Prospect Info: Tom Willander: 11th Overall 2023 Draft (Rogle BK J20) - Part 02

[VIPettersson]

Juolevi was not an elite skater and he has huge work ethic issues.

Pre-draft If I recall correctly, his agility and skating were one of his strengths (smooth skating) perhaps not elite but definitely a plus trait. Injuries definitely impacted those traits however. I do agree about the work ethic issues being leaked however.

 

[arttk]

As someone who would have preferred Benson at that spot (then and now), the case for Willander is one based on asset value, not ultimate upside.

Benson's 99th percentile outcome is Martin St. Louis. Willander's equivalent is closer to right-handed Jacob Slavvin.

However, Willander's 90th percentile outcome is a guy like Brandon Carlo. Benson's is more like Nicolas Aube-Kubel or Eeli Tolvanen. IE, essentially worthless.

I still prefer Benson - he had some wild, Pettersson-esque statistical dominance in his draft year. I think he'll be a superstar. Funnily enough, I was on the other side of this argument in 2022 - I did not think Lekkerimaki was likely to hit his highest projections, and would rather have gone for the all-around D that was available: Pickering. I still believe that.

I think you are setting Willander’s ceiling a bit low. Like I said, the tools and toolbox are there, the only really question mark is his offensive game and if he can control the game when he is on the ice.
Feels like his upside would be higher than just a RHD version of Slavin.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

I think you are setting Willander’s ceiling a bit low. Like I said, the tools and toolbox are there, the only really question mark is his offensive game and if he can control the game when he is on the ice.
Feels like his upside would be higher than just a RHD version of Slavin.

Slavin is one of the best two-way defencemen (moreso on the defensive side of things) in the league

 

[Lindgren]

Wrong thread!

 

[Diversification]

I think you are setting Willander’s ceiling a bit low. Like I said, the tools and toolbox are there, the only really question mark is his offensive game and if he can control the game when he is on the ice.
Feels like his upside would be higher than just a RHD version of Slavin.

Wow. I would take that outcome all day, every day.

 

[arttk]

Wow. I would take that outcome all day, every day.

Slavin is one of the best two-way defencemen (moreso on the defensive side of things) in the league

I mean I am not saying no to it lol.

 

[Raistlin]

just a RHD version of Slavin.

I'm buying a unit facing Georgia tomorrow if we have that and QH as #1 & #1A in the first pair.

 

[IComeInPeace]

Pre-draft If I recall correctly, his agility and skating were one of his strengths (smooth skating) perhaps not elite but definitely a plus trait. Injuries definitely impacted those traits however. I do agree about the work ethic issues being leaked however.

removed because what I wrote has nothing at all to do with Willander

 

[Bankerguy]

Juolevi was not considered a strong skater in his draft class, he was a smooth skater and seen as a first pass guy like Kaberle etc. another comp i rememger reading was Hampus Lindholm.

Anyways, in regards to Willander, i think his profile is pretty solid.
Skating is elite
Compete is elite
Good size
and the last but most important thing needed to tie these three traits together is the fact that he does process the game well. Hockey IQ is seems to be good.

I'm eager to see him start with Pro development staff... and eager to see how his decision making is in the faster pace of Pro's. if he can keep up in this regard, he's a LOCK to be something.... maybe something very good

 

[Breakers]

I mean Juolevi had back surgery and hip surgery

Canucks nation knew it was over from those video clips of him
he got beat on the outside by Milan lucic

He couldn't pivot, they showed clips of him in visible pain.

He had no lateral ability
Canucks army showed he would plant his rear leg to stop then accelerate forward

You could skate in on him and just wait for him to attempt to pivot, then you attack.

 

[Breakers]

also Im petty sure he is going to stay on PP2 next season even with Hutson gone

 

[arttk]

also Im petty sure he is going to stay on PP2 next season even with Hutson gone

Doubt it, he wouldn’t commit a 2nd season if they won’t give him more offensive development opportunities.
Same thing was said about him not getting anything more than 3rd pairing minutes and look what happened this season.

 

[sting101]

Juolevi's 4 way mobility and IQ was overrated as a prospect. He was smooth but smoothness became slowness in the pros and he never had explosive speed. Fact is he had a horrendous pivot flaw that in junior was good enough but got exposed at the next level. Then he got hurt and had a poor work ethic and from 18-23 stagnated

Not all the Van scouts liked his smarts either (which was sold to the media) and in fact i talked to one who said you had to tell him exactly what to do because he wasn't able to process the game fast enough. Obviously with OJ and Virtanen the collective IQ running the show wasn't able to or didnt want to be concerned that both those 2 were not the sharpest tools in the shed and vetted them appropriately or thought that processing speed and training to improve would require intelligence.

Willander is one of the best skaters in his draft class. And it's a stacked draft class. Engagement and skating are already plus NHL level features. Some concerns with on ice processing and how much offense he might be able to add for sure but he's a bright kid who smartly chose to go the NCAA route to get a leg up in training role and North American game. It's pretty obvious that the brass was impressed by his maturity and work ethic which always bodes well for making the vital improvements 18-23 and beyond. Huge upside but it may take awhile for someone playing a relatively new position.

I'm still super bullish

 

[credulous]

also Im petty sure he is going to stay on PP2 next season even with Hutson gone

meet the new hutson, same as the old hutson

 

[arttk]

meet the new hutson, same as the old hutson

Pandolfo is not going to gift pp1 time to a rookie over another high profile guy that has already earned his trust.. that happens at no level of hockey unless the rookie is extraordinary and even then would still take a couple of months to take care over

 

[credulous]

Pandolfo is not going to gift pp1 time to a rookie over another high profile guy that has already earned his trust.. that happens at no level of hockey unless the rookie is extraordinary and even then would still take a couple of months to take care over

why wouldn't he? he played lane over the incumbent (and team captain) fensore last year after fensore was a hobey nominee

 

[arttk]

why wouldn't he? he played lane over the incumbent (and team captain) fensore last year after fensore was a hobey nominee

Because Lane Hutson earned it? it’s a weird assumption that because his brother earned his spot, therefore that spot will transfer to his little brother because bloodline.
If anything, the opportunity will go to Willander first and if he doesn’t do anything with it then it will go to somebody else.

 

[credulous]

no one is saying willander won't get an opportunity but cole hutson is very very good and it would not be surprising if he's the terriers main offensive weapon next year (unless celebrini sticks around)

 

[arttk]

no one is saying willander won't get an opportunity but cole hutson is very very good and it would not be surprising if he's the terriers main offensive weapon next year (unless celebrini sticks around)

Pp1 spot is going to be Willander’s spot to lose. There is a reason that he chose to go to BU post draft and committed to 2 years, it has to be because he was recruited based on some type of development plan. We saw things played out this year where he earned 1st paring ice time and became the main defensive guy. He is going to get first dibs on prime offensive opportunities and be the go to guy otherwise why the hell would he be there for the 2nd season?

 

[Breakers]

He lost the guy he played with 70% of the time to Toronto signing

Probably back to celebrini
But Celebrini is is kind of a JAG just another guy.

thank god case McCarthy is gone

 

[Bobby9]

As someone who would have preferred Benson at that spot (then and now), the case for Willander is one based on asset value, not ultimate upside.

Benson's 99th percentile outcome is Martin St. Louis. Willander's equivalent is closer to right-handed Jacob Slavvin.

However, Willander's 90th percentile outcome is a guy like Brandon Carlo. Benson's is more like Nicolas Aube-Kubel or Eeli Tolvanen. IE, essentially worthless.

I still prefer Benson - he had some wild, Pettersson-esque statistical dominance in his draft year. I think he'll be a superstar. Funnily enough, I was on the other side of this argument in 2022 - I did not think Lekkerimaki was likely to hit his highest projections, and would rather have gone for the all-around D that was available: Pickering. I still believe that.

Yeah, no.

Willander plays more like Dan Boyle than he does Slavin

 

[beardo]

Not saying he's Juolevi but again when we draft for position over the best player available (Benson), it's playing with fire. More than likely we'll get burned yet again and Benson will be an allstar and Willander a #5 or #6 dman. I just don't get why teams want to invest years into developing a project and hope he turns into a top 4 dman someday. They say oh you can't draft these guys (top 4 two way dmen especially RD) but they get traded every year or you can pick them up as UFAs. You take the most talented player available in the draft, who cares if he's a winger or smaller center. Dallas does this every year and they end up with the Stankovens and Johnsons of the world. You can always trade prospects or picks for proven dmen.

 

[arttk]

Yeah, no.

Willander plays more like Dan Boyle than he does Slavin

Isn’t Boyle an offensive D?

 

[VanJack]

Kind of amusing that when it comes to assessing the potential of Wilander, that the name of Juolevi should keep coming up. But I guess with the sorry history of Canucks drafting d-man, it's only natural that fans would be uneasy.

But call me a 'died in the wool optimist' , I really don't think the current front office would ever make that kind of colossal mistake with their first round draft pick. Wilander will be fine, and still on track for an eventual top-four role in Vancouver.

 

[Wry n Ginger]

Well f*** me. Click on a post hoping an update on the prospect in the title, but no, mostly just "doods" replying to each other and blah blah blah.

Willander...any new news on him? No? Ok, let the thread go dormant until something happens...sweet...