Canucks: Prospect Lukas Jacek to play in Finland next year

The Vancouver Canucks will have one less prospect next season.

According to multiple reports, forward Lukas Jasek has signed a contract with the Lahti Pelicans of the Finnish Elite League.

The 23-year-old, who was selected 174th overall by the Canucks in the sixth round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, started off on the right wing, but has recently transitioned to centre. According to Elite Prospects, Jasek checks in at 6’1″ and 171 pounds, and shoots right.

Jasek is a native of Trinec, Czech Republic, and started his hockey career with HC Ocelari Trinec of the top-tier Czech Extraliga league. During his time in the league from 2014 to 2017, he posted two goals and three assists in 68 games, as well as one point in six playoff games. He also played with their U-16, U-18 and U-20 clubs from 2010 to 2014, and represented Czech Republic at the World Juniors in 2017.

Prior to coming to North America, Jasek also played with HC Liberec Bili Tygri during the 2017-18 campaign, where he recorded eight goals and 10 assists in 48 games, which he then followed with one assist in 10 playoff games.

Jasek made his AHL debut with the Utica Comets that same season, and he didn’t waste time making an impact on the scoresheet, notching seven points in his first six games. He stayed in Utica for the next two seasons, where he was able to develop his overall game and work his way up the roster. During those two seasons, he posted 23 goals and 33 assists in 119 games, and was en route to eclipsing the 30-point plateau in 2019-20. As we all know, Jasek wasn’t able to hit that milestone, as Utica’s season was eventually cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jasek ended up starting the 2020-21 season back in Czech Republic. He was loaned back to HC Ocelari Trinec, and recorded two goals and 10 assists in 19 games with his former club.

Jasek was able to return to Utica after the AHL announced its Return to Play plan for the 2020-21 season, and improved significantly from his previous seasons with the Comets. He played at just under a point-per-game pace during the shortened campaign, recording 23 points in 28 contests. He was also making significant impacts on both special teams’ units, as well as in his first-line centre role.

This wasn’t going unnoticed, either.

According to head coach Trent Cull, who spoke with CanucksArmy in late February, Jasek had become a “checked box type of player” who brought speed, creativity, defensive reliability and a strong net-front presence to his game on a nightly basis.

This will be a loss for Cull and his club, as many believed that Jasek would be a lock for the top-six forward group in Abbotsford next year. It would’ve also been great to see Jasek play alongside other Canucks’ prospects, such as Kole Lind, Jonah Gadjovich and Will Lockwood, who could also find themselves back in the AHL next year.

Jasek’s three-year entry level contract with Vancouver expired at the end of this past season, but his ties with the organization aren’t completely cut. According to CapFriendly, the Canucks will need to extend a qualifying offer to Jasek no later than the first Monday after the 2021 NHL Entry Draft if they want to retain his negotiation rights. The draft is scheduled to take place from Friday, July 23rd to Saturday, July 24th.

The team can also present a two-way qualifying offer, as Jasek has yet to play his first game in the NHL, therefore not meeting the requirements of a one-way deal.

The 2021-22 AHL season will commence on October 15th, 2021, with all 31 teams expected to participate. Currently, the Canucks have yet to officially launch their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford after announcing the relocation in early May, but we do know that the the club will be part of the Pacific Division, and are also scheduled to play 68 games next year.

What are your thoughts on Jasek’s new contract in Finland? Make sure to drop a comment below!