2023 NHL Draft: What they're saying about Canucks' decide of Tom Willander

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Patrik Allvin received his man on day one on the NHL Entry Draft.

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On the draft mix earlier this month, Allvin and his Vancouver Canucks workers got here away impressed by Tom Willander, the Swedish defenceman who apparently has all of the instruments. They set him close to the highest of their checklist.

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And there he was, out there to be drafted at eleventh general on Wednesday night in Nashville.

Allvin stated Wednesday night that every one the gamers they’d rated above Willander had been gone from the checklist, that Willander was the most effective participant nonetheless out there of their eyes.

It’s believed there have been no less than two presents on the desk for the Canucks’ eleventh general decide — Allvin was noticed in dialog with Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams, proprietor of the thirteenth general choice, shortly earlier than the Canucks’ flip to draft and the Canucks’ GM additionally took a name on his desk telephone earlier than heading as much as decide, presumably from one other staff not far behind the Canucks within the draft order — however Allvin was set on selecting Willander.

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“I might see him being a man who can eat loads of minutes and play with Quinn Hughes and utilized in a shutdown position due to the best way he skates and his I.Q. There’s undoubtedly an pleasure from our workers,” he advised Sportsnet after making the choice.

Willander is headed to Boston College, certainly one of many robust NCAA hockey packages in Beantown. A yr or two of collegiate hockey would do him effectively.

Willander, by the best way, has Todd Diamond as his household adviser — the NCAA doesn’t let you’ve gotten an agent, although that’s what Diamond is — and Diamond is aware of the Canucks effectively, for higher or worse, from his work representing Nikita Tryamkin, the Russian big that Jim Benning drafted in 2014 and managed to get to Vancouver for a yr.

For essentially the most half, analysts say the Canucks made a robust decide, although most pre-draft rankings had Willander nearer to twenty on their lists than 10.

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• Elite Prospects’ Cam Robinson advised Postmedia he likes Willander as a prospect, although noting the likes of Zach Benson had been nonetheless out there when the Canucks picked. Clearly Allvin sees a participant with even greater upside than the super-skilled centre from the Fraser Valley, Robinson concluded.

In his evaluation, Robinson pointed to one thing Allvin advised reporters going into this yr’s draft.

“We all the time search for the best potential with a participant. Not simply subsequent yr, however once they’re between 23 and 25,” Allvin stated. “You’re searching for difference-makers there. We are going to goal the most effective participant out there based mostly on upside.”

Allvin was unequivocal: they received that participant.

• Robinson additionally spoke with Canucks proprietor Francesco Aquilini close to the draft ground on Wednesday; Aquilini acknowledged the Canucks might have traded again within the first spherical — they’d have added a second rounder within the course of — however his GM selected to remain put.

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“However ultimately, the danger of lacking out on the Swedish blueliner was not value it. The group is extraordinarily excessive on the 18-year-old,” Robinson reported Aquilini advised him.

• SiriusXM NHL analyst Shane Malloy advised Postmedia Willander was a terrific decide for the Canucks.

“That was a extremely good decide and it was precisely what the Canucks wanted,” he stated. “I had Willander at 13 on my checklist, finest general skater within the draft.”

• TSN’s Craig Button can be a giant, massive fan of Willander and had him because the eighth-best prospect out there. After the Canucks’ choice, he in contrast Willander to the likes of Rasmus Andersson or Charlie McAvoy, two very sensible defencemen who make good selections with the puck in their very own finish and drive play up the ice with excessive consistency.

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• The Athletic’s Corey Pronman sees good potential in Willander, although in contrast him to a defender in a distinct tier from Button’s: he stated he noticed Mike Matheson within the younger Swede.

That stated, he stated Willander is among the finest skaters within the 2023 draft and believes he’s already the Canucks’ high prospect, “a younger defence expertise they desperately wanted.”

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