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

[strattonius]

Our defense looks shaky right now but add a top 4 d-man and Willander towards the end of the year and we will be wondering why we were so worried to start the season.

I think Willander will play meaningful minutes in Vancouver after the ncaa season. And I think he will look good doing it.

We have an NHL'er here.

 

[quat]

top picks as iffy as they come. even if we look back 30 years, there are many busts in the top 10 pick.

Yes, but that's some consistency that's generally lacking with most organizations. Most make the odd miss, but three huge flails while drafting so high is special.

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

Another assist

7 games
2 goals
4 assists
6 points
+4

On the season. Head and shoulder the best player on the ice whenever he plays.

We can't get him up here soon enough. I think he'll be firmly in our top 4 by the end of the season. Dude is built for the NHL.

I'll be so f***ing pissed if they trade him now for a rental. Lekk and Willander should be nonstarters. The rest (including Raty) should be up for grabs.

 

[Russian_fanatic]

We can't get him up here soon enough. I think he'll be firmly in our top 4 by the end of the season. Dude is built for the NHL.

I'll be so f***ing pissed if they trade him now for a rental. Lekk and Willander should be nonstarters. The rest (including Raty) should be up for grabs.

I can't see them parting with either of them TBH.

We desperately need cost controlled assets.

 

[strattonius]

We can't get him up here soon enough. I think he'll be firmly in our top 4 by the end of the season. Dude is built for the NHL.

I'll be so f***ing pissed if they trade him now for a rental. Lekk and Willander should be nonstarters. The rest (including Raty) should be up for grabs.

They wont trade him. He fills a positional need and is a necessity going forward.

If we were talking about a prospect 3 years out maybe but Willander has shown far too much in a position that could really round out our blueline.

 

[Snatcher Demko]

I expect Allvin will trade our 1st and someone like Mynio for a solid LHD - hopefully enough to land someone like Marcus Pettersson as a 'youngish veteran' partner for Willander in the future. Would round out the D nicely.

 

[Breakers]

The penalty kill is hot garbage this season so far

but they also take an absolute f-load of penalties, insanely undisciplined team

good experience on the PK so far for him

but they are losing games because of this

 

[ManVanFan]

I'll just leave this twitter account for people to see.

x.com

x.com

 

[sting101]

"Michigan severely limited BU’s chances, with only .2 of BU’s xG coming for high danger shots. Only 4 Terriers had a positive Offensive Impact, three of which were defenseman—Willander, C. Hutson, Boumedienne—Matt Copponi being the only forward."

This is the meat and potatoes of it ^^^^

 

[F A N]

Yes, but that's some consistency that's generally lacking with most organizations. Most make the odd miss, but three huge flails while drafting so high is special.

Not really. It’s not like it’s 3 consecutive years balanced out by other 1st round failures. Getting Petey, Hughes, and Boeser in other years is special too.

 

[quat]

Not really. It’s not like it’s 3 consecutive years balanced out by other 1st round failures. Getting Petey, Hughes, and Boeser in other years is special too.

Boeser maybe to yes. Hughes yes, but Petey is good not special, until he is consistent. You're supposed to get all star quality players in the top 10. That's generally where they show up. Getting zeros Three of five isn't good, particularly from a draft guru.

 

[Lemmiwinks]

Boeser maybe to yes. Hughes yes, but Petey is good not special, until he is consistent. You're supposed to get all star quality players in the top 10. That's generally where they show up. Getting zeros Three of five isn't good, particularly from a draft guru.

Less than half of any draft’s top 10 become all stars

 

[quat]

Less than half of any draft’s top 10 become all stars

Yes. I think the way I wrote that may be confusing, but I meant that if you're finding all stars, they're likely to be drafted in the top third of the draft. It's not special as such to draft an all star there.

Generally you should be able to pick a player in the top 10 that has a productive career. Maybe a 70 percent hit rate.

 

[604]

Yes. I think the way I wrote that may be confusing, but I meant that if you're finding all stars, they're likely to be drafted in the top third of the draft. It's not special as such to draft an all star there.

Generally you should be able to pick a player in the top 10 that has a productive career. Maybe a 70 percent hit rate.

So how many top 10 picks have 100 point seasons especially outside the top 3?

EP40 is an outlier level success.

Huggy is a ridiculously successful pick.

Boeser is also ridiculously successful given draft position.

We can only hope Willander can be the next huge hit.

 

[TomWillander1RD]

Willander has much more upside than Lekkerimaki. Top-pairing RD are worth a fortune.

Did someone call me?

 

[VanJack]

I'm sure teams are lining up for deals with the Canucks that include Wilander, Lekkerimaki, or both.

These guys are basically 'untouchable' as far as I'm concerned A top four, right-shot defender and a winger with a shot like that, are impossible to trade for. The only hope is drafting them.

Once once you actually succeed in drafting them--the last thing you want to do is sacrifice them for short-term help.

 

[arttk]

I'm sure teams are lining up for deals with the Canucks that include Wilander, Lekkerimaki, or both.

These guys are basically 'untouchable' as far as I'm concerned A top four, right-shot defender and a winger with a shot like that, are impossible to trade for. The only hope is drafting them.

Once once you actually succeed in drafting them--the last thing you want to do is sacrifice them for short-term help.

i mean, every team will ask for other team's best prospect first because why the f*** not. asking doesn't mean they expect the Canucks to say yeah.

 

[LordBacon]

Come on,
Get big willy up already.

 

[VanJack]

Last year the Canucks traded their 2024 first rounder; and a conditional fourth rounder; along with prospect d-men Brzustewicz and Jurmo as well as Kuzmenko for Lindholm. And Zadorov cost them a third and fifth rounder.

That's a total of four picks flushed away, actually five if you consider that Brzustewicz was their third rounder in 2023. All that for two guys who basically played in Vancouver for two months.

The question I have, is how many more deals like that can the Canucks afford to make? I get that they were loading up for a run.......but if it were to happen two years in a row, the cost is just too high imo.

 

[alternate]

Last year the Canucks traded their 2024 first rounder; and a conditional fourth rounder; along with prospect d-men Brzustewicz and Jurmo as well as Kuzmenko for Lindholm. And Zadorov cost them a third and fifth rounder.

That's a total of four picks flushed away, actually five if you consider that Brzustewicz was their third rounder in 2023. All that for two guys who basically played in Vancouver for two months.

The question I have, is how many more deals like that can the Canucks afford to make? I get that they were loading up for a run.......but if it were to happen two years in a row, the cost is just too high imo.

I don't agree that those picks were "flushed away." I think there's a lot of value in getting a relatively inexperienced core some experience. That'll pay off sooner than the 3rd, 4th, 5th round picks will.

 

[lawrence]

Last year the Canucks traded their 2024 first rounder; and a conditional fourth rounder; along with prospect d-men Brzustewicz and Jurmo as well as Kuzmenko for Lindholm. And Zadorov cost them a third and fifth rounder.

That's a total of four picks flushed away, actually five if you consider that Brzustewicz was their third rounder in 2023. All that for two guys who basically played in Vancouver for two months.

The question I have, is how many more deals like that can the Canucks afford to make? I get that they were loading up for a run.......but if it were to happen two years in a row, the cost is just too high imo.

I'm down for trading the pick if its not a rental pick. Last year for example Lindholm was a rental and we failed to sign him. I'm also down for avoiding trades like trading our top 10 pick for Garland and OEL. (although Garland has been good for us) I think 99% of us would have preferred to have kept the pick. If we can find another trade like the JT miller or Hronek trade I'm ok. I'm completely down with keeping the pick this time around. I don't think throwing away 1st rounders back to back.

 

[BluesyShoes]

Last year the Canucks traded their 2024 first rounder; and a conditional fourth rounder; along with prospect d-men Brzustewicz and Jurmo as well as Kuzmenko for Lindholm. And Zadorov cost them a third and fifth rounder.

That's a total of four picks flushed away, actually five if you consider that Brzustewicz was their third rounder in 2023. All that for two guys who basically played in Vancouver for two months.

The question I have, is how many more deals like that can the Canucks afford to make? I get that they were loading up for a run.......but if it were to happen two years in a row, the cost is just too high imo.

Personally I don't think they believed in Brzustewicz long term. There was also rumours he wasn't all that happy to play in Vancouver. They sold high on him IMO. Losing the 1st sucks, but it ended up being 28th overall. That's a pretty low probability to ever turn into an NHLer, let alone an impact player within our window. The later round picks are an even greater roll of the dice. They also bought the opportunity to offer Lindholm and Zadorov team friendly deals, which had they signed and continued to be valuable contributors on good contracts, been well worth the late round picks.

I think they can certainly afford to and will trade our 1st this year again. Sometimes it's the greatest value you can get from your picks when you are contending, because the players you could draft with them likely won't be around to help your team in their window. Depth players (that late picks often turn into) also come easier to contenders as FAs because the FAs want to raise their market value on good teams, and then sign a lucrative long-term contract with the highest bidder.

Really, unless your picks are likely to turn into homegrown top 6 forwards or top 4 d on good contracts, it makes lots of sense to turn the picks into rentals on cheap prorated contracts to fill out a contending roster.

 

[Raistlin]

If we are a division contending team this year at the TDL, we should trade the 1st. You have to ask yourself, do you have the track record to turn late picks into Stankoven and Wyatt Johnson's? If no, then you owe the current team whose window just swung wide open a chance to go all in. Esp if Vancouver is going to have a 6 million cap space to roll the dice with. For a franchise without a cup, this is the only way now. The fanbase knew this 5 years ago once it appears like Boeser EP and QH are the core. When the window opens and the rest of the team catches up, it's time to end the drought.

That said, it all depends on Demko's health,

if he's still sub healthy, waiting an extra year for Willander to actually be an impact player like Faber is for the wild in year 2, then use whoever they drafted this year plus next year's pick may yield a better result. Lekk will probably be ready in 2025-26 also.