Canucks’ Willander pushing for NHL job, but not shying away from possiblity of launching pro career in Abbotsford

Make absolutely no mistake about it, Tom Willander wants to start the season with the Vancouver Canucks. However, the 20-year-old rookie understands that the best place for him to begin his professional career may very well be in Abbotsford, where he’ll suit up tonight when the Canucks host the Calgary Flames in National Hockey League preseason action.

And if that’s the way the cards fall when the organization gets down to its final roster cuts, Willander understands the Canucks will be doing what’s best for the young defenceman’s development both in the short term and with an eye to a long and successful career. So he’s trying to avoid getting caught up in the numbers game and doing all he can to make those decisions difficult for the coaching staff and management.

“At the end of the day, I don’t think you can do more than your best so I always try to do that,” Willander told CanucksArmy after morning skate at the Abbotsford Centre. “Whether you play up (NHL) or down (AHL), I think those are two scenarios that are good for you. Playing pro hockey is going to be an experience; it’s going to be fun and cool. But maybe starting on the middle step (AHL), people look down on it. But I think many times I feel that people forget that it’s a good middle step to keep your game and help you get to that next level. I’ll keep doing my best and see what happens.”

The 2023 first-rounder is very much in the mix for a spot on the big league blueline through the first week of training camp and exhibition play. But he’s in tough with five of the six spots in the lineup already locked up, while Willander battles the likes of PO Joseph, Elias Pettersson and Victor Mancini for a couple of depth positions on defence.

Tonight, Willander will be paired with veteran Marcus Pettersson against the Flames and is also expected to see some power play duty on the team’s second unit. It will be the young Swede’s fourth game in a Canucks jersey after playing a pair in the prospects showcase 10 days ago and then opening the preseason in a 5-3 loss in Seattle on Sunday night.

Willander’s straight line skating already looks NHL-ready. However, at 6’1” and 180 pounds, he still has work to do to learn the nuances of using his body position to defend effectively at the professional level after two strong seasons at Boston University.

“Obviously it’s a learning curve getting into a new team and new systems and with that playing at a higher pace, too,” he explained. “The more time I spend on the ice and the more time I get to practice these scenarios, I feel like I get better every time so I definitely feel like it’s going in the right direction. I think, fundamentally, playing defence one on one when it comes to playing without the puck I think that’s my strength and using my skating to be on top of plays and escape tight situations I think that’s where I excel. But using my skills in the system and getting used to the system and getting these plays that should be in the back of my mind that you do automatically I think that’s probably where I’m the most not there yet, but the more I do it the closer I get.”

While Willander is in competition with fellow youngsters Pettersson and Mancini, he’s also forming bonds with both players. So, it presents a fascinating dynamic in which the two guys he’s battling with are two of his closest friends in camp. And Willander is choosing to think about a day where all three of them are staples on the NHL Canucks blueline rather than worry about where they each sit on the organization’s current depth chart.

“I think they’re both great guys and they’re both a lot of fun to be around, so I’m very thankful in that regard,” he said. “I also think you’ve got to be able to think longer term than that. They’re both young, very good players. I hope we can all play for a long time. I see it as less of a competition and more about teammates making each other better.”

Tom Willander will play in Abbotsford for the first time in his career tonight. He doesn’t want to get too comfortable there, though. He wants to continue to push for employment at the highest level possible, but understands that starting in the minors may be his best path to a long and prosperous NHL career.