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

[tyhee]

... it is 100% reasonable to raise an eyebrow at the team nickel-and-diming their top unsigned prospect like this.
...

I haven't seen anything to indicate what bonuses Willander's agent is asking for nor what the club is offering. Do you consider any position from the club short of paying maximum Individual "A" bonuses to be nickel and diming a player who was selected 11th overall?

I don't.

 

[FilHronek Orchestra]

Yes, from time to time- and I have seen him at the mall too

There are a couple of actors out this way. Do you know him?

I don't, but he's been an actor I've enjoyed over the years and it blew me away to hear he'd moved to the area.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

 

[racerjoe]

This is getting blown up now by the media. Don’t get me wrong there are reasons to be concerned. However nothing has changed since Monday when he went back to school, and I don’t think anything will change until after his school is done. Anything before that is people blowing it up more than it needs to be.

Again reasons to worry… but nothing new

 

[Attack Vector]

It's still odd that he didn't sign, this isn't some steep negotiating process that requires a lot of time and effort from Willander or his agent. It's also interesting that both the team and his agent came out immediately to deny the rumors that Seravelli put out when they normally don't comment on rumors.

I think there is a higher chance he will be used a trade chip for a top 6 center given the emergence of Elias Pettersson and Mancini.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

This is getting blown up now by the media. Don’t get me wrong there are reasons to be concerned. However nothing has changed since Monday when he went back to school, and I don’t think anything will change until after his school is done. Anything before that is people blowing it up more than it needs to be.

Again reasons to worry… but nothing new

I agree on the school aspect especially if he still has classes into May.

But I also suspect mgmt is partly to blame given the shear stupidity of digging in on bonuses.

It has the potential to bite them in the ass.

 

[JT Milker]

Patrick Johnston saying the same thing, by the way – they are holding steadfast to their position on bonuses. Sure doesn't sound "made up", and it is 100% reasonable to raise an eyebrow at the team nickel-and-diming their top unsigned prospect like this.

Also, the timing of this does matter because many held out hopes he would be with Abbotsford for their playoffs, which is seeming less and less likely.

He can’t play for Abbotsford if he signs an ELC.

 

[Vector]

He can’t play for Abbotsford if he signs an ELC.

That’s not true. Signing an ELC for next season (which with season over is the only option) and an ATO for this year gets him to Abby.

 

[Hodgy]

It’s actually good that he hadn’t burned a year, and it’s pretty unlikely he’s going to play two more years in the NCAA to achieve free agency, so overall, there shouldn’t be much concern. It’s a bit odd that he hasn’t signed yet, but not overly worrisome.

Part of it is just the fact that the media has nothing to talk about.

 

[Vector]

Harman Dayal isn't worried at all, if you're looking for a member of the media to tell you how to feel.

 

[JT Milker]

That’s not true. Signing an ELC for next season (which with season over is the only option) and an ATO for this year gets him to Abby.

True, I assumed we were talking about before the end of our season but just realized the season is over.

 

[Hansen]

Rick Dhaliwal spews out whatever agents murmur into his ear trumpet without a morsel of critical thought.

Someone should start asking him if Tryamkin is coming back yet

 

[Breakers]

Schedule A shouldn’t be a problem for a team missing the playoffs
Those are good things to have when a a player reaches them

But this team isn’t the benchmark for managing the cap and they’ve operated under the mantra of “this is all the space we have” take or it or leave it,
Which is a pretty stupid negotiation tactic

 

[racerjoe]

I agree on the school aspect especially if he still has classes into May.

But I also suspect mgmt is partly to blame given the shear stupidity of digging in on bonuses.

It has the potential to bite them in the ass.

I am not absolving them of anything at this point. Not going to fully point fingers either.

 

[F A N]

This whole Schedule A bonus disagreement is why the idea that teams need players on their ELC to win is so outdated. The best value contracts often come from bridge contracts or the later years of long term contracts for star players.

There are plenty of comparables available so I anticipate that a deal would get done within the established framework.

 

[credulous]

I agree on the school aspect especially if he still has classes into May.

But I also suspect mgmt is partly to blame given the shear stupidity of digging in on bonuses.

It has the potential to bite them in the ass.

there's no school reason he can't sign. you don't get kicked out of class because you become ineligible to play sports once the season is over even if you are on scholarship

he's using the threat of going back for his junior year as negotiating leverage

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

there's no school reason he can't sign. you don't get kicked out of class because you become ineligible to play sports once the season is over even if you are on scholarship

he's using the threat of going back for his junior year as negotiating leverage

100%.

Like I said, it’s partly due to the bonuses and mgmt are being idiots to not provide them.

So there’s no reason for Willander to sign right now so he can focus on finishing the semester.

 

[Jyrki21]

Dhaliwal on H&B today, again finding the situation quite strange.

- talks are going nowhere and there is no communication right now between the club and Todd Diamond. The A bonuses continue to be the issue.

- lesser-pedigreed draft picks have been getting these bonuses around the league. “Every other NHL club was able to get their guys signed without any problems, but the soap opera atmosphere continues with the Canucks.”

- Reports about him not wanting to go to Abbotsford are false. He'd go, but it may be too late.

- playing pro in Europe could be an option too if they can't reach agreement

- Hughes signed quickly out of college, so did Boeser; Canucks seem to be offering Lekkerimäki bonuses to Willander (Brough is incredulous that the relationship could be ruptured over relatively small sums)

---

I'm not literally saying it's what they're doing, but it almost feels to me like the Canucks are laying the groundwork to justify moving him in a package this summer for forward help (something I predicted above as increasingly likely just because of the value he holds as a trade chip relative to other prospects).

 

[Breakers]

Rick Dhaliwal spews out whatever agents murmur into his ear trumpet without a morsel of critical thought.

Someone should start asking him if Tryamkin is coming back yet

My favorite was when he said he’s heard Willander is a good student and that should worry the organization

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

there's no school reason he can't sign. you don't get kicked out of class because you become ineligible to play sports once the season is over even if you are on scholarship

he's using the threat of going back for his junior year as negotiating leverage

actually i was wondering about this part

i doubt it’s the real reason for the holdup but if you do something that violates the terms of your scholarship (say, gamble, commit a crime, take money, so turning pro might also technically apply), don’t they not let you take classes anymore?

seems like you would get deregistered, and so it could theoretically be a factor that he’d rather sign a few weeks later and not have to lose the semester’s work and/or be forced to retroactively pay tuition on his current semester’s courseload (which is probably over $30 grand)

 

[Another Empty Netter]

My favorite was when he said he’s heard Willander is a good student and that should worry the organization

Red flag for smart kids lol

 

[BluesyShoes]

All there is to negotiate really are the bonuses. If I am correct, they have to select which bonuses, and what dollar value to assign. Obviously some are easier and harder to hit. If Willander wants input on negotiations, but his priority is finishing the school year, it makes sense that talks are not progressing. I think we'll see negotiations pick up when he is done the semester.

As for the team caring, bonuses do somewhat matter. There's the potential for carryover cap which is a bit a of a nuisance, and then also if the player isn't on the opening day roster, when the do call him up, then the team has to fit the whole potential cap hit onto the active roster. If Willander at $1.5-2M doesn't perform better than Mancini who is at $950k, he'll find himself in the AHL making $85k. Both sides kind of lose if the bonuses end up prohibitively high.

 

[IComeInPeace]

From managements perspective they could possibly be playing hardball with the bonuses because they may legitimately view him as a partner with Hughes as early as next season in which case those bonuses become a lot more realistic.

 

[VanJack]

When I learned that Todd Diamond was Wilander's 'advisor' I started to get worried.

Diamond and the Canucks were 'joined at the hip', when Benning was the GM. But not so sure what his relationship is with Allvin and Rutherford.

He's also guy who isn't reticent about using the media if he thinks he can gain some 'leverage' for his client. And one of his favorite 'media mouthpieces' seems to be Dhaliwal.

The longer this goes on though, the longer you have to wonder if the play of guys like EP25, Mancini and even Kudryavtsev and Mynio, aren't giving the Canucks front office, second thoughts.

At least the possibility of a 'Wilander trade' get ratcheted up.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

If he is not signed by the end of May, I bet he gets traded this offseason.