Over the past several weeks, there have been plenty of college players signing entry-level contracts, some of which being top prospects. One of those was expected to be Canucks blueliner Tom Willander but that didn’t come to fruition before the regular season came to an end. In a recent appearance on Sportsnet 650, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic reported that there have been long stretches without contact between the two sides and when they have tried to discuss a deal, those talks have gone nowhere.
Willander was the 11th overall pick back in 2023 after a solid year in Sweden’s junior system that saw him put up 25 points in 39 games and even make a pair of appearances at the SHL level. Since then, Willander has spent the last two seasons at Boston College, playing a key two-way role while notching 49 points in 77 games over that stretch. He also played a prominent role for Sweden at the World Juniors the last two years.
Accordingly, it was widely assumed that Willander would be deemed ready to sign and likely make his NHL debut late in the season or at least join Vancouver’s AHL affiliate in Abbotsford. Clearly, that hasn’t happened.
Dhaliwal reports that the holdup in discussions appears to be Schedule A bonuses, or rather, the lack of them. Entry-level players can have up to a maximum of $1M in these, up $250K for four categories if a player receives the max. Dhaliwal feels they’ve come in with a number around 2022 first-rounder Jonathan Lekkerimaki ($475K) despite the fact that several players drafted after Willander have received higher A bonuses. Teams that operate close to the cap as Vancouver typically does will try to get the bonuses as low as possible to help from a cap management perspective, so this isn’t a case where they’ll want to just give in to the ask.
In terms of base compensation, the maximum salary that Willander can receive is $950K and it’s reasonable to think that he’ll receive that if and when he puts pen to paper on a contract. As a result, that shouldn’t be an issue in discussions.
At this point, Willander has a few options for 2025-26. He and the Canucks could come to terms on a deal that begins next season, permitting him to join Abbotsford now for their playoff run. He could also remain at Boston College as he has two years of college eligibility remaining. Alternatively, he could plausibly return home and play full-time in the SHL which could be a better test for him from a development standpoint. Vancouver’s preference is surely to get him in their system but for that to happen, it appears they’ll have to up their bonus offer to get it done.
