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

[IComeInPeace]

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.

I like your optimism. Hope you’re right!

I do think Heiskanen is underrated….and he belongs in the same category as QH and Makar.

 

[Raistlin]

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.

Is Hutson gone though? even with another Hutson that may dominate the PP, he needs to assert himself more offensively at this level, just to push his limits and comfort zone. He is on track to be an all situations D one day, I dont mind the weight questions, he is light if you want to compare him with other similarly deployed D, like... Brodin for example, ideally he reaches 200 LBs by 21-22.

 

[VanJack]

I like your optimism. Hope you’re right!

I do think Heiskanen is underrated….and he belongs in the same category as QH and Makar.

Heiskanen wasn't a big time point producer as a teenager playing with HIFK Helsinki in the Finnish Liga. Although he as better in his second season with 23 points in 30 games. But he really didn't do much in two world junior appearances with Finland.

But the reason Dallas made him the third overall pick in 2017 draft was his elite skating skills. And you can see it today. His skating and edge-work is simply off the charts. So there is a reason to be very optimism about Wilander.

His skating is already 'NHL-ready'. So rounding out the rest of his game should come fairly quickly. He finishes the season with Boston University and in all probability signs with the Canucks in the spring. And if his season ends soon enough, he could see time with with either Abbotsford or the parent Canucks.

But give the Canucks black hole on the blueline, when it comes to mobile d-men on the right side, it wouldn't be a stunner if he bypasses the AHL altogether.

 

[F A N]

Heiskanen wasn't a big time point producer as a teenager playing with HIFK Helsinki in the Finnish Liga. Although he as better in his second season with 23 points in 30 games. But he really didn't do much in two world junior appearances with Finland.

But the reason Dallas made him the third overall pick in 2017 draft was his elite skating skills. And you can see it today. His skating and edge-work is simply off the charts. So there is a reason to be very optimism about Wilander.

His skating is already 'NHL-ready'. So rounding out the rest of his game should come fairly quickly. He finishes the season with Boston University and in all probability signs with the Canucks in the spring. And if his season ends soon enough, he could see time with with either Abbotsford or the parent Canucks.

But give the Canucks black hole on the blueline, when it comes to mobile d-men on the right side, it wouldn't be a stunner if he bypasses the AHL altogether.

I don't really like this comparison. Willander is raw and more explosive. Heiskanen was kind of like this polished Lidstrom-like Dman whose only perceived flaw might be that he wasn't expected to be a big offensive producer. 2017 was a bit of an unusual draft though. Makar and Petey picks were "take a chance" picks.

 

[LemonSauceD]

I don't really like this comparison. Willander is raw and more explosive. Heiskanen was kind of like this polished Lidstrom-like Dman whose only perceived flaw might be that he wasn't expected to be a big offensive producer. 2017 was a bit of an unusual draft though. Makar and Petey picks were "take a chance" picks.

Every pick is a chance lol

 

[strattonius]

Every pick is a chance lol

Yeah I think that was the wrong terminology. Think what he means is Pettersson and Makar both had higher ceilings but lower floors so the bust chance was higher.

 

[Hodgy]

Yeah I think that was the wrong terminology. Think what he means is Pettersson and Makar both had higher ceilings but lower floors so the bust chance was higher.

Pettersson, perhaps because he was very skinny, had a higher bust potential. But conversely, from a statistical point of view, he was a very safe pick as he had an excellent offensive season in a men’s league in his draft year.

 

[VanJack]

Wilander comes in a #2 on the Canucks Army assessment of the top-20 prospects. His skating is close to 'elite', and predicting a breakout season at BU next season.

According to the CA skinny, his puck management skills need some work. But playing NCAA hockey on the smaller NA sheet will probably do wonders for his development. And his standout performance at the recent Canucks Development Camp did nothing to dispel the notion that he many not need a lot of time in Abbotsford, before he cracks the parent Canucks blueline.

 

[beachcomber]

I think his skating is elite right now and will only get better with time.

 

[Big zZz]

Going to the summer showcase tomorrow for the Canada game. Probably stick around for half the Sweden game. I'll let you know what I see regarding Tommy boy.

 

[Vector]

Going to the summer showcase tomorrow for the Canada game. Probably stick around for half the Sweden game. I'll let you know what I see regarding Tommy boy.

You won’t see much since he’s not playing in this tournament.

 

[Big zZz]

You won’t see much since he’s not playing in this tournament.

That sucks. I didn't get the injury update. Oh well. Won't have to stick around till 6 then.

 

[VanJack]

I see there's some pushback from the Canuck faithful at the Canucks Army rating Jonathan Lekkerimaki ahead of Tom Wilander as the Canucks top-prospect.

It's hard to ignore all the accolades, goals assists and awards Lekkerimaki received last season. But at the end of the day, he's a winger. And wingers are never as valuable as potential top-four d-men like Wilander. And the fact he's a right-shot d-man makes him even more valuable.

But it's still a 'toss-up' or a 'pick-em' as I see it. You could make a case for both Wilander and Lekkerimaki as the Canucks top prospect. And you wouldn't be wrong.