Skip to content
Join our Newsletter
  1. Home
  2. Courier Archive
  3. News

Jonathan Dahlen and Lukas Jasek making an impression in North American debut

Two European prospects for the Canucks have made an impact in Utica.
Daniel Wagner
Lukas Jasek skates up ice for the Utica Comets
Utica Comets / Twitter

The arrival of Jonathan Dahlen in North America has been eagerly anticipated by Canucks fans. Lukas Jasek’s North American debut, however, was not. And yet, both have made a serious impact in their brief stints with the Utica Comets heading into the AHL playoffs.

Canucks fans have heard plenty about Dahlen, who has been hyped as a potential top-six forward. The 20-year-old Swedish winger joined the organization in the Alex Burrows trade, played last year with top prospect Elias Pettersson, and lit up the Allsvenskan this season, leading the league in points-per-game. His final act in Sweden was leading his club, Timrå IK, to promotion to the Swedish Hockey League.

Meanwhile, Canucks fans have heard comparatively little about Jasek. The 20-year-old Czech winger has flown under the radar since the Canucks picked him in the sixth round in 2015, largely because he’s bounced around different teams and leagues in the Czech Republic and been given little opportunity to play a big role at the top tier of Czech hockey.

Where Dahlen was given every opportunity to star for Timrå in the Allsvenskan, Jasek got minimal ice time with HC Trinec and Bili Tygri Liberec in the Extraliga. While Jasek has dominated Czech junior hockey — he had 9 goals and 25 points in 10 playoff games to lead Trinec U20 to the championship — and produced well in the second tier Czech league, it’s been hard to judge whether he’s a legitimate prospect or not.

It doesn’t help that the one chance Canucks fans had to see him was at the 2017 World Juniors, where he played relatively well on an overmatched Czech Republic team, but couldn't put up any points in five games.

That’s why it was such a shock to see him step into the Comets lineup and make an immediate impression.

Jasek made his Comets debut on March 31st against the Springfield Thunderbirds on an Amateur Tryout contract. On a line with Wacey Hamilton and Michael Carcone, Jasek put up three points in his first AHL game, including his first goal, a bomb of a slap shot from the top of the right faceoff circle.

 

 

His first AHL point was an assist on Jalen Chatfield’s first AHL goal earlier in the game, then added another assist in the second period. His goal tied the game at five, leading to a Carter Bancks game-winning goal in the final minute.

Jasek’s contract was changed from an Amateur Tryout to a Professional Tryout following his impressive debut, which means he started getting paid for his points. He didn’t rest on his laurels in his second AHL game, putting up two points, both assists, against the Toronto Marlies in his second AHL game.

He helped set up Chatfield’s second goal of the season, though the primary assist was a pretty pass by Tanner MacMaster. A few minutes later, however, he had the primary assist on MacMaster’s goal, creating a rebound off the rush.

Jasek kept the streak going in his third game, finding a gap on the power play and stepping into a pass from Michael Chaput.

 

 

While Jasek was held off the scoresheet for a couple games, he came through in the clutch during the Comets’ final game of the regular season, taking a pass from Hamilton in overtime and finding a hole in Binghamton goaltender Cam Johnson from a bad angle.

 

 

The goal gave Jasek seven points in six AHL games. I think it’s fair to say that nobody saw this coming from Jasek, but suddenly he’s back in the conversation as a prospect in the Canucks system.

Jasek has the speed to play in the NHL and the willingness to drive to the net. He’s known for a hard-working two-way game, which bodes well for his ability to get on a coach’s good side, but he also has offensive upside that never got a chance to really show itself in the Extraliga. If he can mentally keep up with the speed of the NHL, then he has the physical tools to find a place in the Canucks lineup. You can see shades of Jannik Hansen in his game.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Dahlen arrived in Utica with a lot more hype after his stellar season in Sweden. After getting held off the scoresheet in his first game, he came through big for the Comets in his second.

After the Binghamton Devils opened the scoring, Dahlen provided the tying goal, finishing off a nice pass from Carter Bancks.

 

 

Then Dahlen showed both his hands and his determination later in the first, dancing past defenceman Michael Kapla, then taking two Devils with him to the net before poking the puck free for Patrick Wiercioch to tap in.

 

 

On both plays, you can see Dahlen’s impeccable edgework on his skating. He lacks speed and acceleration in his skating, but you have to love his edges, particularly the way he opens up his skates like Jeff Skinner on his goal.

It’s still too early to say that Dahlen is NHL ready and will be on the team to start next season — a lot will depend on his training during the summer — but there’s a lot to like about his first couple games in North America.

The Comets are in tough in the AHL playoffs, facing off against the top-of-the-table Toronto Marlies in the first round. The best-of-five series kicks off on Saturday and the Comets will need a lights-out performance from Thatcher Demko and offence from the likes of Jasek and Dahlen if they hope to advance past a Marlies team that ran roughshod over the rest of the AHL this season.