The Vancouver Canucks selection of Swedish defenceman Tom Willander with the 11th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft on Wednesday was well-received by some while others questioned the pick.
Your opinion on the matter basically boils down to your draft philosophy.
Do you draft according to need or do you draft the best player available?
For Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin the teamB次元官网网址檚 selection ticked both boxes as he claimed that Willander was the B次元官网网址榖est player availableB次元官网网址� at the 11th pick and by also filling an organizational need for a right-shot defenceman.
Long-time draft analyst Shane Malloy of Hockey Prospect Radio on Sirius XM was on board with the Canucks choice.
B次元官网网址淚 really liked the pick as I had him projected 13th overall. HeB次元官网网址檚 the best all-round skater in this draft class. ItB次元官网网址檚 a fortunate convergence, where the best player available on the board and the positional needs for the organization happen at the same time,B次元官网网址� explains Malloy, who was covering his 18th NHL Entry Draft.
B次元官网网址淎nd for me, I project him as a number three defenseman, but a lynchpin number three who will be capable of killing penalties, stepping into the power play and the type of player that you can throw against the other teamB次元官网网址檚 top lines because heB次元官网网址檚 so mobile that he takes away time and space.B次元官网网址�
Others werenB次元官网网址檛 so sure with many feeling that the Canucks would have been better off by selecting Winnipeg Ice forward Zach Benson. Benson was chosen two picks later at 13th overall by the Buffalo Sabres.
J.D. Burke of EP Rinkside, one of the top draft analysts in the industry, had a different opinion on the Willander pick.
B次元官网网址淣ot much suspense with the Canucks at 11. Tom Willander is the pick, addressing an area of significant need in the system (RD). ItB次元官网网址檚 not an egregious reach by any means, but certainly not the pick IB次元官网网址檇 have made given how the board fell. Zach Benson was the play. Full stop,B次元官网网址� tweeted Burke.
But according to Malloy, the Canucks selection of Willander also boiled down to their projection of Benson.
B次元官网网址淎t the end of the day, you have to decide what you think what Benson is. Is he a second-line scoring winger? Because if thatB次元官网网址檚 the case, then I personally value number three defenseman over second line wingers every time because you have to look at the acquisition cost of a number three defenseman in free agency,B次元官网网址� said Malloy.
B次元官网网址淟ook at the cost if you trade for number three defenseman and how rare and valuable they are. If you can get one as a draft pick, you hang onto those for dear life. ItB次元官网网址檚 so much easier to find a potential second line winger. DonB次元官网网址檛 get me wrong. I really like Benson. HeB次元官网网址檚 dynamic and he really drove the Winnipeg Ice considering that he had a couple of first round picks ahead of him, but at the end of the day for me, IB次元官网网址檒l always take the defenseman. If everything is equal, IB次元官网网址檒l take the defenseman over the winger every day.B次元官网网址�
Willander is set to go to Boston University this fall in an attempt to transition to the North American game and itB次元官网网址檚 a move that will be good for his development according to Malloy.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 actually really glad that heB次元官网网址檚 going there because itB次元官网网址檚 going to help him adjust to the North American ice quicker. HeB次元官网网址檚 a very intelligent player with high hockey sense and he has good defensive habits. There is some untapped offensive upside as well and weB次元官网网址檒l see how that develops in college,B次元官网网址� noted Malloy.
According to Malloy, you wonB次元官网网址檛 be able to pass judgement on Willander for a few years as he continues to grow into his 6B次元官网网址�1B次元官网网址�, 186-pound frame.
B次元官网网址淔or him, itB次元官网网址檚 just growing into a manB次元官网网址檚 body, but he also needs time to round out his offensive game too. Sometimes when you play in Sweden, you get to play with older players, so you end up deferring and youB次元官网网址檙e not in a position where youB次元官网网址檙e the offensive player. Playing at Boston University is really going to allow him to try a bunch of different things,B次元官网网址� explained Malloy.
B次元官网网址淪ometimes it will work out and other times heB次元官网网址檒l fail but it will allow him to develop his game and recognize what he can and canB次元官网网址檛 do.B次元官网网址�
OVERTIME: The Canucks also selected Kitchener defenceman Hunter Brzustewicz and Seattle defenceman Sawyer Minio in the third-round while choosing center Ty Mueller of Nebraska-Omaha, Swedish winger Vilmar Alriksson and USHL product Matthew Perkins in the fourth round.
They finished the draft by selecting defenceman Aiden Celebrini from the AJHL in the sixth round. Celebrini is the older brother of Macklin Celebrini, who is considered to be one of the top picks in next yearB次元官网网址檚 draft. In case you are wondering, yes, they are the sons of noted Vancouver physiotherapist Rick Celebrini, who currently works for the Golden State Warriors of the NBA.
While Willander wasnB次元官网网址檛 looked at as a B次元官网网址榖ad pickB次元官网网址� considering his pedigree, the remaining Canuck draft picks were met with lukewarm reviews.
B次元官网网址淕otta say, now that the dust has settled on the 2023 draft, IB次元官网网址檓 not particularly enthusiastic about the #Canucks work. TheyB次元官网网址檝e brought some good prospects into their system in Tom Willander and Hunter Brzustewicz, but not much else, and they left a lot of talent on the board,B次元官网网址� tweeted Burke.
Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob B次元官网网址渢he MojB次元官网网址� Marjanovich writes twice weekly for Black Press Media. And check out his weekly podcast every Monday at Today in B.C. or your local Black Press Media website.
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