Canucks: Jonathan Lekkerimäki's shot is his NHL ticket, but he needs to cook in AHL
'It's tough,' Ferraro told Postmedia on Monday. 'Lekkerimäki and I came up in difference circumstances. I knew I was there to kill penalties, and Babcock always liked a shutdown line. It was making sure I was good defensively and being hard to play against. Anything that happened offensively was just a bonus.'
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Ferraro played just a dozen NHL games for the Red Wings, Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild and managed 12 points (7-5). He also logged 354 games in the AHL and 154 in Germany, and knows travel can wear you down as much as an opponent.
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Lekkerimäki played 76 games last season between the AHL and NHL, compared to 49 games in his final Swedish Hockey League season followed by seven in the World Junior championship.
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'It was a year of ups and downs that he really never had to go for before,' Ferraro said of Lekkerimäki. 'He's always been a guy who's counted on, and when he played back home (Sweden), he could work through that. Guys get to the AHL out of junior or Europe and think it's going to be easy, but it's a pretty hard league.
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'I think the long year got to him a little bit. Then you go into playoffs and everything gets harder. It was a good learning experience. He has the skill and hockey I.Q. Even in Vancouver, he made the right decisions. It's just about getting in there a little bit more.
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'And when he came back into the playoffs in Abbotsford, he found ways to use his shot to get it off quicker. There was a willingness to throw hits on the forecheck and an anger coming back in. A good angry.'
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Regardless, the wolves are always at the door, and speculation of the cost for the Canucks to land a supportive centre in a trade remains. Depending on stature of the pivot, the parting package could start with a roster player and prize prospect like Lekkerimäki or defenceman Tom Willander. Add high draft picks to land the big fish in Mason McTavish.
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Letting Lekkerimäki cook in Abbotsford is the prudent non-trade play. Forwards Aatu Raty, Linus Karlsson and Arshdeep Bains are pushing for Canucks roster spots and no long waiver exempt.
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'Lekkerimäki is going to have to do something pretty outrageous to make the team out of camp,' said Ferraro. 'It's better for him to play big (AHL) minutes and understand the travel. Be the go-to guy every game so when he does get called up he's filled with confidence.'
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