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Re Drance's Athletic article:

-He says he's heard from team sources that the Canucks will exercise their option for next season on Tocchet even if they can't agree on an extension. The Canucks consider Tocchet their coach for next season. Period.

-The Canucks are not only confident they can sign Tom Willander upon completion of his college playoff run, but that they can sign him under their preferred scenario where he doesn't go straight into the NHL lineup to burn a year of his entry level deal a la, say, Aidan McDonough, but signs a contract that starts in 25-26 so that he can sign an AHL PTO with Abbotsford and join them for the playoffs. This is best for the kid's development and I have seen many teams convince their top prospects to do this, but not the Canucks. Until now, apparently. This will be an interesting story to watch.

The sense I’ve got is that the club feels confident about getting the Willander deal done quickly after BU’s season ends and about having him join Abbotsford this season.

While there is some benefit for a young player in getting through their first NHL contract as quickly as possible, from a long-term development perspective, logging major minutes at the American League level while adapting to the demands and pace of professional hockey tends to be the most beneficial path. Especially given the blue-line dynamic the Canucks are currently juggling.

The Canucks are confident Willander could contribute usefully at the NHL level right away, if required. The problem is that the Canucks are in a tooth-and-nail race for the second wild-card spot in the West, and are already rotating a pair of young defenders in Victor Mancini and Elias Pettersson on the third pair. On most nights, Pettersson and Mancini are playing less than 15 minutes.

Willander, if he were to join the Canucks at the NHL level immediately, would be fighting to get into games and would be looking at 12-15 minutes per night.

It will be a different story if Willander starts his professional journey in the American League. He would play a top-four role, log major minutes and could compete in the Calder Cup playoffs. By leaps and bounds, he’d get more useful reps in Abbotsford.

The goal for both sides, after all, isn’t for Willander to make his NHL debut as soon as possible. It’s for Willander to position himself to be an NHL regular right from the get-go next season.

Probably pencil in pairing each young Dman with a vet next season:

Hughes Hronek
Meaty Willander
DPetey Myers
Mancini

Don’t think Forbort will resign for the available 7th Dman role.

Picker of Cherries wrote: ↑Sat Mar 29, 2025 1:49 pm Probably pencil in pairing each young Dman with a vet next season:

Hughes Hronek
Meaty Willander
DPetey Myers
Mancini

Don’t think Forbort will resign for the available 7th Dman role.

Rutherford's M/O has always been to slow cook prospects much longer than we are used to in Vancouver. I doubt willander starts next year with the big club unless he stands out dramatically

He definitely will get a taste this year if he is done in college

Willander will need some cooking time in the AHL, he’ll get some cups of coffee here n there due to players getting injured but he’ll start in the A

Chef Boi RD wrote: ↑Sat Mar 29, 2025 2:07 pm Willander will need some cooking time in the AHL, he’ll get some cups of coffee here n there due to players getting injured but he’ll start in the A

*Unless he pops in training camp.

NCAA is a helluva development League these days. There's far more of these kids coming out of college NHL ready than ever before. Not saying TW is or not just that they have top shelf programs

I think he is penciled in. He will have to earn it, but he will be a top prospect in his draft +3 season who seems to be doing very well. Add in ending the season in Abby and going to the playoffs with them, and then getting a full off-season of training. I think he’ll be one of the top six to start next season in the NHL.

Cousin Strawberry wrote: ↑Sat Mar 29, 2025 2:38 pm

Chef Boi RD wrote: ↑Sat Mar 29, 2025 2:07 pm Willander will need some cooking time in the AHL, he’ll get some cups of coffee here n there due to players getting injured but he’ll start in the A

*Unless he pops in training camp.

NCAA is a helluva development League these days. There's far more of these kids coming out of college NHL ready than ever before. Not saying TW is or not just that they have top shelf programs

According to the Drance article (if we can trust Drance , the preference is to sign him to an AHL PTO so he can play a bunch of regular-season and playoff games down in Abby and then ideally start next season in Vancouver. It's far better for his development, but it would extend his ELC by an extra year. We'll see if he craves instant reward or not.

Picker of Cherries wrote: ↑Sat Mar 29, 2025 2:52 pm I think he is penciled in. He will have to earn it, but he will be a top prospect in his draft +3 season who seems to be doing very well. Add in ending the season in Abby and going to the playoffs with them, and then getting a full off-season of training. I think he’ll be one of the top six to start next season in the NHL.

I think that's the ticket right there PoC.

Silovs returns to Abby today. https://x.com/Canucks/status/1906085066897268960

Stream the Abbotsford game for free here https://x.com/FloHockey/status/1906104329070641329

and on the AHL Facebook page. Puck drop is now.

Somebody watch and join me in the Abby thread please

Willander's Boston University has defeated Cornell in overtime to advance to the Frozen Four.


https://www.collegehockeynews.com/sched ... eboard.php

Megaterio Llamas wrote: ↑Sat Mar 29, 2025 4:18 pm Willander's Boston University has defeated Cornell in overtime to advance to the Frozen Four.

Great experience for the kid!

Cornuck wrote: ↑Sat Mar 29, 2025 4:38 pm

Megaterio Llamas wrote: ↑Sat Mar 29, 2025 4:18 pm Willander's Boston University has defeated Cornell in overtime to advance to the Frozen Four.

Great experience for the kid!

Cornuck, your thoughts on my signature? It’s like a billboard.

Mëds wrote: ↑Sat Mar 29, 2025 9:34 am I would sooner trade Pettersson in a center for center swap and see Demko re-signing here for reasonable cash and term because when he is healthy he is HoF good.

Even when we had all our talent together, this includes Horvat. The team really only had two nuclear weapons. As good as JT, Petey, and Bo are/were, I would consider Hughes and Demko the only two guys who can make the difference between winning and losing all on their own. Just a damn shame we couldn't use one of those weapons in the playoffs more often.

But guess what, they're both still here. Why fuck with it? Let's try to work with it, try to get him healthy and back in form. And find ways to build around those two while they're here. Because why not, the team has already committed to short term fixes approach to winning, and what better chance will you have for quick success than a goalie who can win games all by himself? So do whatever you can to give it a good shot next year. Again, don't ask me how. All I know is it'd be stupid to try and win now by moving your second biggest weapon.

Perhaps, like you suggested, we need to explore the Petey trade. I'm all for it if there's something out there that's less risky than the hope of him returning to form.

Not sure how much you can go by the WJC but based on Willander's play there past couple years he looked as NHL ready as anybody. Moreso than DPetey and maybe even Sandin Pellikka despite the impressive numbers.