CA’s top 20 Canucks summer prospect rankings: #1 Tom Willander

After falling short in the 2024 Beanpot Final, the Terriers staved off back-to-back upsets to defeat the Nation’s top-ranked team, the Boston College Eagles. In that game, just one day after his 20th birthday, Willander provided the primary assists on the game-winning goal, fueling a 4-1 drive to earn the Terriers’ 32nd event championship.

From there, BU went on a Frozen Four run that led them all the way to the Championship game. While they would eventually fall short, suffering a 6-2 defeat to Western Michigan, the run provided a significant base of experience to add to his repertoire.

Internationally, Willander competed in his second consecutive World Junior Championship medal game with Team Sweden. After earning silver in 2024, Sweden finished fourth in 2025, losing to Czechia in the bronze-medal match.

While they eventually fell short of their goal, it was yet another high-stakes game for Willander to add to his budding resume as a young defender.

“Being able to play when the pressure is up, when the games mean a lot and having the experience in playing in many of those games certainly helps,” Willander told Lindsey Horsting of Canucks.com. “Even playing in the quarterfinals and semifinals in the World Juniors is a similar environment – having to perform.”

With his season over, the expectation was that he would sign his NHL contract to eventually join one of the Vancouver or Abbotsford Canucks shortly thereafter. Of course, that idea never truly went to plan.

Despite the stall in negotiations, Willander eventually signed in mid-May, well after Vancouver’s season was over and smack dab in the middle of an Abbotsford run.

While he could have come in cold to join the Canucks’ midway through what would eventually become a Calder Cup run, he chose to stay in Sweden to train in preparation for potentially making the big club out of camp in the fall of 2025.

When all was said and done on Willander’s NCAA career, he put up 49 points (6 goals, 43 assists), 20 penalty minutes and a plus-47 across 77 games. He was also named a Hockey East Second Team All-Star in both years, and now has a Beanpot Championship on his resume.

Willander’s sophomore season showed tremendous growth and elevated many of the concerns we had about his game after his initial season. He was much more composed with the puck on his stick, with his decision-making leading to fewer turnovers and better reads.

Now heading to his rookie professional season, he brings an elite level of skating ability. No matter which zone, he navigates the ice with tremendous ease, and is now instantly considered one of the team’s – whether that’s Vancouver or Abbotsford – best skaters.

While his offensive game may not translate to a heavy point-producing defender, his elite shutdown prowess and ability to kill penalties will be a major contributor to Vancouver’s future.

He’s as aggressive as they come and refuses to quit on plays at either end of the ice. Using his tremendous edework, he’s able to angle opponents to the side with ease, and utilizes an incredible active stick to break up rushes and plays within the zone.

Ceiling: With his defensive dominance and ability to contribute on the power play, Willander’s ceiling is that of a top-pairing NHL defenceman. He could play a strong complementary role on a first pair, but could also be a strong second-pair driver – take your pick.

Floor: Even if he doesn’t reach his full potential, Willander appears to be a lock to be an NHL defenceman. His skill set ensures he’ll contribute as a reliable shutdown defender lower in the lineup, with penalty-killing expertise.

ETA: The time is now. Whether Willander cracks the Vancouver Canucks’ roster out of training camp or starts in Abbotsford, he’ll be a prime candidate for call-ups throughout the 2025-26 season. If he doesn’t secure a full-time NHL spot this fall, expect him to be a regular contributor by 2026-27 at the latest.

That will do it, folks. With Tom Willander announced as our official #1 prospect here at CanucksArmy, we have completed our top-20 list. Did you miss a spot? Don’t worry, we will provide you with a full breakdown of our list, including our honourable mentions, later this week.