GDT: WJC 2024 Thread
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SelltheTeamFrancesco
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- Aug 11, 2015
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I was just coming here to say that Willander looked like the best D on Sweden, looks like Cam Robinson agrees.
Will get to see Willander play another game. Next game vs the USA clearly. Lol.
Pre tournament action Sweden was in the game with US until the last 10 minutes.
Pre tournament action Sweden was in the game with US until the last 10 minutes.
Deeds26
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- Nov 11, 2006
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Next game won't be against the States. They will play the lowest seed available after the quarters, which would be Finland if 1-4 seeds all win, leaving US vs Czech.
States vs Sweden is the final match up it the top two seeds win the semis.
ASP is the best offensive/PP QB type in the tournament and would have the best YouTube compilation package for teenagers to froth over on the prospect board but Willander has been the best D in the tourney doing the most projectable stuff.
And this is not to knock ASP, who is also very good.
Breakers
Make Mirrored Visors Legal Again
Willander TOI
24:22
Nobody else close to 23 minutes
(Except the goalie)
24:22
Nobody else close to 23 minutes
(Except the goalie)
- Jul 8, 2022
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Come on man, Craig Button is a lot of things, but teenager isn't one of them.
You are right, I don't know what I was thinking there tbh. It was just on my mind maybe. Lol.
Heading into the semifinal round, the remaining four teams are reseeded based on the following criteria:
- Placement in their group
- Points in the group stage
- Goal difference in the group stage
- Goals scored in the group stage
- Seeding coming into the tournament
1440
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Buium has been the best offensive defenseman in the tournament IMO, but it is fairly close with the likes of Willander, Hutson, Lindstein, ASP, with honourable mentions to Strbak and Schaefer.
The thing for Sweden is that though ASP has more points, Willander and Lindstein are getting the match-up minutes and more ice-time overall. Moreover Willander has been quarterbacking PP1, and Lindstein has been quarterbacking PP2 (which has at times looked more dangerous than PP1), whereas ASP has been more of a shooting option (think of the role Hronek plays when he is on PP1 for the Canucks). ASPs point total feels like it is just random chance in a small sample size and I don't think that he has created more than either Willander or Lindstein (probably someone will have numbers to verify if this is true). The other side of the coin is that Bergqvist is a notably weaker partner (not saying he is bad, just that he is not as good as Lindstein), so part of why Willander and Lindstein may be looking bettter during this tournament is because they play together.
Overall, Willander has the more projectible size and skating ability when compared to ASP and you can easily see how he would project as a modern style NHL defender on any pair. I can understand why he got taken earlier, but it could go either way for who has the better career since ASP also looks good. Willander's offensive game is still developing. He is quick enough with his movement that he opens up shooting lanes for himself, and his wrist shot is a legitimate weapon from the point (which is not something you can commonly say for defensemen at his age). He honestly looks like the perfect partner for Hughes, and I would not be surprised if he is a higher scorer at the NHL level than he has been in college. Lindstein doesn't have quite the same explosive skating as Willander or offensive flair as ASP, but again there is a chance that his brand of more understated, intelligent hockey makes him the best of the 3 in the end as well.
As an aside, the younger Eklund brother is a joy to watch. Just wins all kinds of puck battles that he has no business winning against larger defenders, drives the net, agitates, tries to draw penalties. No idea if it will all translate to the NHL level since he is relatively undersized, but man is he a fun player!
Nothing against Axel Sandin Pellikka who is listed at 5'10" and 181. He may be talented enough to replicate his junior stats once he gets into the Detroit lineup. But it's always a lot tougher for under-sized d-men to find their footing in the NHL.
For the sake of comparison and argument, at one time Erik Brannstrom was considered a prodigy d-men in Sweden. He played games in the SHL as a 17-year old; and played in two World Jr. Hockey Championships. And based on those performances, he was selected 15th overall by Vegas--roughly where Sandin-Pellikka was drafted by Detroit.
But as we all know, it's been a bumpy ride for Brannstrom since arriving in N.A.
Baby Pettersson
Moderator
Your arguing is all moot. Clearly Mynio has been the best D of the tournament. AINEC 
Hansen
tyler motte simp
Absolute disrespect to SansonnensYour arguing is all moot. Clearly Mynio has been the best D of the tournament. AINEC
i actually think strbak has been the best defender of the tourney but willander is up there. cole hutson is gonna be the guy everyone says is the best coming out of the tourney though especially if the usa keep winning
logan5
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Wanted to show the other quarter final finish.
And man. Nightmare start for Canada, here.
