third rounder, didn’t have a point in three games last week, but had a combined nine shots. Calgary is at Prince Albert on Wednesday.
9. Riley Pattersson, C, Barrie Colts (8)
Patterson (46-19-27-46) had three assists in a 7-6 overtime win versus Niagara on Saturday, giving the 18-year-old, who was a 2024 fourth rounder, 10 points (1-9) in his last five games. Barrie (31-14-2-1) is first in the Central Division and were slated to host Kingston on Tuesday night.
10. Nils Åman, C, Abbotsford (4)
The 24-year-old, who signed as a free agent in 2022, had two assists Saturday.Åman (7-21-28) leads Abbotsford in scoring.
Dropped from the list this week:Artūrs Šilovs, G, Abbotsford (9); Danila Klimovich, RW, Abbotsford (10).