WATCH: Canucks prospect Jonathan Lekkerimäki plays OT hero with first goal since WJC

Jonathan Lekkerimäki has found his way back into the goal column.

In his 10th game back after an impressive MVP-worthy World Junior showcase, the 19-year-old Örebro winger found the back of the net, marking his first goal since his return.

Following a too many men penalty from Leksands, Lekkerimäki went to work on a full two-minute power play to start the overtime period.

Posted in his usual spot on the half-wall, Lekkerimäki received a pass, took his time, and unleashed a perfectly labelled shot into the top corner.

Of course, as the overtime hero, he took home “player of the match” honours.

The goal snapped Lekkerimäki’s nine-game SHL scoring drought and made him the first U21 skater to reach the 20-point mark of the season.

He now shares the lead in goals for his team with 11 and leads the charge with four game-winning goals.

Vancouver Canucks superstar Elias Pettersson currently holds the SHL record for most points by a U21 skater with 24 goals and 56 points back in the 2017-18 season.

The recent goal-scoring struggles have affected Lekkerimäki both individually and have filtered throughout his team, who have been shut out five times in their last 10 games and four times since undergoing a coaching change on January 14th.

Things have shown signs of improvement recently, however, as Örebro has now collected four wins in their last six games and have crept their way back into the playoff picture – albeit, at the bottom of the table.

With 12 games remaining on their regular season schedule, the Lekkerimäki watch is fast approaching for Canuck fans. Should his team fail to make the playoffs, there is a chance that he makes the trip across the pond to join the Canucks’ North American depth chart.

General Manager Patrik Allvin has previously hinted at the potential for Lekkerimäki to join the organization, but as of now, it remains uncertain whether that will happen this spring or for the 2024-25 campaign.

Örebro’s final regular season game will take place on March 12th.