May 16th, 2025
Alex Rickman
After a turbulent few weeks, Canucks top prospect Tom Willander has finally signed an entry level contract and will be making the jump to professional hockey for the upcoming season.
While under normal circumstances a prospect like Willander signing would not cause an entire fanbase to breathe a sigh of relief, these are far from normal times in the Canucks fanbase. At one point just a few short months ago, it seemed a sure thing that Willander would sign with the Canucks at the conclusion of his season with Boston University, and the possibility was even there that he could make his NHL debut before the end of the season. In recent weeks, however, things got murky, and it seemed as if Willander’s NHL future may not have been in Vancouver after all.
Negotiations hit a snag a while ago while discussing the bonus structure on Willander’s contract, with reports indicating that a difference of a mere $200K was the snag keeping the Swedish rearguard from signing in Vancouver, and potentially creating relationship problems between the player and the organization. Now, following over a month of worry from Canucks fans as to whether or not the bridge between Vancouver and Willander had been burned, we can seemingly put that worry to bed.
So, what can we expect to see from Willander with the Canucks next season? For now, expect Willander to start next season in the AHL as a member of the Abbotsford Canucks, where an easier adjustment to the professional game can be made and the coaching staff that have shown a knack for fostering young talent can work to sharpen Willander’s game before he makes the jump to the NHL. However, with an impressive enough display in the AHL, or potentially even just through training camp and the preseason, Willander will likely be given a chance to make his NHL debut sometime next season, and fans may not have to wait too long to see him play at Rogers Arena.
When Willander does make the jump to the NHL, fans can expect to see a player reminiscent in some ways of Elias Pettersson, Second of His Name. Willander won’t wow fans with his offensive game, but he can provide a sturdy, cerebral defensive presence, lending hope to fans that one day he could make the ideal partner on the right side for Quinn Hughes should his development reach its full potential. Pairing a presence like Willander, who is definitely defence-first but has the potential to provide some ability offensively, would be ideal to partner with a more dynamic player like Hughes, much like we’ve seen from Hughes in the past when paired with Chris Tanev and Luke Schenn. A lot needs to go right for this to be the pairing of the future in Vancouver, but the mere potential that we could one day see this duo together is reason to be excited.
Of course, like with any young player, it’s important not to expect Willander to be the complete package the moment he sets foot on NHL ice. Development takes time, especially for young defencemen, and if Willander makes some mistakes during the early stages of his career, that’s to be expected. What’s important is that Willander is entering into an environment in which he should be well supported by what promises to be the best defence we’ve seen in Vancouver in many years, and where he will be led by a Head Coach in Adam Foote who has done wonders in Vancouver giving defencemen the chance to be the best versions of themselves on the ice.
The future is wildly uncertain in Vancouver right now, but it’s good to know that we no longer have to worry about what the future holds for Tom Willander. The thought of the Canucks possibly ruining their relationship with their top prospect was a scary one, and would have likely created an even more difficult situation for Vancouver’s front office to navigate than the already choppy seas on the path back to respectability, so Willander signing his entry level deal is a big weight off the shoulders of Canucks fans. We may not know what the next few months will hold for the Canucks, but it’s good to know that Willander will be a part of the future of this team.