TOM WILLANDER

2024-08-26

Scout: Grant Campbell

Defense

Vancouver Canucks

11th Overall by the Vancouver Canucks (2023 NHL Entry Draft)

Skating:

Willander is strong on his skates and a slightly above average skater. He has good edges and can accelerate to get up ice or recover if beaten. His turn from backwards to forwards on the right hand side can use some work.

Passing/Handling:

Willander has a very accurate, crisp breakout pass which he likes to use 90% of the time to break the puck out of his own end. He rarely skates the puck out. His handling of the puck is about average. He's not going to dangle through a whole team

Shooting:

He has a nice, hard snapshot which he gets off quickly from the point. He is patient before shooting to make sure he has traffic in front of the net and he likes to get himself to the middle of the ice.

IQ (Vision, Anticipation, Panic/Poise):

Willander scans a lot in his own end and seems to know where the opposition and his teammates are at all times. He can skate himself into trouble because of his patience with the puck, when he is below the faceoff circle in his own end. He can hesitate at times to get to 50/50 pucks. His patience with the puck and ability to see teammates on the breakout is is above average.

Forechecking:

Defense:

Willander has a very good active stick and good gap control. He boxes out well in front of his own net and rarely loses his positioning. He's not overly physical and is more of a pusher/board pinner than a hitter. When he is beat, it usually to the outside on a rush.

Best Asset:

His patience with the puck and good pass offensively and his strong positioning and stick without the puck.

Biggest Concern:

I think his offensive ceiling will be low. Most of his assists are secondary and his goals are from the point.

Top Tier/Role Potential:

Top-four defender who plays on the second unit of the powerplay and might put up 30-40 points, 50-60 hits and 100 blocks.

Justification for Top Tier Assessment:

He seemed to play a cautious game in his first year at Boston University and there could be a little more there in his skillset to bring out in year two.

50th Percentile Tier/Role:

Bottom-pairing defender who plays 15-17 minutes per game and puts up 15-25 points. Think Nils Lundkvist

Justification for 50th Percentile Tier Assessment:

He needs to add elements to his game that he didn't show consistently in college after one year. If he develops his game as it is, then this might be his ceiling.

Stylistic Comparable:

Nils Lundkvist

Scouts Final Thoughts and Additional Stats/Info:

To be honest, I was expecting a little more offensive flair from Willander than what he has shown so far. He's a steady non-physical defender who rarely carries the puck out of his own end or into the opposition end. I think he might end up as a 20 minute NHL defender but I have some reservations.

Games Scouted:

11/17/23 University of Maine; 02/24/24 UConn