D Tom Willander - Boston University, NCAA (2023, 11th, VAN)

[Bye Bye Blueston]

strong pick. if Dvorsky wasn't there he was who i was hoping Blues took.

 

[Fulham]

I love that he's playing college this coming season, allows him to adjust to NA ice, get great competition and have a ton of time in the weight room.

 

[Buresflyingelbow]

The guy is a representation of a stay at home Dman and one of the most mobile in the draft! He will be a top 5 player looking back.

 

[Petes2424]

The Canucks almost had to take him. It was the most easy pick to nail, other than Bedard.

Yes, ASP might very well become the better player, but they just couldn’t have their 3 core dmen being under 6’ for the foreseeable future. You’re just not going to withstand the grinding in the playoffs. They also desperately need quality D prospects, and you pretty much have to draft them.

 

[BluesyShoes]

As I said before, maybe not my highest ranked Dman in this draft, but definitely my favorite of the bunch. Just love his game, excited to see him take the next step in the NCAA.

 

[Petey O]

strong pick. if Dvorsky wasn't there he was who i was hoping Blues took.

Both teams did very well with their selections.

 

[wetcoast]

Speaking of echo chamber lol.

I’m sorry for triggering your acceptance issues. There is an ignore button.

I got to say that honesty instead of appealing to the masses is refreshing here given your position but as a Canucks fan I have to hope that Willander pans out.

 

[Raistlin]

The best pick for this team in particular. A good pick for any other @11. There is simply no other way to get a player of this archetype looking at the current marketplace and the nature of a Stanley cup playoffs.

 

[Nona Di Giuseppe]

Just want to reiterate that I think Willander is first-round caliber and deserves to be a top-32 pick. No denying that. His league play was very good all things considered. But top-15 this particular draft required more than that. He wasn’t a team MVP and the team itself was average and got lit up until they got hot and the Jonsson kid stopped everything. Willander was 12th in Sodra defense scoring, 8th in Top-10, which is good, but Sandin-Pelikka was 2nd in Norra (1st in goals) and 4th in p/g in Top 10, which is elite-level for a draft year.

My issue isn’t with Tom Willander the player as much as Button, TSN, the mainstream media peddling narratives when they didn’t put in the work. Those that do the work and actively scout sometimes get sucked in by the hype and change their rankings because they don’t wanna deal with the public backlash. Happened to me with Puljujarvi and I said never again.

Look at Bjarnason. The media is in love with that kid. Fluff piece after fluff piece, but not a single mention of his 15-game meltdown late in the season and all the blocker-side goals he whiffed on — .840 save percentage over his final 15 games and in the Dub it was facing 20 shots or less.

Meanwhile, Fowler destroyed the USHL this season. Won the WJAC. Clark Cup MVP. Allowed 1 goal or less in 7 of 9 playoff games. Led the USHL in the regular season in wins, GAA, sv%, and shutouts lol. Where are his stories?

Button had Bjarnason 23 and no Fowler in his top 100.

Some of us literally watch and monitor these draft classes all day for 12 months. Doesn’t mean we’re right. But beats the heck out not knowing at all.

great... can you just stop posting in this thread now ? it was a great read until this ridiculously cringy hot take was presented then argued to death as if it made any sense (it didn't).. reading it in it's entirety makes me want to hurl myself off a cliff.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

The best pick for this team in particular. A good pick for any other @11. There is simply no other way to get a player of this archetype looking at the current marketplace and the nature of a Stanley cup playoffs.

Yup. Hypothetically if both Benson and Willander reach ceiling, a 2-way 1D is more impactful than a great 1W.

 

[pgfan66]

Yup. Hypothetically if both Benson and Willander reach ceiling, a 2-way 1D is more impactful than a great 1W.

I don't think anyone really believes Willander will be a 1D? Probably more of a 2D/3D ceiling. But if – and I know it's a big if because a ton can and will change in the next 2-5 years – Willander ends up as Hughes' partner on the top pairing, Vancouver will be happy.

 

[Hockeyfrilla]

Kinda looks like a young Dolph Lundgren xd

 

[Refalanche]

Historic pick, first time a Swedish player is picked by a Swedish GM

 

[MarkusNaslund19]

Historic pick, first time a Swedish player is picked by a Swedish GM

What about Jonathan Lekkerimaki?

 

[Refalanche]

Historic pick, first time a Swedish player is picked by a Swedish GM

Too bad he butchered it, tried to go for some type of American pronunciation but instead seemed to get the name mixed up… just should have said the name in good ol’ plain Swedish

What about Jonathan Lekkerimaki?

Ah that’s true…

 

[Howe Elbows 9]

Kinda looks like a young Dolph Lundgren xd

Now I can't unsee that.

 

[Seiza]

Too bad he butchered it, tried to go for some type of American pronunciation but instead seemed to get the name mixed up… just should have said the name in good ol’ plain Swedish

My thoughts exactly, what the hell was that? Just say his actual name when you know how to pronounce it.

 

[UrbanImpact]

Love this pick!

Willander will be partnered with Lane Hutson next year at BU and is probably slotted to be Q Hughes partner long term.

I followed him all year and he kept getting better and better and eventually overtook ASP and Lindstein.

He is a defensive Eraser like a Pesce but he also skates like Heiskanen.

BU coach is Jay Pandolfo. He says watch out when Willander comes over and plays in North American sized ice. He says Willanders game will translate even better because his skating will allow him to get on top of Forwards even faster.

I think this is a very under-rated homerun prospect.

 

[UrbanImpact]

Not invited to Team Sweden's summer showcase camp in July-August.

I wonder if politics is playing a part in this decision.

Willander of course is leaving SHL and will be playing in the NCAA this fall.

Hopeully he is on Team Sweden come December at the WJC. He deserves to be imo.

 

[LemonSauceD]

Not invited to Team Sweden's summer showcase camp in July-August.

I wonder if politics is playing a part in this decision.

Willander of course is leaving SHL and will be playing in the NCAA this fall.

Hopeully he is on Team Sweden come December at the WJC. He deserves to be imo.

NCAA committees arent eligible for off season international camps or competitions. Something like that

 

[Russian_fanatic]

NCAA committees arent eligible for off season international camps or competitions. Something like that

He has to pay out of his own pocket if he wants to maintain his amateur eligibility according to NCAA rules.

Same reason why he didn't play in the SHL.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Kinda looks like a young Dolph Lundgren xd

funny thing is younger Willander looked like a girl who went to hs with me haha.

 

[Breakers]

He’s doing the last steps on campus to get his visa during the summer showcase

Orientation for athletes can start 3 weeks before freshman classes

 

[StickShift]

 

[FlowMaster]

So well spoken, confident and driven. I think he’ll only have one year in College.