The Canucks' 2023 first-rounder, Tom Willander, is lighting up the world juniors. He's next in line to extend Vancouver's legacy of elite Swedish players.

When you think of the greatest players in Vancouver Canucks history, there tends to be a common thread — the Swedish connection. 

From Markus Naslund, the team's first European captain, to Daniel and Henrik Sedin, its two all-time leading scorers, the mutual love affair between Swedish hockey players and Vancouver runs deep.

It should surprise nobody that one of the Canucks’ top prospects is Tom Willander from Stockholm, Sweden. From the moment Vancouver drafted him 11th overall in 2023, Willander hasn't taken for granted who had come before from the Tre Kronor.

"I think it's very cool," said the 19-year-old defenseman. "I grew up watching the Sedins play, which was a big reason why I was a fan when I was young.

"There's a bunch of other players too, I mean, like (Alexander) Edler and even if you go further back, there's a bunch of (Swedish) players that played on the Canucks, so I think it's an honor to kind of follow that legacy."

But the opportunity to play with fellow Swedes Elias Pettersson, Erik Brannstrom and Nils Hoglander isn't at the forefront for the teenager right now. Willander is playing in his second world juniors for Sweden, this time wearing an 'A' and carrying heightened expectations after last year's silver medal on home ice.

"We're here to play a tournament and we're here to win, and that's what we're on our way to do," he said.

So far, the quest for gold couldn't be off to a much better start — Sweden is undefeated in group play and has a plus-12 goal differential through three games. Willander's five points and calming defensive presence are a big reason why.

Sweden coach Magnus Havelid said Willander hasn't faced "all the pressure of the world" against opponents of Slovakia, Kazakhstan and Switzerland. Still, he's been reliable and will see "a lot of minutes" against Czechia and in the elimination games.

"Looking forward, they need to be really good now, and I think he's ready to be there," Havelid said.

Willander's skating sets him apart from nearly every player at the world juniors. He easily skates the puck out of trouble and creates shooting and passing lanes where other players dump the puck into the zone. He's rarely caught out of position defending the rush and has a keen sense of his surroundings when under pressure.

"He's so dynamic, and he's so powerful — he's a great skater," said teammate David Granberg. "It's unbelievable to see him play."

Although Willander is a self-described two-way defender, his heightened offensive instincts have been eye-popping. The 6-foot-1 defender possesses a heavy and accurate shot that netted him two impressive goals against Switzerland.

"He shoots pretty hard, too," Granberg said, who claimed he saw one of Willander's shots on the scoreboard clocked in 150 kph or about 93 mph.

Fellow 2023 first-rounder Axel Sandin-Pellikka praised Willander's ability to quarterback a power play. Throughout the preliminary round, Willander's operated from the top of the power-play umbrella while Sandin-Pellikka hung on his left side for one-timers.

"It's fun — he's a real skilled player," Sandin-Pellikka said. "He hides the passes really well so he can tee me up sometimes. I need to get the pucks above the ice sometimes, but he's real skilled so I'm happy to have him there."

Willander stressed that "defense should always be first," but admitted he's always looking to shoot in the offensive zone.

"If I see an open lane to shoot, I'll shoot it," he said. "I got a couple of good passes where I felt like I had the room and time to shoot, so I'll just keep doing that."

Being at Boston University, Willander has played alongside some elite offensive minds in his two years of college hockey. Last year, it was current Calder Trophy contenders Macklin Celebrini and Lane Hutson who terrorized the NCAA's Hockey East with their quick hands and minds. 

The world juniors provide an ideal environment for Willander to test his game against players like Slovakia's Dalibor Dvorsky, who has excelled this season with the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds. Willander helped shut down Dvorsky and the Slovaks 5-2 in their round-robin matchup.

"The focus on development that they have over there (at Boston University) is great and has been good for me, too, so it's fun to kind of play against the players that don't play that path, playing the professional leagues in other places," Willander said.

Willander has also seen firsthand how the world juniors can serve as a showcase for players to impress their NHL clubs. Last tournament, Canucks prospects Jonathan Lekkerimaki and defenseman Elias Pettersson played pivotal roles in earning Sweden's silver medal. Both players are now productive contributors with Vancouver's AHL affiliate in Abbotsford, and Lekkerimaki scored his first NHL goal in November.

"It's fun, just playing with them, seeing how they were playing in the levels that you are at and then making the transition, seeing how they translate," Willander said. "I'm happy for them, just kind of trying to follow their footsteps."

Even though Willander said he tries to "have a short vision" and not think about the NHL too often, Canucks development coach Mike Komisarek is in his face every few weeks — he lives near Boston University's campus — so "he's there a lot."

Canucks fans are anxious to see when their top defense prospect will make his NHL debut to help them chase a Cup. The opportunity to write another chapter in the Vancouver and Sweden love story is just extra motivation.

"I can't really tell you anything else than being sick, I think it would be amazing."

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