Lekkerimaki (5-foot-10, 171 pounds), who missed four weeks in March with mononucleosis, had nine points (seven goals, two assists) in 26 games while skating on a line with San Jose Sharks forward prospect William Eklund for Djurgarden of the Swedish Hockey League this season.
The 17-year-old right wing led all players at the 2022 IIHF World Under-18 Championship with 15 points and 10 assists for first-place Sweden. He had a goal and three three assists in a 6-4 win against the United States in the championship game May 1.
"I think to have good confidence playing against the top guys in the world helped me at the tournament, and I also was on a good line with left wing
Liam Ohgren
(No. 8 in Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters) and center
Noah Ostlund
(No. 18)," Lekkerimaki said. "I think playing another year or two in Sweden will be good (for my development). I'm under contract to play in Sweden one more season.
"I think I have to improve my physical play but one day I want to play like
Nathan MacKinnon
(Colorado Avalanche). I feel I'm a sniper with good hockey sense and good skating."
Lekkerimaki is one of many international players expected to be chosen in the first round of the 2022 draft.
Goran Stubb, NHL Director of European Scouting, helps break it down in five questions:
Video: Joakim Kemell getting ready for the 2022 NHL Draft
What separated left wing Juraj Slafkovsky (6-4, 229), No. 1 in Central Scouting's ranking of International skaters, from right wing Joakim Kemell (5-9, 185), who is No. 2?
"Slafkovsky is a junior player in a senior body. He's big, fast and extremely skilled. His role in his club team with TPS [in Liiga, the top professional league in Finland] was difficult for him because they play a very disciplined, defensive style of hockey, so he didn't get as many points as he did for the [Slovakia] national team. His checking game in the offensive end is unbelievable. Kemell had a sensational start to the season and was the leading scorer as a 17-year-old in [Liiga], but he hurt his shoulder at the end of October and was out for 5-6 weeks. He tried to come back, played two games for Finland at the 2022 World Junior Championship but his shoulder was not good and never was the player he was at the beginning of the season until the World Under-18 Championship, where he again was the leading scorer for Finland. Kemell is more of a finesse player but he doesn't shy away from rough stuff either. He's very good in front of the net."