On Wednesday’s episode of Canucks Conversation, David Quadrelli and Harman Dayal welcomed prospect scout Dave Hall to discuss the latest on Vancouver’s prospects in Abbotsford. The AHL team currently sits at 5-4-1, placing third in the Pacific Division behind Calgary and San Jose.

The first prospect discussed was Jonathan Lekkerimäki, who has been off to an impressive start this season with the Abbotsford Canucks.

“He made his debut on October 25th, and since then, he’s second in goals and third in points across the entire AHL,” said Dave. “He’s not only leading but dominating in shots with 34—the next closest is at 24. He’s come in guns blazing, shooting at will. Sometimes you’d like to see him wait a bit longer for traffic to build up, but you’ve got to love his confidence. That’s exactly what we wanted to see from him—getting acclimated to the speed and timing of the game and feeling confident enough to take those shots. It’s been great. A lot of that credit also goes to Aatu Räty; the two goals on Sunday were largely due to Räty’s playmaking. Lekkerimäki is playing well, but he’s not lighting everything up single-handedly. Four goals are fantastic, but he still needs to develop some physicality and round out his game. He’s close—34 shots are nothing to scoff at—but let’s pump the brakes a bit.”

Next up was Aatu Räty, who was called up by Vancouver to centre the fourth line against Anaheim last night.

“It was time for him to come up; he’s been dominant at the AHL level,” Dave noted. “He’s standing out in ways he didn’t last season. There were nights he showed flashes, but it was inconsistent. This year, every time he’s on the ice, you can tell—he’s a step above most players out there. I’ve been super impressed; he’s playing around 22 minutes on the top line, power play, and as the top faceoff guy on the penalty kill. If any player deserves a look, it’s him. The areas he needed to improve have seen real progress. Skating is a big one—it’s not elite and probably never will be, but it’s leaps and bounds better than last year. The consistency in his work rate is also noticeable; last year, he’d show up big for two games and then go quiet for three or four.”

Dave also shared updates on Cole McWard and Jett Woo, two defencemen who have been in Vancouver’s system for a few years and could see NHL opportunities.

“McWard doesn’t stand out in any particular area, and that’s actually a good thing,” Dave said. “I don’t see him being a top-four, puck-moving defenceman, but he gets things done, and that works well in the AHL. He’s got a solid first pass and is a capable two-way defender. He’s basically solid in most areas, which makes him a reliable option at the AHL level. If you’re looking for a sturdy, plug-and-play defenceman, McWard could be a future option.”

On Jett Woo, Dave added, “I liked what I saw from him last year, but it’s been a bit of a struggle this season. The team is still finding its rhythm, and they’re coming off four games in six nights, so it’s been intense. Woo has shown more engagement in the past couple of games, throwing some big hits, but overall, I’d like to see more consistency from him.”

Finally, Dave gave an update on Abbotsford’s goaltending situation. While Kevin Lankinen has locked up his role as the Canucks’ 1A goalie, Arturs Silovs has been struggling, and with Thatcher Demko still sidelined, the Canucks may turn to their farm club, potentially giving Nikita Tolopilo or Jiří Patera a chance.

“I praised Tolopilo last week, and then he lets in four goals on 11 shots and gets pulled,” Dave chuckled. “Patera then started back-to-back games and didn’t allow more than two goals across 10 periods. It’s been a whirlwind. Tolopilo is still my guy—I love his game, he’s composed and steady—but he needs to show it consistently. I think he’s earned a look, but Silovs would also benefit from more games in Abbotsford to get back on track.”

You can watch the full segment below: