As the Vancouver Canucks battle to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they could get some help on the right side of their defence.
Tom Willander is the Canucks' top prospect on defence after they selected him 11th overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. The right-shot, 6'1" defenceman is from Sweden but has played his two post-draft seasons with Boston University in the NCAA, adapting his game to North American ice before he turns professional.
While Willander has put up modest point totals in college hockey — he had 25 points in 38 games last season and has 22 points in 34 games thus far this season — he has earned praise for his smothering defensive play. While plus/minus is an imperfect statistic, it's still worth noting that Willander is second on the Boston University Terriers with a plus-17 rating despite playing tough minutes typically on a pairing with 18-year-old freshman Sascha Boumedienne.
The Hockey East conference named Willander a Second Team All-Star for a second-straight season.
Willander has averaged 22:56 per game for the Terriers and his mobility and reads make him a nightmare for opposing forwards to play against, as he closes space quickly and breaks up plays with his active stick. In addition, Willander has a physical edge to his game and wins battles along the boards and in front of the net. There's a strong case to be made that Willander can quickly make the jump to the NHL.
This is what's so impressive about Tom Willander.
— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) February 8, 2025
Despite the offender carrying all the momentum, Willander doesn't give an inch, keeping him to the outside, thanks to his tremendous mobility and aggression. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/RNmwuSLwJn
The truth is, the Canucks could use Willander. As much as Victor Mancini has impressed in his seven games since being acquired from the New York Rangers, the Canucks' defensive depth on the right side is a bit thin. After Mancini, the Canucks have Cole McWard, Jett Woo, and Christian Felton in the AHL, none of whom seem like a safe bet to play in the NHL, as much as McWard has shown some promise.
If Willander can make the jump, he could be an upgrade on Mancini or, at the very least, give the Canucks a backup plan at a crucial time of the year. As long as Willander decides to turn pro, the Canucks can sign him as soon as his NCAA season is over and he can immediately join the Canucks' roster.
The trouble is that Willander won't be eligible to sign for a little bit longer.
Boston University is heading to the semifinals in the Hockey East Playoffs after an overtime win on Saturday over the University of Massachusetts. That game will take place on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. PST, but even if the Terriers lose to the University of Connecticut and are eliminated from the Hockey East Playoffs, that doesn't mean their season is over.
The NCAA national tournament, which culminates in the Frozen Four, involves 16 teams. The six conference champions, including the winner of the Hockey East Playoffs, will earn an automatic berth, but the remaining ten teams will be selected for the tournament on March 23. Given their record and place in the PairWise rankings, Boston University is a lock to be selected.
The national tournament kicks off with two rounds of regional play from March 27-30. The tournament is single-elimination, so Willander's season could end as early as March 27, making him available to sign with the Canucks as early as March 28, when the Canucks face the Columbus Blue Jackets on their current road trip. More realistically, March 31 or April 1 would be the dates to watch out for a Willander signing, at which point eight games would be remaining in the Canucks' season.
That would be ideal from the Canucks' point of view, giving the team enough time to get Willander into practices, evaluate his readiness, and potentially get him into some games prior to the playoffs.
If Boston University survives the first two rounds, however, they'll head to the Frozen Four, with the semifinal games taking place on April 10 and the championship game on April 12.
If the Terriers go all the way to the championship game, Willander won't be available to sign with the Canucks until April 13, with just two games left in their regular season schedule: April 14 against the San Jose Sharks and April 16 against the Vegas Golden Knights.
At that point, the Canucks' season could be over, they could be gearing up for the playoffs, or they could still be battling to make the playoffs. At that point, one has to wonder if Willander will suit up for the Canucks at all in the NHL or if he will instead head to the AHL.
All of this could be moot, of course, if Willander decides to head back to Boston University for his junior season. But all signs point to Willander signing this year.
