Vancouver Canucks Announce Roster Moves Ahead of Friday's Game Against Columbus Blue Jackets

A little over 24 hours after making some roster moves, including the placement of Filip Hronek on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), the Vancouver Canucks and General Manager Patrik Allvin have made another one, helping the club accrue cap space for the trade deadline in March.

We've seen the Vancouver Canucks do this time and time again throughout the first couple months of the 2024-25 season and once the trade deadline rolls around, it could help Patrik Allvin land a big fish.

In a social media post on Friday, the Vancouver Canucks announced that Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Cole McWard have been sent back down to the American Hockey League's Abbotsford Canucks.

Lekkerimaki, Vancouver's first-rounder in 2022, made his National Hockey League debut in November and scored his first career goal in his second game which came against the New York Islanders.

The Tullinge, Sweden native has put up eight points (six goals, two assists), and is a minus-ten in 12 games in the AHL with Abbotsford.

McWard, 23, was signed as an undrafted free agent out of college in April 2023 and has gone on to appear in six NHL games in the last couple of seasons.

This season, McWard has skated in 21 games for Abbotsford where he's registered six points (one goal, five assists), two penalty minutes and is a minus-two.

Both Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Cole McWard are expected to be in the lineup on Saturday when the Abbotsford Canucks host the Colorado Eagles, with puck drop set for 7 pm PT.