Canucks sign Tom Willander to three-year, entry-level contract

Part of the deal has Willander receiving A-level performance bonuses. He could make up to $500,000 in bonuses in year one, $900,000 in year two, with a potential $1 million going in his pocket in the final season of the contract.

Willander became a hot topic around Vancouver after his sophomore season wrapped up early last month, with his Boston University Terriers losing to the Western Michigan Broncos in the NCAA Championship Game. Many expected the Swedish blueliner to sign with the Canucks in time to get a game or two before the end of the regular season.

However, that didn’t happen. According to Allvin, during his end-of-season media availability, Willander was planning on heading back to BU for his junior campaign. In an interview, Willander’s said that he and the Canucks weren’t close faron the terms of his contract. Those issues seemed to have been resolved.

All that put aside, there’s much to be excited about the right-handed-shooting defender. While he isn’t large in stature, standing 6-foot-1 and weighing a little under 200 pounds, Willander has efficient foot speed that helps him move the puck up the ice on his own, while also being able to keep up with the opposition’s best players.

While he will have some maturing to do physically, his quickness and agility proves that he’s ready for the professional ranks.

In his two seasons with the Terriers, the Stockholm native scored six goals and 43 assists for 49 points in 77 games, helping BU get to the Frozen Four in both years with the program.

Willander has played for Tre Kronor on multiple occasions internationally. In addition to playing for the Under-17 National Tean, the Rögle BK product played for Sweden at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and 2023 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship, taking home the silver medal from both events.

Willander was on the Swedish squad that fell to the United States in the gold medal game of the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, also playing at the World Juniors in Ottawa earlier this year.

The Canucks took Willander in the first round, 11th overall, of the 2023 NHL Draft.