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

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Rowlet said:
Cam Robinson doubles down on Willander being better than ASP
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For the tournament. They play very different styles and roles. Honestly, neither Van/Det would flip them for each other given what both clubs have on their D core. Det has minute munchers in Seider/Edvinsson while Van has Hughes as the PMD/PPQB already. Both kids represent what their clubs need on the back end.
 
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StreetHawk said:
For the tournament. They play very different styles and roles. Honestly, neither Van/Det would flip them for each other given what both clubs have on their D core. Det has minute munchers in Seider/Edvinsson while Van has Hughes as the PMD/PPQB already. Both kids represent what their clubs need on the back end.
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Yeah I realize for the tournament, it was a follow up to his "hot take" on the last page that Willander was Sweden's best defenseman that I had posted.
 
I wish there was a way we could try him on our roster now (I.e. the CHL ten game rule). Maybe he sticks.
 
i know people think i hate this player and am unreasonably harsh on him but he was really bad in bu's series against vermont this weekend. possibly his worst two games in boston. bu won 6-1 and 7-4 and willander was on the ice for 4 of the 5 goals against. one wasn't really his fault but the other three he looked lazy and unengaged. i heard that some of the other players on the team are really not happy with pandolfo's coaching and i wonder if willander is just checked out and waiting for the season to end so he can go pro. to be clear i haven't heard willander is unhappy but he looked like a totally different player at the wjcs. something has to be up. i still think he's a good prospect but his consistency and compete level really make me question his upside

here's the receipts for people who want to see for themselves:


this play didn't result in a goal but willander gets beat wide and then gives up a decent shot attempt:



this one is more on capponi for screening his own goalie but willander covers no one and backs off a puck he could have made a play on:



just really lazy play and a weak attempt at defending. not a goal against:



a little bit of a flukey goal but willander pulls back even after seeing hutson get beat and then lets the guy he's supposed to cover get an easy tap in uncontested. the next goal is immediately after and is kind of a standard play that i don't really fault willander for but i do think he probably could have played it better. judge for yourself:



the youtube highlights didn't capture it but on this play willander gives up on a contested puck in the corner and let's vermont get the puck out to the point. goal is more on boumedienne for not taking the net front:



on the plus side he got quite a bit of power play time over the two games and picked up two assists. only one made the youtube highlights though:
 
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credulous said:
i know people think i hate this player and am unreasonably harsh on him but he was really bad in bu's series against vermont this weekend. possibly his worst two games in boston. bu won 6-1 and 7-4 and willander was on the ice for 4 of the 5 goals against. one wasn't really his fault but the other three he looked lazy and unengaged. i heard that some of the other players on the team are really not happy with pandolfo's coaching and i wonder if willander is just checked out and waiting for the season to end so he can go pro. to be clear i haven't heard willander is unhappy but he looked like a totally different player at the wjcs. something has to be up. i still think he's a good prospect but his consistency and compete level really make me question his upside

here's the receipts for people who want to see for themselves:


this play didn't result in a goal but willander gets beat wide and then gives up a decent shot attempt:


this one is more on capponi for screening his own goalie but willander covers no one and backs off a puck he could have made a play on:


just really lazy play and a weak attempt at defending. not a goal against though:


a little bit of a flukey goal but willander pulls back even after seeing hutson get beat and then lets the guy he's supposed to cover get an easy tap in uncontested:


the youtube highlights didn't capture it but on this play willander gives up on a contested puck in the corner and let's vermont get the puck out to the point. goal is more on boumedienne for not taking the net front:


on the plus side he got quite a bit of power play time over the two games and picked up two assists. only one made the youtube highlights though:
Click to expand...

You know way more about Willander then I do at this point. However I seem to remember a big reason the Nucks drafted him was he was well put together and took his training and competing very seriously. Hopefully we aren't starting to see any lazy play creep in.
 
Couple of Juulsen-esque zoned-out moments in those highlights. D-man Pettersson in the AHL does the same thing. Hopefully they can both clean these up.
Didn't think the non-goal chances were bad though. Force the forward wide and let him take a bad angle shot is the best way to play the 1 on 1 imo. It's not like he was Desharnais backing up conceding space and letting the forward do whatever he wants.

Quinn Hutson will probably go to an eastern US team (Islanders for the Eiserman connection? Capitals to join brother Cole?) but wonder if Allvin will take a run at signing him with our lack of scoring winger prospects
 
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Scumbag Frank said:
Couple of Juulsen-esque zoned-out moments in those highlights. D-man Pettersson in the AHL does the same thing. Hopefully they can both clean these up.
Didn't think the non-goal chances were bad though. Force the forward wide and let him take a bad angle shot is the best way to play the 1 on 1 imo. It's not like he was Desharnais backing up conceding space and letting the forward do whatever he wants.
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i don't think it's the worst play but he skates at like half speed and then has to make a lunging play with his stick just to try to disrupt the play. with a little more effort he could have taken the body

Scumbag Frank said:
Quinn Hutson will probably go to an eastern US team (Islanders for the Eiserman connection? Capitals to join brother Cole?) but wonder if Allvin will take a run at signing him with our lack of scoring winger prospects
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last year i would have said hutson had no shot at getting an nhl contract but he's been really good this year playing with eiserman and hughes. the islanders make a lot of sense but i can see him wanting to play with one of his brothers too. maybe lars will skip the usndtp and go straight to bu and quinn will return for his senior year
 
Regal said:
But the poster’s point was that he didn’t do this, he was just a late birthday. I actually don’t know for sure whether Quinn started grade 1 in 2005, but usually if you’re born in October you’d graduate high school and start University at 17. But it’d be weird for an article to say he accelerated his studies unless that was the case, so maybe he didn’t start grade 1 until 2006, and then skipped a year later in high school.
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There were people writing the same thing several years ago about Demko, who has a December birthday. While there are unusual cases where parents hold children back, it would seem very strange for parents of intelligent children not to send their kids to school when they were supposed to. It seems to me that there are people out there that don't realize children are supposed to start school in September of the calendar year they turn 6 years of age, whether they've had their sixth birthday by the time school starts or not.
 
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Yes a little disappointing to see/hear some issues and stagnation creep into his game.

While still an impressive player for the U20s he didn't take some of the steps i was hoping for from an assertiveness standpoint. Mostly looked like the same guy from 23/24.

Content to just be steady and do his role. Would have been awesome to see him impose his will into games

Last year his GF% really stood out. Was hoping for more elite shut down with an improved offensive assertiveness and production at BU.

Seen some things now that have me believe he might not be as ready as people hope.

I'm ok with it this year as it's a lot to ask of a teenager but if he needs significant time in Abby that's a set back from that draft and draft position as others will pass him
 
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credulous said:
i know people think i hate this player and am unreasonably harsh on him but he was really bad in bu's series against vermont this weekend. possibly his worst two games in boston. bu won 6-1 and 7-4 and willander was on the ice for 4 of the 5 goals against. one wasn't really his fault but the other three he looked lazy and unengaged. i heard that some of the other players on the team are really not happy with pandolfo's coaching and i wonder if willander is just checked out and waiting for the season to end so he can go pro. to be clear i haven't heard willander is unhappy but he looked like a totally different player at the wjcs. something has to be up. i still think he's a good prospect but his consistency and compete level really make me question his upside

here's the receipts for people who want to see for themselves:

this play didn't result in a goal but willander gets beat wide and then gives up a decent shot attempt:

this one is more on capponi for screening his own goalie but willander covers no one and backs off a puck he could have made a play on:

just really lazy play and a weak attempt at defending. not a goal against:

a little bit of a flukey goal but willander pulls back even after seeing hutson get beat and then lets the guy he's supposed to cover get an easy tap in uncontested. the next goal is immediately after and is kind of a standard play that i don't really fault willander for but i do think he probably could have played it better. judge for yourself:

the youtube highlights didn't capture it but on this play willander gives up on a contested puck in the corner and let's vermont get the puck out to the point. goal is more on boumedienne for not taking the net front:

on the plus side he got quite a bit of power play time over the two games and picked up two assists. only one made the youtube highlights though:
Click to expand...


I don't think you hate the player. Having an unexpected opinion here can be challenging, even if you back it up. Too much push here to conform. (It does help in predicting a response though)

Appreciate the videos. From the WJCs, Blackfish and other resources, he seems more or less on track. I have noticed that he doesn't gap up as aggressively as he could, given his skating, and key misreads allow him to get beat wide. I think he will correct these things over time, and he hasn't taken a big step back offensively so...? Even getting PP time now.

I like the player, but he wasn't my first choice. I'm open to any insight on him, praise or critique.
 
It might be a stretch, but Wilander's fundamentals of skating, stickhandling, on-ice vision and lethal shot from the point are so strong--it might mean he looks better in the NHL than he has at BU or the World Juniors.

The problem is, at both those lower levels of hockey, the play is a lot more scrambly. D-men are constantly trying to cover up for mistakes by the forwards or their d-partners. You even see this at the AHL-level all the time.

Fingers crossed, he hits Vancouver by mid-March. Maybe they can try him out with Hughes? Now that would be pairing that could potentially have Canuck fans giddy.
 
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VanJack said:
It might be a stretch, but Wilander's fundamentals of skating, stickhandling, on-ice vision and lethal shot from the point are so strong--it might mean he looks better in the NHL than he has at BU or the World Juniors.

The problem is, at both those lower levels of hockey, the play is a lot more scrambly. D-men are constantly trying to cover up for mistakes by the forwards or their d-partners. You even see this at the AHL-level all the time.

Fingers crossed, he hits Vancouver by mid-March. Maybe they can try him out with Hughes? Now that would be pairing that could potentially have Canuck fans giddy.
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He’s going to be a stud for this team for a long time.

He won’t put up the numbers but he is the kind of guy you win with playing in your top 4.

But, give him 2-3 seasons to get there.

I think too many people expect him to step into the top 4 at the tail end of this season and be a difference maker.

Just because (beyond 2-3 guys on our d) everyone else sucks doesn’t mean throwing him in there will improve things. It might just crush his confidence.

Give him time (at the very least until the tail end of next season) and he should be well worth the draft pick we spent on him.
 
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IComeInPeace said:
He’s going to be a stud for this team for a long time.

He won’t put up the numbers but he is the kind of guy you win with playing in your top 4.

But, give him 2-3 seasons to get there.

I think too many people expect him to step into the top 4 at the tail end of this season and be a difference maker.

Just because (beyond 2-3 guys on our d) everyone else sucks doesn’t mean throwing him in there will improve things. It might just crush his confidence.

Give him time (at the very least until the tail end of next season) and he should be well worth the draft pick we spent on him.
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Agreed, having Hronek and Myers ahead of him is a good thing in that he can play in a more sheltered role and not be thrown into the deep end right away. I don't want to damage his development by giving him too much too soon. Having Myers eat up some tough minutes (even if he sucks at it) for the next 2 seasons is a good way to ease TW into the NHL.

I think TW will be a very good NHL player, but like 99.9% of prospects, he has to be developed properly. Expecting him to come in right away and be a top 4 on a contending team is a little too much pressure, IMO.
 
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sandwichbird2023 said:
Agreed, having Hronek and Myers ahead of him is a good thing in that he can play in a more sheltered role and not be thrown into the deep end right away. I don't want to damage his development by giving him too much too soon. Having Myers eat up some tough minutes (even if he sucks at it) for the next 2 seasons is a good way to ease TW into the NHL.

I think TW will be a very good NHL player, but like 99.9% of prospects, he has to be developed properly. Expecting him to come in right away and be a top 4 on a contending team is a little too much pressure, IMO.
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I will not be surprised if he matches Myers' minutes quite quickly.

Myers is exponentially better when he's being underplayed, it's like his brain only had a set amount of processing power each game. The more shifts he gets, the less brain power is dedicated to each one.
 
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