Prospect Info: Tom Willander: 11th Overall 2023 Draft (Rogle BK J20) - Part 02

[DFAC]

Jason Bukala, who I quite like, was on Canucks Talk the other day and pulled out the comp of a smoother skating, higher IQ, but less physical MacKenzie Weegar for upside based on college tape.

Is he a cross between a Hanafin and a Lindholm?

Jason Bukala had a nice bit on Willander on the CanucksTalk podcast yesterday…

He seems very high on him and how his game has progressed this year.

I think his quote was he already projects at a #4 and had the upside to be a 2 and 1/2 (not full time #2, but can jump up and play as your #2 at times).
That is based on how what he’s seen of him this season and he seems to leave room for a higher projection if he can show more offensively next season.

Interestingly, he said just as Willander was a late riser last season, he’s seeing the same type of progression from him in His first NCAA season and it has him excited.

Bukala was very high on Willander before the draft and seems to really know and like the player. It’s nice to see he seems even more confident about him now than he was last summer before the draft.

I was thinking about comparables the other day and I think Anton Stralman is a pretty good one when it comes to Willander

 

[arttk]

. I brought up production because there was an ongoing debate about his current quality of production so last year’s could help shed some light.

if that is what you were trying to do and nobody understood that, it’s a you suck at communication problem

 

[Hodgy]

if that is what you were trying to do and nobody understood that, it’s a you suck at communication problem

Actually, I think people are just lazy and don’t read entire threads so read posts out of context. Because if someone read all my posts, and somehow came to the conclusion that I thought Willander’s production was a big issue after I repeatedly said otherwise, then they suck at reading. But I’ve been guilty of that myself because it’s tough to read a whole thread, but slamming me for poorly communicating is ridiculous.

 

[arttk]

Actually, I think people are just lazy and don’t read entire threads so read posts out of context. Because if someone read all my posts, and somehow came to the conclusion that I thought Willander’s production was a big issue after I repeatedly said otherwise, then they suck at reading. But I’ve been guilty of that myself because it’s tough to read a whole thread, but slamming me for poorly communicating is ridiculous.

No it’s you. If one person misunderstands then sure. But if almost everyone, then it’s f***ing you.

 

[Tuna99]

Are the Canucks Managers tied to Wallinder or he tradeable? . This trade would make a ton of sense for both teams:

Ottawa: Tom Walinder, 2nd round pick
Van: Jacob Chychryn

 

[Baby Pettersson]

Are the Canucks Managers tied to Wallinder or he tradeable? . This trade would make a ton of sense for both teams:

Ottawa: Tom Walinder, 2nd round pick
Van: Jacob Chychryn

No thanks.

 

[Bgav]

Are the Canucks Managers tied to Wallinder or he tradeable? . This trade would make a ton of sense for both teams:

Ottawa: Tom Walinder, 2nd round pick
Van: Jacob Chychryn

gross.. and yes they are tied to him

 

[Tuna99]

gross.. and yes they are tied to him

Really? A Dman under contract for 2 playoff runs at $4.5 million who can play RD and LD and has a massive shot and can skate and get points.

Seems like a smart deal for the Canucks who’s D corps looks like it’ll need to add 2-4 defenceman next season just to fill out the roster

 

[racerjoe]

Really? A Dman under contract for 2 playoff runs at $4.5 million who can play RD and LD and has a massive shot and can skate and get points.

Seems like a smart deal for the Canucks who’s D corps looks like it’ll need to add 2-4 defenceman next season just to fill out the roster

Have you met Quin Hughes... or Hronek?

 

[Tuna99]

Have you met Quin Hughes... or Hronek?

Just the window for the Canucks over the next 2 years - for sure I’m cheering for the Canucks to win their Cup but they have a rare window here and they should be all in. Love Quinn and the D is good but could definetly use an add for the playoffs.

Lindholm was a clutch move, why not keep going. You’ve got the assets and the team and Cap space. Perfect storm right now over the next 2 years for the Canucks to make the dream come true - should be all in this season and next

 

[Diversification]

Just the window for the Canucks over the next 2 years - for sure I’m cheering for the Canucks to win their Cup but they have a rare window here and they should be all in. Love Quinn and the D is good but could definetly use an add for the playoffs.

Lindholm was a clutch move, why not keep going. You’ve got the assets and the team and Cap space. Perfect storm right now over the next 2 years for the Canucks to make the dream come true - should be all in this season and next

Chychrun is a poor fit for the team as it's currently constructed. There are diminishing returns to adding another offensive dman to a team that already has QH taking up 75% of the PP time and Hronek occupying the remaining 25%. What we need is a legitimate #4 that can handle tough match up minutes (Chychryn is only okay at that). Think Adam Larsson on the high end and Chris Tanev on the low end. Both with similar caphits to Chychryn but much better fits for our team's needs.

 

[Spectrefire]

Are the Canucks Managers tied to Wallinder or he tradeable? . This trade would make a ton of sense for both teams:

Ottawa: Tom Walinder, 2nd round pick
Van: Jacob Chychryn

That would make literally no sense for the Canucks.

 

[Jerry the great]

Just the window for the Canucks over the next 2 years - for sure I’m cheering for the Canucks to win their Cup but they have a rare window here and they should be all in. Love Quinn and the D is good but could definetly use an add for the playoffs.

Lindholm was a clutch move, why not keep going. You’ve got the assets and the team and Cap space. Perfect storm right now over the next 2 years for the Canucks to make the dream come true - should be all in this season and next

We need a right shot defender that is solid defensively and can log minutes effectively on the PK (Chris Tanev would be a much better fit, would cost less to acquire and is likely a guy they can extend). Chychrun is overrated IMO. he wouldn't sniff the PP here, is not a great defender 5v5 and doesn't seem to PK at all anymore. 0 chance they move Willander for him.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

You've brought up point production by saying he was outscored on his J20 team (not true), claimed that he wasn't blocked by anybody on PP1 (again, not true), and finished your point about his stats by saying point production doesn't matter despite initially coming up with a list of players who outproduced him at the same age. If points doesn't matter, then why did you bother bringing up his stats on his J20 team? That was the crux of the disagreement.

You also can't really say that I've created a strawman argument you when I am quoting you verbatim: "But context is key".

I also think you're getting unnecessarily combative with me when none of my replies have been in the same tone, so I will drop this. I think we largely agree but you're unhappy with the pushback on your original claim of his draft year. It's fine.

Why are you like this?

 

[God]

Why are you like this?

Is this a necessary thing to write two days after the discussion has died?

 

[PuckMunchkin]

Really? A Dman under contract for 2 playoff runs at $4.5 million who can play RD and LD and has a massive shot and can skate and get points.

Seems like a smart deal for the Canucks who’s D corps looks like it’ll need to add 2-4 defenceman next season just to fill out the roster

I would go for it.

Is this a necessary thing to write two days after the discussion has died?

Well its still true, days later, that you on purpose missrepresented his points despite being directly told multiple times what his points actually were.

If you are now a changed man I do apologise.

 

[God]

I would go for it.


Well its still true, days later, that you on purpose missrepresented his points despite being directly told multiple times what his points actually were.

If you are now a changed man I do apologise.

Multiple people did not understand what he was saying. I left it at that. You're being weird.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

Multiple people did not understand what he was saying. I left it at that. You're being weird.

Oki

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Are the Canucks Managers tied to Wallinder or he tradeable? . This trade would make a ton of sense for both teams:

Ottawa: Tom Walinder, 2nd round pick
Van: Jacob Chychryn

Willander + Hoglander for Greig + Zub

 

[bossram]

Really? A Dman under contract for 2 playoff runs at $4.5 million who can play RD and LD and has a massive shot and can skate and get points.

Seems like a smart deal for the Canucks who’s D corps looks like it’ll need to add 2-4 defenceman next season just to fill out the roster

It's not a good fit.

Chychrun has been used more at RD this season, but is primarily a LD. His defensive metrics have been middling.

He also primarily generates offense via volume shooting, which really doesn't square with how Tocchet's system operates. And with Hughes/Hronek, there is simply no PP time available for him.

 

[SelltheTeamFrancesco]

Kind of crazy that he has 2 less points than Matthew Wood in the same amount of games.

 

[VanJack]

Watching the 2023 draft unfold in Nashville, the Canucks sprinted to the podium to make Wilander the 11th overall selection. It's apparent that they thought he 'fell into their laps' at that draft number, even though a lot of scouting services had him rated a little later.

But having secured a young, right shot d-man with Wilander's skill-set against 'the run of the play' so to speak.....the last thing you'd ever want to do is trade him.

In fact if the Flames had held out for Wilander instead of Brzustewicz in the Lindholm deal, I'd probably have walked. He's that much of a star prospect.

 

[sting101]

Crazy for who?

 

[sting101]

Watching the 2023 draft unfold in Nashville, the Canucks sprinted to the podium to make Wilander the 11th overall selection. It's apparent that they thought he 'fell into their laps' at that draft number, even though a lot of scouting services had him rated a little later.

But having secured a young, right shot d-man with Wilander's skill-set against 'the run of the play' so to speak.....the last thing you'd ever want to do is trade him.

In fact if the Flames had held out for Wilander instead of Brzustewicz in the Lindholm deal, I'd probably have walked. He's that much of a star prospect.

Of course you walk because there is something to be said for a bird in the hand vs one in a bush and they (like you said) were excited to get him plus it was a stacked draft and a high pick vs the quantity they surrendered.

Willander you don't trade for anything that isn't super young and a star.

 

[oceanchild]

Willander + Hoglander for Greig + Zub

Lekk + Hoglander + EP2 + Mikheyev + 2025 second

For

Andersson + Tanev

Then

Myers

For

Tampa 2024 5th and 2025 2nd

We would need to add a forward (or two) but I will end this here (Guentzel) for whatever it is we could muster up at this point.