let the kid finish off his season in BU, dont need to burn a year of his elc if he gets called up in march which i dont think willl happen wait till next year.
Prospect Info: Tom Willander: 11th Overall 2023 Draft (Rogle BK J20) - Part 02
- Thread starter Vector
- Start date
Great post. IIRC, his pre-draft scouting report seems to indicate that he was too aggressive at times so I'm not too worried that he would end up playing a passive game.
Diversification
Registered User
- Jun 21, 2019
- 3,244
- 4,131
Diversification
Registered User
- Jun 21, 2019
- 3,244
- 4,131
It's not a matter of taking himself out of position (a la Juulsen), it's more that he's in such great position so early, he has the opportunity to do more on the play whether that's rubbing the guy out or stripping the puck and turning it up ice himself. That's the gear I want to see where he becomes a dominant defensive defender. He has it in him, but I think it's a matter of confidence.
Diversification
Registered User
- Jun 21, 2019
- 3,244
- 4,131
Cole Hutson plays a very similar brand of hockey as his older brother Lane. Maybe a bit less of a rover but still an adventure in his own end.
his passivity is the most frustrating part of his game for me. way too often he's caught just watching in both ends when the play is more static. he doesn't do a good job of putting himself in the right position to support the play and when he has the puck he's way too prone to just making an ultra conservative play to dump to a teammate. you very rarely see him make a good play with the puck when players are mostly standing still
his pairing with boumedienne is really bad for his development imo as boumedienne's best attribute is his play selection and his confidence with the puck. willander can easily get away with just leaving the puck for his linemate to pick up. it's going to be tough for him to improve much unless he gets away from that pairing (altho cole hutson would be an even worse partner in this regard)
his transition defense is excellent and his skating lets him break up a ton of plays before they develop but if he were to play in the nhl now he'd really struggle in the offensive end and i think he'd have issues with in zone defending against bigger and stronger players. he won't be able to make as much space with his skating in the nhl and he will get outmuscled on the boards unless he gets a lot stronger
again, i still think he's a pretty good prospect who has a good chance to figure some of this out but it's going to take time. people pencilling him with soucy for the playoffs are getting way, way ahead of themselves
With Hughes & Hronek on the top pairing, we need only 1 mobile puck moving defenceman in the bottom 4 with 3 big hard checking bruisers, would give us 3 big physical D & 3 mobile puck moving D, Brannstrom (Friedman) is a decent fill in but Willander would be the perfect fit next year imo and shouldn’t be used as trade bait. I know the Canucks are in win now mode and are going for it, we still have a shot at winning the Stanley Cup this year without sacrificing the future, Willander would set up the Canucks D nicely for the foreseeable future.
Last edited:
Diversification
Registered User
- Jun 21, 2019
- 3,244
- 4,131
I get what you're saying and I agree about the passivity. You can see that he can often do more on any given play but he often defaults to the safest possible option. What I would say is that some of your concerns are perhaps not warranted and it comes down to a question of meeting expectations at the next level.
I would say that his game is well-suited for a pro style system where players all fill a proscribed role. That's not the case in NCAA where defensive breakdowns are common and players are given long leashes to freelance. That's where he doesn't shine but that doesn't really bother me because at the next level he won't be expected to, for instance, drive offense. There, he'll just need to hold the line and put a couple shots through as the situation allows.
Where he'll shine is in all of the non-sexy facets of the game that are crucial for a minute munching defender: anticipating and defusing breakdowns, picking off passes, shutting down passing lanes, closing gaps to foil speed through the neutral zone, facilitating defensive zone exits with smart boardwork and astute passing.
If he does play for us near the end of the year, I would expect it would be paired with someone like Forbort or Desharnais on the 3rd pairing, filling in the role currently occupied by Brannstrom. Sort of a Brannstrom with the capacity to handle tougher minutes but with and less transition offense. But he'll still have the capacity to make stretch passes and make controlled zone exits on a regular basis.
Willander this year is an unrealistic dream, he’s minimum a full season away, just hopium from Canucks fans lol
I think there is a subtle difference between passive and conservative. I think Willander is conservative but not passive. Passive implies he is reacting to plays as it happens where Willander just opts for the lower risk play. Passive would be harder to fix where conservative hockey is not really an issue depending on the coaching and systems.
Diversification
Registered User
- Jun 21, 2019
- 3,244
- 4,131
If you have ESPN+, I recommend you take in his game vs. Union where his passivity is pronounced. @credulous is absolutely right that he can puck watch at times and it’s not that he’s mesmerized, it’s more like watching someone looking for their opening to jump into a double Dutch rope. At those times, you would like to see him work on influencing the outcome rather than being in the right place to make a play when the battle has been resolved.
yeah he is conservative in his playmaking but i think it's a lack of confidence and/or slow decision making not just him being safe. again i don't think this is a fatal flaw that will prevent him from succeeding but it needs to get better for him to be a useful nhl defender
Right but what you just describe is conservatism. Like jumping into something is taking risk and deciding not to do that is just a decision.
But I do agree that his conservatism is probably due to a lack of confidence and I think that’s why it makes sense for him to spend another year in NCAA and maybe time in AHL so he can build that confidence.
Have been traveling like crazy so haven’t had the time to watch his games but I did see that YouTube video of all his shifts and he looked a lot more assertive.
Probably true if they want to maximize his development but he also has the size, skating and defensive awareness to stick if giving a chance. It's not a complete pipe dream.
sting101
Registered User
- Feb 8, 2012
- 16,833
- 16,158
Why not be the judge yourselves....fyi just click on the pic if the video doesn't pop up
* Unbelievable feet. His first 3-5 step transitions are elite. A few sequences at the blue line where he looked outstanding. (Teammates weren't much good at reading off it or giving him the puck at the right time. A case where playing with other top players will help)
* Heads always up...excellent transition passer. Will say though he does make some rushed plays in his own zone especially blind one's that will require coaching up.
* Shot off the crossbar was almost more impressive than his goal (if he's not a big point producer he will still be like Hronek and have a dangerous shot. From my viewings it looks accurate unlike Hronek of last year anyways)
* Defensively he's a blanket. love how active his stick is and his gaps are quality
* Endurance will need to improve. 1 really bad looking shift was after getting beat up in a battle.(no biggie) but have seen some poor last 15-20seconds before though when he gets tired
* Didn't see much of the lacking engagement this game that has been said around here but i have seen it and it comes with some concerns about hockey IQ. On the flip side he looked absolutely switched on at U18's and even U20's as a 17 then 18yr old so we'll see how the next levels go...it's really hard to tell
* Strength consistency (especially when he doesn't have a good A option) and even straight line speed if they improve will make him an impact player IMO as long as the game doesn't become too fast to process.
Is an outstanding prospect. He still reminds me of Tanev in stature skating and transitions. Will need to become more patient and committed to taking a beating (Hits shot blocks) before he can be in the same vein. Tanev was/is a defensive savant so obviously making the sheer level of good decisions is hard to replicate. Offensively his shot and crossovers are superior which could see him being a good producer.
Edit: FYI my takes are a collection of draft year last year and after watching this shift by shift not solely on this game
* Unbelievable feet. His first 3-5 step transitions are elite. A few sequences at the blue line where he looked outstanding. (Teammates weren't much good at reading off it or giving him the puck at the right time. A case where playing with other top players will help)
* Heads always up...excellent transition passer. Will say though he does make some rushed plays in his own zone especially blind one's that will require coaching up.
* Shot off the crossbar was almost more impressive than his goal (if he's not a big point producer he will still be like Hronek and have a dangerous shot. From my viewings it looks accurate unlike Hronek of last year anyways)
* Defensively he's a blanket. love how active his stick is and his gaps are quality
* Endurance will need to improve. 1 really bad looking shift was after getting beat up in a battle.(no biggie) but have seen some poor last 15-20seconds before though when he gets tired
* Didn't see much of the lacking engagement this game that has been said around here but i have seen it and it comes with some concerns about hockey IQ. On the flip side he looked absolutely switched on at U18's and even U20's as a 17 then 18yr old so we'll see how the next levels go...it's really hard to tell
* Strength consistency (especially when he doesn't have a good A option) and even straight line speed if they improve will make him an impact player IMO as long as the game doesn't become too fast to process.
Is an outstanding prospect. He still reminds me of Tanev in stature skating and transitions. Will need to become more patient and committed to taking a beating (Hits shot blocks) before he can be in the same vein. Tanev was/is a defensive savant so obviously making the sheer level of good decisions is hard to replicate. Offensively his shot and crossovers are superior which could see him being a good producer.
Edit: FYI my takes are a collection of draft year last year and after watching this shift by shift not solely on this game
Last edited:
Tom Willander supports the whale over the skate and is therefore the best prospect in the NHL.
if true i take back all my criticism of him. best player not in the nhl
30 Seconds in
"I thought their logo was cool so I got a little bit nostalgic seeing up on the stage."
Q: You're an Orco logo guy not a flying skate logo guy?
"Yeah. Yeah. *appears incredulous at the question* For sure. FOR SURE. 100%. 100%."
Ernie
Registered User
- Aug 3, 2004
- 13,157
- 2,883
sorry to hear this, I had such great hopes for the guy but now I'm questioning his intelligence
On a stacked team, with a deep blueline, this would probably be the case.
But look at this current Canuck crew. On the right side, you've basically got Hronek, Myers and Desharnais. Juulsen is really not much more than a 7-8 'fill-in' in case of injury.
The Canucks have nobody in the system who even remotely approaches Wilander's skill-set, particularly as a rare right-shot d-man. So unless he does a full-on 'face-plant' when he signs his first pro contract, he has to be under active consideration or the big club.
Maybe he signs in March and starts his pro career playing out the season in Abbotsford. But also wouldn't be a stunner if he gets some games in Vancouver to start his career.
what you guys are Whale guys?
skate skate skate skate skate
