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2 Canucks prospects rank in Craig Button’s Top 50 NHL-affiliated prospects list
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Photo credit: © Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Tyson Cole
Feb 7, 2025, 19:44 EST
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TSN’s Craig Button released his top 50 NHL-affiliated prospects list on Friday, and there are two Vancouver Canucks prospects to feature on the list, and highly, to boot.
Forward prospect Jonathan Lekkerimäki sits 11th on the list, and defenceman prospect Tom Willander owns the 14th spot.
Here are the top 15 prospects on the list:
  1. F. Ivan Demidov (Montreal Canadiens)
  2. F. Ryan Leonard (Washington Capitals)
  3. D. Alexander Nikishin (Carolina Hurricanes)
  4. D. Zeev Buium (Minnesota Wild)
  5. D. Zayne Parekh (Calgary Flames)
  6. D. Axel Sandin-Pellikka (Detroit Red Wings)
  7. D. Sam Dickinson (San Jose Sharks)
  8. F. Beckett Sennecke (Anaheim Ducks)
  9. F. Jimmy Snuggerud (St. Louis Blues)
  10. F. Liam Greentree (Los Angeles Kings)
  11. F. Jonathan Lekkerimäki (Vancouver Canucks)
  12. D. Cole Hutson (Washington Capitals)
  13. G. Jacob Fowler (Montreal Canadiens)
  14. D. Tom Willander (Vancouver Canucks)
  15. F. Gabe Perreault (New York Rangers)
Lekkerimäki was drafted 15th overall in the 2022 NHL draft. The 20-year-old joined the Abbotsford Canucks last season for a brief six-game stint. In those games, Lekkerimäki potted one goal and one assist. This season, Lekkerimäki has found his game at the AHL level.
In 24 games this season, he is tied for third on the team in points (21) and tied for the team lead in goals (14) with Danila Klimovich. These efforts earned him a handful of games in the NHL, where he has two goals and one assist with a minus-6 rating through 11 games.
He is currently out of the Abbotsford lineup after a scary incident on January 25, when he fell face-first into the boards.
Willander was drafted 11th overall in the 2023 NHL draft. The 19-year-old is currently playing in the NCAA with Boston University. He has two goals and 13 assists for 15 points with a plus-8 rating through 24 games this season.
The defenceman also represented Team Sweden at the 2025 World Junior Championships. Willander played on the second pairing, logging heavy minutes for the Swedes. In seven games, he scored two goals and three assists for five points, earning a plus-three rating.
The right-shot defenceman will look to sign with the Canucks once his season is finished with Boston University.
The future is bright for the Canucks with these two prospects, Jonathan Lekkerimäki and Tom Willander.

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