Tom Willander is a key piece of the Vancouver Canucks’ pipeline of young defencemen. The young Swede is gaining valuable NHL experience at such a young age as he navigates the preliminary stages of his career.
After being selected 11th overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Willander went off to the NCAA to play for the Boston University Terriers and also represented his country twice at the World Junior Championships.
Canucks Assistant Coach Kevin Dean enjoys working with young defencemen as they embark on their NHL careers, and what Willander is doing at such a young age is making Dean excited to see where he can be in the coming years.
Willander picked up his first multi-point game on Wednesday in Anaheim, and yes, offence is one of his strengths, but Dean has been pleasantly surprised with how Willander uses his hockey IQ in the defensive zone.
“He thinks defensively really well. He goes back hard on pucks. He’s willing to use body position; he’s willing to take a hit to make a play, which is terrific,” said Dean.
“Tom is working on angles and stick positioning. He is getting in on guys’ hands, stripping the puck and then going from there.”
When Dean was coming into the NHL, he joined a very talented New Jersey Devils team that had an emerging star on defence, and Dean says that the way Willander defends reminds him of the now Hall of Famer.
“Scott Niedermayer is a Hall of Famer, but he was a defence-first guy too. Or at least the coaches made him that way,” Dean said with a laugh.
“Scott still had plenty of offence, and I think that’s what Tom’s game is about too. Tom goes back hard on pucks. He’s willing to use body position, and he’s willing to take a hit to make a play, which is terrific.”
Dean says he has been impressed by how Willander has smoothly adjusted to playing against pros, compared to NCAA-level competition. Playing for Sweden in international men’s games helped prepare him for the older, stronger competition, and Willander even said those games benefited his game because he had NHL-quality teammates, including Canucks defenceman Marcus Pettersson.
“I think closing in on corners and board-play is one of my strengths, and I think it’s been that way for a while,” said Willander.
“That’s an important part of defence, not giving good players time. And I think if you’re good at it, you can limit your defensive zone time a lot by closing space. I enjoy playing that way; it’s more fun that way. And it’s more efficient, but I also think it’s fun to have a good battle.”
Willander says his thought process when jumping over the boards revolves around defence-first, but from there, he enjoys getting involved in the offence and is really enjoying his shifts with Canucks’ captain Quinn Hughes.
“When you’re on the sheet with him, he’s such a skilled player, and he’s so good at holding the puck. So, if I can use my skating to get open and get speed, I think there are a lot of possibilities. I feel like we had two or three of those in the last game,” said Willander.
He added that jumping on for a shift with Hughes raises his confidence on the ice and that he is getting pucks in better positions, which opens up his game and allows him to use his strong skating skills in the offensive zone.
“He is putting me in good spots pretty much all the time, so that makes it easy for me, especially with the puck,” said Willander. “Whenever I’m getting out with Quinn in the offensive zone, I’m having a blast.”
Dean sees the excitement from Willander when he gets the call to go for a shift with Hughes, and likes how the duo can transport the puck from the defensive zone and create offence.
“At the age that Tom is at, he’s probably been watching Quinn for three or four years, and is thinking, ‘oh my god, this guy’s good’. Now he is playing alongside him, and it’s a lot of fun, right? So, good for Tom for stepping up, making the team, and being a part of that pairing. That’s another pair that could be good going forward, too. Because they complement each other,” said Dean.
Willander knows to stick to the process as he grows his NHL game. The 20-year-old knows that there are levels of development that will need to occur in his game, but likes how his pro career has begun after reflecting on his first run of NHL games.
“I think it’s been pretty good. I think some areas are obviously still lacking, for sure, but I think getting a little bit more acclimated to the game, I can start focusing a little bit more on contributing than just not being a liability as much on the sheet. It feels good that it’s going in that direction a little bit. I can start to use my tools a little bit more, and start having a bit more fun out there,” said Willander.
The growth in Willander’s game is going to be exciting to watch for Canucks fans in the next few years. He has already drawn praise for what he can do while playing in the best league in the world, and there’s more to come from the 2023 first-round pick.
“I think there is more offence to come. He’s going to get good looks, and he’s got a good release. I think his instincts are great. He competes hard on the puck. He’s willing to put himself in harm’s way. I think he’s going to be a really good 200-foot defenceman, which is what every team is looking for,” said Dean.
