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

[Ernie]

Drance confirms that it's the Schedule A bonuses that are still the hangup:

Contract talks aren’t really progressing as hoped for by both sides, and at issue, primarily, are the Schedule A bonuses.

The Canucks have a relatively strict, somewhat below market value team structure that they use in signing prospects to entry-level contracts, and they’re unwilling to bend at this juncture. As an illustration of this, Jonathan Lekkerimäki was the 15th pick at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and his ELC contains $475,000 worth of potential Schedule A bonuses per season — which comes in below 2021 15th pick Sebastian Cossa ($850,000 worth of potential Schedule A bonuses per season) and 2024 15th pick Michael Brandsegg-Nygard ($500,000 worth).

Both sides seem to largely agree that Willander is ready to begin his professional career. Both sides are largely in agreement that the contract can start with the 2025-26 campaign, with Willander then having the option to sign an amateur tryout and join the Abbotsford Canucks.

On the bonus structure, however, Willander’s camp is looking at the market price for comparable players — and the maximum bonuses that prospect Zeev Buium signed for with the Minnesota Wild over the weekend — and asking for a commensurate deal. Vancouver, however, is unwilling to bend on its internal ELC structure.

What I’m hearing about Tom Willander and the Canucks: 3 takeaways

There's a well-established hiccup in the negotiations. Meanwhile, Quinn Hughes made history Monday.

www.nytimes.com

I tell ya, this management group.

Lekkermaki was struggling to stay in a top six role in a 2nd tier Swedish league in his draft + 1 season. He had absolutely zero leverage.

By refusing to pay market rates, they are starting their relationship with their top prospect off on the wrong foot, just so they can save $500k on his cap hit for 2 seasons IF he performs like a veteran during those seasons.

 

[StreetHawk]

If he's in Boston, they don't have much more time to get it done. By what, like 6-7pm PST so that he has time to get on a red eye to come to Van to play vs LV on Wed?

He should have a bag packed and ready to go in case he does need to fly out.

 

[Peter Griffin]

If he's in Boston, they don't have much more time to get it done. By what, like 6-7pm PST so that he has time to get on a red eye to come to Van to play vs LV on Wed?

He should have a bag packed and ready to go in case he does need to fly out.

It’s already been determined he’s not playing this season, any contract would start with 25/26 season.

 

[tantalum]

It’s already been determined he’s not playing this season, any contract would start with 25/26 season.

yep. With AHl contract for the playoffs a possibility it seems.

 

[quat]

Ive never noticed that poster reply to posts

Like the poster btw, he keeps me updated on draft and other good post game comments. But never noticed them replying to anyone.

Yes! So if the rare reply suggests getting a lottery ticket, it could also mean it was risky having the communication, therefore the penicillin.

Explaining the lack of humour in my comments is a special kind of sad.

As for the thread discussion, the panic it induces is great. That's what we have this season. What new, completely terrible situation can we add to the pile?

 

[Ernie]

If he's in Boston, they don't have much more time to get it done. By what, like 6-7pm PST so that he has time to get on a red eye to come to Van to play vs LV on Wed?

He should have a bag packed and ready to go in case he does need to fly out.

Looks like burning a year wasn't the plan from the start.

Not a bad thing from Willander's perspective. He won't have big point totals, but offer sheets are a thing now and will give him leverage when his ELC expires.

 

[Breakers]

Super surprised his teammate Kaplan got to burn a year

Greene I get

But Kaplan is project and a grinder

 

[StreetHawk]

Super surprised his teammate Kaplan got to burn a year

All depends on the player. Depending on how you perform the rfa deal could be very close to the elc value. Terry got 3 years at $1.45 mill per and Gaudette got 2 years at like $1.25 mill or something to that effect. An elc would be like $925K with bonus potential (which is what he's fighting for).

Burning most beneficial for those who have high offensive upside. But, still, Vlasic in Chicago got a 6 year term coming off his elc with a burn year.

 

[MS]

Drance confirms that it's the Schedule A bonuses that are still the hangup:

What I’m hearing about Tom Willander and the Canucks: 3 takeaways

There's a well-established hiccup in the negotiations. Meanwhile, Quinn Hughes made history Monday.

www.nytimes.com

I tell ya, this management group.

Lekkermaki was struggling to stay in a top six role in a 2nd tier Swedish league in his draft + 1 season. He had absolutely zero leverage.

By refusing to pay market rates, they are starting their relationship with their top prospect off on the wrong foot, just so they can save $500k on his cap hit for 2 seasons IF he performs like a veteran during those seasons.

Yeah, if he's willing to forego burning the first year of his deal to sign an ATO with Abbotsford for this year that's a way bigger win than any bonuses he's probably unlikely to hit as a defensive D.

 

[sting101]

Zeev Buium's AAV comes in at 1.7 million with his bonuses. Ryan Leonard 2.2m

I would imagine they would be more centered around playing time than production and how they back load that so he gets all of it vs spacing it out over the 3yrs to get more contract value with him not achieving them all very easily

Seems petty but could be the difference between 3-3.5m and 6-6.5m in how it's structured

 

[Ernie]

Zeev Buium's AAV comes in at 1.7 million with his bonuses. Ryan Leonard 2.2m

I would imagine they would be more centered around playing time than production and how they back load that so he gets all of it vs spacing it out over the 3yrs to get more contract value with him not achieving them all very easily

Seems petty but could be the difference between 3-3.5m and 6-6.5m in how it's structured

Historically, the Canucks have signed their best deals when players take less because they want to play here. Constantly grinding players down (and threatening to trade them in some cases) just seems shortsighted.

 

[sting101]

Historically, the Canucks have signed their best deals when players take less because they want to play here. Constantly grinding players down (and threatening to trade them in some cases) just seems shortsighted.

I'm not really even sure what the issues are but there are certainly things with the way the bonuses are set that could be different for Willander vs most point producers

The hang ups could be that his agent wants by year 3 up to 70% of the achievable bonuses and that they are contingent on games played vs actually being an impact

You can see how agents could muddy the waters for what should be a relatively simple process if they are unprecedented. I'm not even sure they are

Just get it done FFS

 

[timw33]

Willander's agent should rightfully be pushing for things that his game is likely to achieve, like the +/- rating, or average ice time.

 

[Breakers]

Buium is the best defensive prospect in the NCAA

his leverage is higher

 

[krutovsdonut]

lol, quite a roller coaster ride.

 

[StreetHawk]

Willander's agent should rightfully be pushing for things that his game is likely to achieve, like the +/- rating, or average ice time.

Naturally. He's not going to be lighting it up. His game hasn't shown that, plus Quinn and Hronek would be ahead on the PP units. I think the benchmarks are preset for F and D for points and stuff.

If the kid earns the ice time, play and pay the kid.

 

[arttk]

Super surprised his teammate Kaplan got to burn a year

Greene I get

But Kaplan is project and a grinder

doesn't really matter if he burns a year if the odds of him getting a 2nd contract is low anyways.

 

[F A N]

Zeev Buium's AAV comes in at 1.7 million with his bonuses. Ryan Leonard 2.2m

I would imagine they would be more centered around playing time than production and how they back load that so he gets all of it vs spacing it out over the 3yrs to get more contract value with him not achieving them all very easily

Seems petty but could be the difference between 3-3.5m and 6-6.5m in how it's structured

Willander's agent should rightfully be pushing for things that his game is likely to achieve, like the +/- rating, or average ice time.

I was under the impression that performance bonus categories are set and cannot be back loaded. You also can't invent a category or make performance bonuses easier to achieve. Like top 4 on team in ice time is a Schedule A bonus category. You can't make it top 6 in ice time. You can however make top 2 in ice time as an extra bonus (akin to hitting another performance category).

That's my understanding of it anyways.

 

[Vector]

For those wondering, here’s the breakdown of how ELC bonuses work.

 

[Buresflyingelbow]

I don’t think people realize that he’s a good student and wants to get his degree and finish off the school year. This has nothing to do with bonuses and he will sign for next year.

 

[Hughes Clues]

I don’t think people realize that he’s a good student and wants to get his degree and finish off the school year. This has nothing to do with bonuses and he will sign for next year.

This is how I'm interpreting the situation

 

[Vancouver_2010]

Seriously, just give him what he wants. It's not like we are swimming in a pool of great prospects.

 

[ChilliBilly]

Seriously, just give him what he wants. It's not like we are swimming in a pool of great prospects.

Sorry, is there any evidence that the Canucks are trying to play some sort of hard ball here? It's silly on the face of it. Give him a standard ELC with basically all the bonuses. If he makes the bonuses good on him.

 

[VancouverJagger]

Sorry, is there any evidence that the Canucks are trying to play some sort of hard ball here? It's silly on the face of it. Give him a standard ELC with basically all the bonuses. If he makes the bonuses good on him.

My cousins, uncle has a neighbor whose sons gf is a good friend of a friend of a friend of his and they heard that the Canucks are playing hardball.........

Yeah pretty much zero evidence of this ........Common sense would dictate that the kid simply wants to finish his studies and will sign at some point this offseason.

 

[Raistlin]

Sorry, is there any evidence that the Canucks are trying to play some sort of hard ball here? It's silly on the face of it. Give him a standard ELC with basically all the bonuses. If he makes the bonuses good on him.

Its behind a paywall, but Drance said the issue is the Schedule A bonuses.