Willander can help on both the penalty kill and on the power play but with many returning pieces for Sweden, ice time will need to be earned as the tournament rolls along.
At 6’1” and 179 pounds, Willander has some size and moves well around the ice. The right-shot defenceman relies on his edgework for his mobility and it will be interesting to see how he stacks up against the other blueliners in this tournament.
A reason for Willander’s rise in the depth chart this season at BU has been from the fact that his coaches trust him in both the offensive and defensive zones. Willander has worked hard at using his feet and his stick to force turnovers. Closing down players in the neutral zone by taking time and space away from attacking forwards, the 2023 draft pick can often force the opposition to make premature decisions with the puck.
Willander will still be young enough to participate in next year’s WJC and this tournament will certainly bring him experience to be one of the leaders on next year’s squad. Just because he’s 18 doesn’t mean he won’t make an impact, though. Willander can also play both the left and right side on defence – that flexibility will help the coaches find a spot for him to contribute throughout the tournament.
We will see Willander with the puck on his stick a lot in the next couple of weeks and he will be able to show off some of his skills to a wide audience before returning to BU to finish up his freshman season in the NCAA.
Willander will wear number 24 for Sweden at the tournament.
Sweden’s schedule for the WJC:
Tuesday, December 26th – 10:30 am PT vs Latvia
Thursday, December 28th – 10:30 am PT vs Germany
Friday, December 29th – 10:30 am PT vs Canada
Sunday, December 31st – 5:30 am PT vs Finland
