2025-26 Canucks Bold Predictions: Jonathan Lekkerimäki finishes as a finalist for the Calder Trophy

There are seven forwards on this list that we can compare Lekkerimäki to: Kirill Kaprizov, Jason Robertson, Trevor Zegras, Michael Bunting, Matty Beniers, Connor Bedard, and Macklin Celebrini. Bunting and Beniers were the only two forwards who scored below a 70-point pace for a full 82-game season. Robertson (72), Bedard (74), Celebrini (74), Kaprizov (76) and Zegras (81) all scored at a pace above the 70-point threshold.

So, as a forward, the floor seems to be around a 55-point pace to be nominated, but at least a 70-point pace to win the Calder Trophy. Lekkerimäki would need to significantly improve his NHL stats from last season, as his six points in 24 games would average out to just 21 points on an 82-game pace.

Looking at the odds boards, the betting markets have Montreal Canadiens rookie Ivan Demidov as the runaway favourite to win the award. In fact, no other rookie has lower than +1000 odds.

Here are the top-20 Calder Trophy candidates according to DraftKings sportsbook:

By the look of this list, Demidov is likely the only forward who many can confidently say has a chance to hit the 70-point mark. So the odds there make sense. However, seeing how there is no clear runner-up behind Demidov opens the door for Lekkerimäki.

Now, where Lekkerimäki might have an edge on the rest of the competitors this season is the fact that he has the most NHL experience of all of them. The Canucks did right by him last year by playing him in only 24 games, which kept his rookie eligibility intact for the 2025-26 campaign.

Ten of the rookies on the list have yet to appear in an NHL regular season game, with only Yaroslav Askarov, Jani Nyman, and Lekkerimäki having over double digits regular season appearances. In 24 regular season games last season, Lekkerimäki scored three goals and six points in 12:30 minutes of average ice time.

That being said, NHL experience isn’t a necessity to being nominated for the Calder. Four of the last five years have seen a rookie with zero games under their belt (Kaprizov, Seider, Bedard, Celebrini) get nominated. However, three of the last five years have seen a player with double-digit NHL games (Zegras/Bunting, Beniers/Skinner, Wolf) also appear on the Calder ballot.

Now, let’s talk opportunity.

With the Nils Höglander injury, that has opened up a spot in the top nine for Lekkerimäki. He is slotted to play with Evander Kane and Braeden Cootes on the third line. While Lekkerimäki and Cootes have displayed their on-ice chemistry, we don’t expect the 18-year-old centreman to play more than a nine-game stint.

So, how will their lineup look without Cootes and Höglander in the lineup? Well, if you read into training camp lines, Kane and Lekkerimäki skated with Chytil on the presumed second line, with Höglander skating with Teddy Blueger and Conor Garland on the third line. If Lekkerimäki shows he can fit in, the Canucks likely wouldn’t mind spreading out their lines and having Garland run the third line, with the Swede in the top six.

But who else has staying power in their respective teams’ top six?

Surely Demidov, but we’ve already established him as a strong candidate to finish as a finalist. And, to be honest, the rest of his competition have advantageous opportunities on their teams as well.

Jimmy Snuggerud is slated to skate on the top line with Pavel Buchnevich and Robert Thomas. Michael Misa was put in a position to succeed in the preseason, skating on a line with William Eklund and Tyler Toffoli. If he is to retain that spot in the lineup, he would skate behind Celebrini as the Sharks’ second line centre.

Isaac Howard and Matt Savoie are in the Oilers’ middle six, but if they do decide to split McDavid and Draisaitl, one, if not both, could have the opportunity to play third fiddle on a line with one of them and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman.

Ville Koivunen and Brady Martin are on the top lines for now. But once Bryan Rust returns, Koivunen is likely to get demoted. And if Martin doesn’t stick in the NHL past his nine-game stint, he’ll report back to the OHL.

On defence, Zeev Buium, Matthew Schaefer, Sam Rinzel, and Axel Sandin-Pellika are all expected to play top-four minutes and eventually take over quarterbacking power play one – except Buium and Rinzel, who already are.

So, it’s safe to say there is a ton of competition for Lekkerimäki to finish as a finalist. But the 15th overall pick in 2022 has NHL experience on his side and a clear path to a spot in a top-six. Can he take this opportunity in front of him and run with it? It’s surely a long shot, but if he can, there’s an opening for Lekkerimäki to finish top three in Calder voting. But it all begins tonight for Game 1 against the Calgary Flames.