Tom Willander | D

[Fred65]

14 minutes ago, SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME said:

Defintiely not the best defenceman to ever play for Vancouver. I’m not sure Edler even cracks the top-5. But best career for a defenceman in a Canucks uniform? IMO, Edler a pretty clear #1. Certainly he leads in most of the important categories, like games/minutes played and the various counting stats. Quinn Hughes will surpass him eventually on most of the numbers, if not all. And hopefully he will be here long enough to take the GP lead as well. Hughes will likely be remembered as the best defenceman to ever wear a Canucks uniform, as well as the defenceman with the best career as a Canuck (assuming he stays here), when all’s said and done.

Ohlund was the man, consistent thoughout and remember Tamps brought him over with pretty good money to mentor Headman, that says a lot in my books. Plus of course he only had partial vision in one eye. I used to love that move he and Sopel used to make on the PP at the blue line.. Ohlund would drift further  and further towards the middle and then Sopel on the right side would suddenly skate behind into the open sapce created by Ohlund and walk in  for a cannon of a shot. Magic

[coho8888]

22 hours ago, Fred65 said:

That was my read. Reinhart wanted to move to the lower mainland to go into the finance relam for post hockeey as I recall, his sons of course look pretty good. Ohlund mman what a D'man, he was a horse and just eat up minutes annd as you said  tough. Jovanoski, naw he came with a reputaion and man was he a tough kid ( Deadmarsh will attest to that ) but  he wasn't always the smartest or reliable guy with the puck on his stick, but man would he be a great fit todays roster. The pairing of Sopel and Ohlund was pretty darm good and I was happy when he won the SC!

It would be a toss up between Ohlund and Reinhart for me.  Jovo also had another nickname “Special Ed”.

 

it’s sad that we never got to see what Bourdon would have become.  He would have been in his prime during our cup run.  The kid had an adult body at his draft.  Big player with great wheels and a cannon for a shot. 

[204CanucksFan]

12 hours ago, SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME said:

Defintiely not the best defenceman to ever play for Vancouver. I’m not sure Edler even cracks the top-5. But best career for a defenceman in a Canucks uniform? IMO, Edler a pretty clear #1. Certainly he leads in most of the important categories, like games/minutes played and the various counting stats. Quinn Hughes will surpass him eventually on most of the numbers, if not all. And hopefully he will be here long enough to take the GP lead as well. Hughes will likely be remembered as the best defenceman to ever wear a Canucks uniform, as well as the defenceman with the best career as a Canuck (assuming he stays here), when all’s said and done.

Exactly. It's great that we got a bigger, mobile, puck moving dman to be Quinns future partner. Too many people here dismiss just how amazing what Quinn has done since he's begun in the NHL just because he's not 6'+ and 200lbs+. 

 

The simple fact is that since he has joined the NHL, Quinn Hughes has been the best puck distributor from the blue line in the entire NHL.

[Fred65]

It was a tragedy that Edler was let go, and replaced by OEL. No competant management would do such a thing. Edler immedatelly sign in LA and a fraction of the cost of OEL

 

LA coach on Edller

Quote

"Eddy has arguably been our best defenseman when Drew was out,

 

Edited July 9, 2023 by Fred65

[Ray_Cathode]

13 hours ago, 204CanucksFan said:

Exactly. It's great that we got a bigger, mobile, puck moving dman to be Quinns future partner. Too many people here dismiss just how amazing what Quinn has done since he's begun in the NHL just because he's not 6'+ and 200lbs+. 

 

The simple fact is that since he has joined the NHL, Quinn Hughes has been the best puck distributor from the blue line in the entire NHL.

I'm not sure that Quinn would be helped by being paired with another puck mover. I can't think of a circumstance where I'd want anyone he would be paired with moving the puck/ The beauty of Qinn is that you can pair him with a number fiver six defenceman (so long as he can play defence) and it will work out for the best. That;s why it worked with Schenn and with Juulsen. Quinn's partner just has to suppress his ego and do play a supporting role. Put him with another great puck mover and you won't have enough pucks on the ice.

[204CanucksFan]

6 hours ago, Ray_Cathode said:

I'm not sure that Quinn would be helped by being paired with another puck mover. I can't think of a circumstance where I'd want anyone he would be paired with moving the puck/ The beauty of Qinn is that you can pair him with a number fiver six defenceman (so long as he can play defence) and it will work out for the best. That;s why it worked with Schenn and with Juulsen. Quinn's partner just has to suppress his ego and do play a supporting role. Put him with another great puck mover and you won't have enough pucks on the ice.

This makes no sense to me. Why on Earth would we keep pairing Hughes with plugs? We can actually (in a couple years) pair him with a talented partner to help him.

 

You assume that these two players would hog the puck and try to do everything themselves. These are professionals in a team based sport that know how to work together. Imagine, if you were Hughes, and you knew that every shift it was all on you to get the puck out from back end and transition to offence because all the other guy can do is clear the crease. This means the opposition knows that the other dman can't skate with the puck so pressure him but pinch towards Hughes because it's almost 100% going to him.

 

Soon he could have a partner that's big enough to clear most forwards and can still skate with the puck and be a threat in transition. It gives us much better chances to effectively breakout and keep the other team guessing.

 

Do you think that Colorado ever thinks that Makar and Toews are too good of puck movers and should play them on separate pairs with fringe players?

Edited July 10, 2023 by 204CanucksFan

[Fred65]

We always seem to forget the times Hughes messes up, it's not often but just like the horse in the parade you need some one clening up afterwards. And there's a school of thought that putting all you eggs in one basket leaves the other pairing vunerable. Don't make it easy on the opposition.

[Ray_Cathode]

On 7/9/2023 at 7:04 PM, 204CanucksFan said:

This makes no sense to me. Why on Earth would we keep pairing Hughes with plugs? We can actually (in a couple years) pair him with a talented partner to help him.

 

You assume that these two players would hog the puck and try to do everything themselves. These are professionals in a team based sport that know how to work together. Imagine, if you were Hughes, and you knew that every shift it was all on you to get the puck out from back end and transition to offence because all the other guy can do is clear the crease. This means the opposition knows that the other dman can't skate with the puck so pressure him but pinch towards Hughes because it's almost 100% going to him.

 

Soon he could have a partner that's big enough to clear most forwards and can still skate with the puck and be a threat in transition. It gives us much better chances to effectively breakout and keep the other team guessing.

 

Do you think that Colorado ever thinks that Makar and Toews are too good of puck movers and should play them on separate pairs with fringe players?

I deal in reality, not dreams. Colorado has a team rich in puck movers on D. We do not. Two out of our three D units struggled to move the puck out of our zone. That’s why we spend so much damn time in our zone and are constantly chasing the play and Hughes is pushed to unrealistic minutes. Spreading out the puck movers enables us to spend less time in our zone and also grants Hughes some measure of physical protection. Maybe you have noticed how much time Makar spends injured.

 

 

 

Edited July 14, 2023 by Ray_Cathode

[Smashian Kassian]

On 7/3/2023 at 7:57 AM, DownUndaCanuck said:

So, Edler then? I'd be stoked if Willander becomes a RD Edler and I think he can be. Good size, good frame, good poise, good skating and good passing. Nothing fantastic like Hughes but just good at everything. 

 

I know Hughes will overtake him soon but Edler still is the best defenceman this franchise has had so if we can replicate that on the right side then this is a winner of a pick. I'd be happy with 30-40 points for most seasons and solid defensive play.

 

He's really more of a Tanev but a more fluid skater & with a physical edge. Also might have more to give offensively.

 

He's very smart defensively off the puck & his skating makes him a really strong rush defender, then he has the competitiveness & presence of mind to play an effective physical game when the opportunities present themselves.

 

Its going to be a guy you want playing against other top players. I'm really excited about this kid he'll jump in and make an impact relatively quickly imo. Not saying he'll step into a top role & won't have to learn but you'll see the signs right away & he'll get their with his character+work ethic. 

 

Again really excited. This was a great pick imo. Can't find these kind of players anywhere without handing over an arm & a leg. 

[DownUndaCanuck]

4 hours ago, Smashian Kassian said:

 

He's really more of a Tanev but a more fluid skater & with a physical edge. Also might have more to give offensively.

 

He's very smart defensively off the puck & his skating makes him a really strong rush defender, then he has the competitiveness & presence of mind to play an effective physical game when the opportunities present themselves.

 

Its going to be a guy you want playing against other top players. I'm really excited about this kid he'll jump in and make an impact relatively quickly imo. Not saying he'll step into a top role & won't have to learn but you'll see the signs right away & he'll get their with his character+work ethic. 

 

Again really excited. This was a great pick imo. Can't find these kind of players anywhere without handing over an arm & a leg. 

Yeah great pick, I was always going to be happy with Willander over ASP to be honest, mainly because of how well he is defensively and how strong he looked even at the WJC where some would say he was the leader on defence for Sweden.

 

You have to wonder though if we would have taken Simashev or Reinbacher if they were available - I think we probably ranked Reinbacher as top dog so not surprised he goes so highly.

[Alflives]

2 hours ago, DownUndaCanuck said:

Yeah great pick, I was always going to be happy with Willander over ASP to be honest, mainly because of how well he is defensively and how strong he looked even at the WJC where some would say he was the leader on defence for Sweden.

 

You have to wonder though if we would have taken Simashev or Reinbacher if they were available - I think we probably ranked Reinbacher as top dog so not surprised he goes so highly.

IMHAO we take Willander ahead of Reinbacher. That guy looks like a bustaroo bonsai. 

[Nucker 67]

The upside with Willander was too much to pass on. The Canucks weren't going to risk losing him by moving down. They wanted their guy and they got him.

 

That great skating, and his big brain, the maturity and focus on becoming better. He's still a kid and already a pretty big player. Just wait until he grows into a man and has a couple of extra years development. IMO, Willander will be one of the best D in the league in 5 years. 

 

 

[Mathew Barzal]

Watched a bunch of footage and interviews with this kid and he’s the first person since Horvat I’ve got captain vibes from. Some people like Hughes/Pettersson but I just don’t see it with those guys.

 

Willander commands himself like a leader, mature beyond his years and has confidence to back it up. Big fan of this pick.

[-Vintage Canuck-]

 

[HorvatToBaertschi]

1 hour ago, Mathew Barzal said:

Watched a bunch of footage and interviews with this kid and he’s the first person since Horvat I’ve got captain vibes from. Some people like Hughes/Pettersson but I just don’t see it with those guys.

 

Willander commands himself like a leader, mature beyond his years and has confidence to back it up. Big fan of this pick.

Hughes has been subtly and slowly turning into an excellent candidate for captain. He is the most competitive player on our team, defends his teammates (verbally) and handles the media incredibly well, without all the extra aspects that Miller brings, for instance. I think Miller should be the captain, but I would be ecstatic if it was Hughes as well. 

 

I do agree that Willander is clearly cut from the same leadership cloth that Horvat was at the same age. You could tell he was going to wear the C one day, and I get a similar feeling from TW. 

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

10 hours ago, HorvatToBaertschi said:

Hughes has been subtly and slowly turning into an excellent candidate for captain. He is the most competitive player on our team, defends his teammates (verbally) and handles the media incredibly well, without all the extra aspects that Miller brings, for instance. I think Miller should be the captain, but I would be ecstatic if it was Hughes as well. 

 

I do agree that Willander is clearly cut from the same leadership cloth that Horvat was at the same age. You could tell he was going to wear the C one day, and I get a similar feeling from TW. 

I agree about Hughes. Earlier in his career, I worried that he might be too self-critical and negative to be a good captain, but as he’s matured, he seems to be finding the right balance between being ultra competitive and maintaining a very high standard, but also being able to have a short memory and shake and shrug off negativity, focusing on the next game and looking forward. Hughes is highly intelligent and a true student of the game, with a remarkable ability to have almost perfect, photographic memory-like recall of plays from games going back several years. He’s a fascinating interview, when he’s actually asked good questions. And I’m sure he’s well respected by his teammates and coaches. I could see him being an excellent captain and undoubtedly he’s already one of the leaders of this team.

[Maddogy]

I recall many Canucks fans including The Hockey Guy bitched and complained during the 2017 draft that Elias Pettersson was a crap pick over the other centres and that Jim Benning should have moved down in the first round to maximize value. I am hearing the same bitching and complaining now. It’s pretty reasonable to say that the Canucks internally perceived the choice between Willander and Benson as top pairing D vs top 6 winger. Time will tell if the Canucks’ scouts got over excited but I would not be surprised if they are proven right.

[Ghostsof1915]

On 7/9/2023 at 11:16 AM, Fred65 said:

It was a tragedy that Edler was let go, and replaced by OEL. No competant management would do such a thing. Edler immedatelly sign in LA and a fraction of the cost of OEL

 

LA coach on Edller

 

I don't think they looked at OEL as an Edler replacement. Benning thought he'd get back to his 44 point ways with our group. Not being realistic that he was starting to lose his speed. This team needed a capologist, and one that would tell Benning, don't do it. In the end he painted himself into a corner, was trying to use flexseal to plug all the holes.

But the water was just flooding in too fast. Maybe if they kept Linden and kept the slow and steady approach....

[Ghostsof1915]

Willander is sure showing his commitment to playing in the NHL, by taking the NCAA route. He's getting the best of both worlds. Good foundations in Sweden, and learning the North American game in Boston. I hope Willander and Celebrini learn to be rock solid defenders.

 

I'm still not sold on Lekkerimaki, you can see his skill set why he was chosen. I just think Ohgren, Pickering, or Gaucher would have been better choices.

 

But hey, I'm the guy that got stoked about Kole Lind in the 2nd round. Lol.

[kenhodgejr]

On 7/15/2023 at 9:31 AM, Ghostsof1915 said:

Willander is sure showing his commitment to playing in the NHL, by taking the NCAA route. He's getting the best of both worlds. Good foundations in Sweden, and learning the North American game in Boston. I hope Willander and Celebrini learn to be rock solid defenders.

 

I'm still not sold on Lekkerimaki, you can see his skill set why he was chosen. I just think Ohgren, Pickering, or Gaucher would have been better choices.

 

But hey, I'm the guy that got stoked about Kole Lind in the 2nd round. Lol.

I agree about Lekkerimaki, I was really high on Ohgren during that draft. With the Kole Lind draft I was really high on Nikolas Hague who would have been a way better pick, and during Virtanens draft I was going for Nick Ritchie. For Juolevis draft I was ok with either Juolevi or Sergachev. But I might have taken Tkachuk after seeing him drop then with Petterssons draft I wanted Vilardi. This draft I would have taken Willander at their spot over Benson. 

 

Im clearly not right on all of them but time will tell.