The Pittsburgh Penguins would be ecstatic to select defenseman Tom Willander in the first round.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are officially in "best player available" mode when it comes to the 2023 NHL Draft. While Kyle Dubas hasn't committed to whether he will be keeping the 14th pick or trading back on draft night, but either way the Pens are so needy for young talent they will take any player that can bolster their prospect pool. If the Penguins could Swedish defenseman Tom Willander, however, they would have a top defensive prospect immediately entering their system. Our next draft profile takes a look at what makes Willander such a bright prospect available in this draft. 

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Essentials:

2022-23 Team: Rogle BK (SHL & J20 Nationell) 

Position: Defenseman

Shoots: Right

Height and Weight: 6-foot-1, 180 pounds

NHL Central Scouting: 12th (among European skaters)

Elite Prospects: 23rd

2022-23 Stats: SHL 2 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 P

J20 Nationell 39 GP, 4 G, 21 A, 25 P

International: 19 GP, 3 G, 9 A, 12 P

Committed to Boston University for 2023-24 season

Player Breakdown:

While his national teammate Axel Sandin-Pellikka is the shinier prospect heading into the draft, Willander has silently positioned himself as the third best defenseman in this class. Poised to be a top-20 pick in the first round, Willander is a two-way defenseman with a motor that doesn’t quit. Standing at just over six feet and a little bit shy of 200 pounds, he’s a defender that falls in line with the way the NHL plays and looks today.

What stands out most about Willander is his spacing and positional awareness. When he is defending, he has incredible gap control. He’s probably the most skilled and consistent defender in transition amongst this year’s crop of defenders. He’s able to close off forwards effectively, force them to the middle of the ice, or force turnovers when the opposition is on the rush.

Combine that with a quick reaction, above average speed, and a pesky stick, and Willander is troublesome to play against. Even if his gap is ever too great as the forwards enter the defensive zone, he’s able to recover quickly due to those same skills.

On offense, his positional awareness continues to stand out. He chooses the most appropriate times to join the breakout or pinch in the offensive zone. He’s always providing an outlet for his forwards in the offensive zone, and consistently finds soft spots in coverage to be a passing option.

While he doesn’t project to be a top power play quarterback, a strength to his game is his puck moving abilities. He’s an excellent skater, so he can easily carry the puck through the neutral zone. He’s also to make very crisp passes to begin the breakout or to enter the offensive zone. Willander’s intelligence and steadiness are often on display when he’s moving the puck, as he never appears rushed and remains poised while making easy or insanely difficult passes.

Willander does all of the little things right, and hardly ever makes a large, noticeable mistake. He can go under the radar because he goes about his business each shift efficiently but without any flare. But don’t let that fool you, Willander projects to be a valuable and productive top four defenseman in the NHL.

What Needs to Improve:

Steadiness is the name of Willander’s game, but he could stand to add some explosiveness to his offensive game. This is the big reason why he’s been largely in the shadow of fellow Swede, Sandin-Pellikka.

Willander's puck handling and lackluster slap shot are areas that need improvement, and should see some specific attention when he’s playing with the University of Boston. If he is able to add a more dynamic shot or a few more tricks to his offensive tool belt, he will fully round out his game and become a true, two-way force.

NHL Player Comparison: John Marino

NHL ETA: 2026

Heading to the NCAA may be the best thing for Willander, who is attending Boston University in the fall. After exceeding options at the J20 Nationell league this past season, he is ready to transition to the North American game and take reps against some of the best prospects in the college ranks. He will need one or two seasons to adjust to the style of play, but after that he could make the jump the AHL and start pushing for an NHL spot by 2026. 

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