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

[VanJack]

Granted I've only seen the YouTube highlight packages featuring Wilander; and followed him in last year's WJHC.

The thing I've noticed is that there really aren't any holes in his game. He's got superior skating skill for effortless gap control; and he's equally proficient in head-manning or skating the puck out of trouble.

I know some posters are concerned about his offense, but there's nothing wrong with his shooting skills. He gets a lot of mustard on his shot and he's very proficient at the one-timers from the sidewall.

Most every player coming out of junior or the NCAA has holes in their game. When Quinn Hughes graduated from Michigan, he had a muffin of a shot. But now, it's a 95mph-plus howitzer.

Wilander won't need much if any time to adjust to NHL hockey imo.

 

[Grantham]

Granted I've only seen the YouTube highlight packages featuring Wilander; and followed him in last year's WJHC.

The thing I've noticed is that there really aren't any holes in his game. He's got superior skating skill for effortless gap control; and he's equally proficient in head-manning or skating the puck out of trouble.

I know some posters are concerned about his offense, but there's nothing wrong with his shooting skills. He gets a lot of mustard on his shot and he's very proficient at the one-timers from the sidewall.

Most every player coming out of junior or the NCAA has holes in their game. When Quinn Hughes graduated from Michigan, he had a muffin of a shot. But now, it's a 95mph-plus howitzer.

Wilander won't need much if any time to adjust to NHL hockey imo.

I suggest catching his games live if you can. He is good, and a surefire NHLer imo, but his shortcomings on offence and being too passive are real. Highlights always look great. Sprong looks like McDavid in highlights.

I don't doubt he'll overcome some of these, but he'll never be an offensive star, he just isn't wired that way.

 

[Flik]

I suggest catching his games live if you can. He is good, and a surefire NHLer imo, but his shortcomings on offence and being too passive are real. Highlights always look great. Sprong looks like McDavid in highlights.

I don't doubt he'll overcome some of these, but he'll never be an offensive star, he just isn't wired that way.

Which is fine I think. If he hits a Hamhuis 2.0 level, we're absolutely gold for a long time.

 

[Breakers]

Pandolfo hoping a change in pairings stops this roster from taking a million penalties

 

[credulous]

Which is fine I think. If he hits a Hamhuis 2.0 level, we're absolutely gold for a long time.

hamhuis (and tanev) are terrible stylistic comparisons. willander's closest comparables in the nhl imo are guys like slavin and mikey anderson at the high end and more realistically whitecloud and siegenthaler

 

[Flik]

hamhuis (and tanev) are terrible stylistic comparisons. willander's closest comparables in the nhl imo are guys like slavin and mikey anderson at the high end and more realistically whitecloud and siegenthaler

Fair enough, I just meant in terms of offensive output, we don't really need Willander to be that guy

 

[JT Milker]

Fair enough, I just meant in terms of offensive output, we don't really need Willander to be that guy

That poster compared Hronek to Myers and said Ty Mueller was their favourite Canuck prospect. Take it with a grain of salt.

 

[HairyKneel]

Which is fine I think. If he hits a Hamhuis 2.0 level, we're absolutely gold for a long time.

Hammer wasn't passive though. You need a certain level of authority and aggression to be a good to great player. I admittedly haven watched a ton of this kid

 

[Breakers]

Gutsy win

A couple assists
Team is actually good 5v5 over extended periods problem is it rarely happens

I have no idea how the committee will rank this weekend, opening night loss, comeback win
Trailed a ton tonight, but tied it late.

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

We need him now

 

[logan5]

I suggest catching his games live if you can. He is good, and a surefire NHLer imo, but his shortcomings on offence and being too passive are real. Highlights always look great. Sprong looks like McDavid in highlights.

I don't doubt he'll overcome some of these, but he'll never be an offensive star, he just isn't wired that way.

He has 9 points in 11 games with BU. How many points should he have to consider him a more offensive defenceman?

 

[pitseleh]

He has 9 points in 11 games with BU. How many points should he have to consider him a more offensive defenceman?

Especially when he’s not playing first unit PP time. He’d almost certainly be above a PPG if he were. He’s not at the Makar/Hughes/Fox tier but he’s producing similarly to guys like Werenski and McAvoy and miles ahead of guys like Toews and Skjei.

 

[HockeyWooot]

Seems to be tracking well decent chance to be a 2way top 4 dman with upside as a complimentary number 2?

 

[VanJack]

I suggest catching his games live if you can. He is good, and a surefire NHLer imo, but his shortcomings on offence and being too passive are real. Highlights always look great. Sprong looks like McDavid in highlights.

I don't doubt he'll overcome some of these, but he'll never be an offensive star, he just isn't wired that way.

I watched every game he played in the World Jr. Hockey Championships. I thought at times he did look tentative and played like he was avoiding mistakes.

But every once and awhile you could see him make a seeing-eye head-man pass or walk the blueline like a Quinn Hughes-lite. I think he has it in him. But might take a season or two of pro hockey before that side of his game starts to blossom.