On Thursday’s episode of Canucks Conversation, David Quadrelli and Harman Dayal were joined by former Vancouver Canuck and current Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra to discuss Elias Pettersson’s (D-Petey) early NHL success, Jonathan Lekkerimäki’s development, Aatu Räty’s strong AHL season, and more.

Malhotra praised Pettersson’s poise and ability to stick to his game from the moment he turned pro.

“You don’t know what to expect from a 20-year-old beginning his pro career, but from day one he’s been very poised with the puck and knew exactly who he was as a player,” said Manny. “He didn’t come in trying to be something he wasn’t, and he stuck to that game plan. He’s physical, he kills plays, and he advances pucks on breakouts. The way he’s started and continued that process throughout the season so far has been a very pleasant surprise for us.”

Malhotra emphasized that young players who carve out an NHL role early on do so by understanding and executing their strengths rather than trying to reinvent themselves.

“The key to becoming an everyday NHLer is understanding what makes you good and what got you to that level and executing that to the best of your ability,” he explained. “That’s Petey in a nutshell. He didn’t come in trying to run a power play or skate pucks all the way up the ice. He knows exactly what he needs to do and has followed that formula to a tee, which is paying off for him.”

The discussion then turned to Jonathan Lekkerimäki, who has continued to impress with 14 goals and 21 points in 24 AHL games.

“There are a few things that make him a special player,” Manny said. “Number one, his ability to get out of tight spots. He has an incredible set of hands, and he’s often in offensive situations with numbers closing in on him — back pressure, defensemen with tight gaps — but he finds a way to advance a play and make something out of nothing at a high pace, which is a special talent to have.”

Lekkerimäki’s well-documented shooting ability remains elite, but Malhotra highlighted how he’s been scoring in a variety of ways.

“Obviously, with his goal-scoring ability, he has an elite shot he gets off quickly, but the most impressive thing to me is the way he’s scoring — he’s getting to tough places. Inside, the slot, around the net. If you look at his heat map, the majority of his goals are within 10-15 feet of the net or less. His willingness to get inside is what’s making him so successful at this level. The evolution of his game is to just continue playing with that fearlessness to get inside and execute with the puck. When he got a couple of games in the NHL, he was able to do the same things — advance plays and get pucks out of tough spots to his linemates. He’s an intelligent player who’s learning what it’s like and how heavy guys are at the next level.”

Malhotra finished by discussing Aatu Räty, who has been arguably Abbotsford’s best player with nine goals and 24 points in 24 games.

“The attitude of the player coming down will dictate what that next step in their evolution is going to be,” Manny said. “It’s a credit to the people and players we have in this organization; the guys who have come down have all had the right attitude. They’re obviously disappointed, they want to be in the NHL, but they realize the opportunity in the American League to play more minutes, get their game in order, and get touches on the puck is a part of their developmental process.”

Malhotra commended Räty’s approach and work ethic.

“They come back with a positive mindset, and if you look at Aatu’s game, he’s excelled because of that mindset. He comes here, works his tail off in practice, and it translates right into the game. We’re not preaching to him that he needs to get all these points; it’s a product of him doing all the right things to where he’s putting himself in the right position. He’s doing what’s expected and asked of him within our system.”

Malhotra also talked about how his experiences have shaped him into the coach he is today, his Abbotsford team’s turnaround, and more.

You can watch the full segment below: