Prospect Info: Tom Willander: 11th Overall 2023 Draft (Rogle BK J20) - Part 02
- Thread starter Vector
- Start date
Lindgren
Registered User
- Jun 30, 2005
- 6,386
- 4,491
?
He was 180 when officially weighed at the 2023 draft combine, 14 months ago. He's probably more than that now.
The joke wasn't funny the first two times. You can stop now.
I linked a page back but his NCAA team lists him at 191lbs.
Needs to put on weight. 165lbs ain’t going to cut it.
i heard willander is 300 pounds
lawrence
Registered User
- May 19, 2012
- 16,493
- 7,383
The curse continues.
Cody Hodgson. Lower disc problem while training
Luc bourdon. (During his second year he injured his ankle)
Olli juolevi injured his back during training
Brock boeser. Injured something in his draft plus 2 season
Lekkernacki mono year 1
Willander minor lower body injury
biturbo19
Registered User
- Jul 13, 2010
- 27,270
- 12,402
Yeah. The thing where some players have trouble translating that gap control moving up levels, is almost always down to one of two things:
1) They just don't have a good feel for it at all and their gap control isn't actually any good at lower levels, they just get lucky impatiently closing gaps to nothing.
2) They don't have the mobility to maintain those tight gaps at higher levels because they simply can't skate well enough to keep up and mirror.
I really don't think 1 is an issue with Willander. He seems very under control as he closes and maintains gaps pretty effortlessly at lower levels.
And 2 is definitely not an issue with Willander. His mobility is a major plus trait, and at a level that should continue to be a major plus trait at the NHL level. Not just "speed" either...his 4-way agility and quickness are also absolutely top notch, borderline elite traits.
So i'm not too worried about how that element with translate in his case. In general, guys who have that sort of feel for space, even when they don't have +plus mobility, tend to be able to translate that savvy gap control up to higher levels. Just so long as their mobility is a serious hinderance as a major "-minus" trait.
Gap control is about being comfortable enough to keep a close distance to the puck carrier while not getting blown past or deked around.
Willander is probably not comfortable putting pressure on attacking forwards in transition because his defensive checking skill need work. Maybe physically light or not balanced on his edges.
Willander is probably not comfortable putting pressure on attacking forwards in transition because his defensive checking skill need work. Maybe physically light or not balanced on his edges.
strattonius
Registered User
But his gap control, skating and size are all good. None of those things are a concern - Willander's largest area of weakness will be if he can develop his offensive game.
I'm very optimistic about Willander. All of his skills are transferable to the NHL and I believe his floor is a 2nd pairing defenseman. He could conceivably be coming in to an extremely favorable situation and pair up with Hughes towards the end of the year as well. Fingers crossed but I think we have a good one here.
Agree 100% here and even if the offense doesn't come around I still see him as a very good #3 type of Big MPG munching Dman for a very good team type of player.
- May 3, 2021
- 8,927
- 8,955
PuckMunchkin
Very Nice, Very Evil!
And skate logo jerseys removed as the main kit during off season! Its a curse
Enough to break the ice, how you doin?
He’s a phenomenal skater. Gap control isn’t an issue at all.
Maybe 1kg lighter after his morning dump.
- Jul 8, 2022
- 1,002
- 1,017
The floor/ceiling debate with this player is an interesting one IMO. Even if the offensive game doesn't develop, there is still potential he becomes an incredibly valuable player, and one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. The comparable that leaps to my middle aged mind here is Bret Hedican, who was the (5/6) cup winning Hurricanes' best defender. If the offensive game develops, he's obviously the second coming of Scotty Niedermayer.
strattonius
Registered User
Hedican is a bit of an old comp but not bad. I've always liked the comparison to Brodin.
Hansen
tyler motte simp
Willander was listed as 191 by Boston last year. He is probably closer to 195-200 now, he'll be fine.
After the under 18's I started following him more and after going back and watching more clips and finding out he was a forward until 15-16 he was my #1 pick for dmen and a top 8 pick.
I played baseball all my life and was always 1st base until I was 16 and my hitting fell off a cliff and I got cut from a team from whalley known as the chiefs. I played for the B team for my 16-17 season and since I was a lefty they tried me at pitching that year I threw muffins barely hitting 70mph but I had natural movement and took to a slurve. At 17 I enrolled at a baseball academy and through them learned how to pitch properly at by the end of that season I had reached around 75-77 and as a favour was given a tryout for a team from White Rock that played a ton against US teams and made the team but wasn't much more than mop up guy in league games. I'm using this analogy because by April my learning curve or my mechanics and arm strength exploded and while I missed getting scouted by MLB I was offered a full ride to LSU because their scout attended a tourney for a teammate. I ended up blowing out my shoulder and that was that after 1 year I look at Willander and think he was already so good despite still on a learning curve other guys in his draft class had way before, imagine what he will be once he reaches that base and then we see the type of explosion that his peers had already?
He was already excelling while still learning how to play the position and things not being second nature, I think in the next couple of years while his peers will have a the normal growth he's gonna improve by leaps and bounds separating himself from the rest of his draft class. He already established his floor is a solid two way guy that already showed he's gonna be a solid top four guy on the defensive end but based on his first half compared to the WJC and his second half in college, he likely takes an even bigger step this year.
I think he blow's by his peers this year and dominates at Boston.
Kids gonna be a top pairing stud that will be in the same class as Miro and Mo. Not on a Quinn or Makar level offensively but elite in his own end with 50-60 point potential, more if he's paired with Quinn. I'm so stoked to see him with a bigger role now that Hutson is gone.
