Nils Höglander, Nils Åman, and Wilson Björck join host Chris Faber on the most recent episode of the Canucks Insider Podcast. Höglander and Åman talk about their respective seasons and what they want to focus on in the offseason.
Vancouver Canucks 2025 fifth-round pick Wilson Björck talks about his hockey journey, draft day, and development camp.
Höglander reflects on turning his season around and even though it wasn’t the start he wanted, he put in the work to regain his confidence and get back to playing to his identity.
“The tough start I had, I’ve got to think back, I'm pretty proud that I turned it around. It wasn't that easy to do. It felt like I had a lot of games [where] I was struggling and [had] no energy, and couldn't really play my game. I kept grinding and did small things over and over again, and I didn't quit. I turned it around at the end,” he said.
Höglander works out with friends in the summers and when it comes to his summer skates, he gets on the ice with fellow Canucks Marcus Pettersson and Linus Karlsson. Höglander says he’ll be doing a lot of video work in the summer as well to help his game for next season.
“I’ve got to talk to the coach about working on my game system-wise. I have that quickness, that grind in me, but to take the other step for me, it's to be like more of a system guy. Know the system better, know when I’ve got to make a play or not, I think that's the biggest part for me to move forward for next year,” Höglander said.
He also talks about enjoying some down time on the water in the summer, going fishing and being outdoors; two of his favourite pastimes.
Åman talks about spending time playing with Abbotsford and his development in the AHL this past season.
“When you play a lot, this builds a lot of confidence. It helps a lot, too. And the coaching stuff down there is great too,” Åman said.
He also talked about what he’s looking to do in the offseason, using his experience over the last three years to make strides in his game.
“Trying to get bigger and stronger, of course, and faster. [I'm] trying to get better at everything. I know now how the game is going, and you have to be strong on the battles and around the corners and all that stuff,” he said.
Björck talks about being on the ice with Henrik and Daniel Sedin during Canucks development camp and what it was like playing with his brother growing up.
“When I got drafted, the first the first message was from the Sedins, and I was just like ‘What?’ How cool was that and when I first met them, they seemed like super nice guys, they were so welcoming. Today, I got some tips and feedback from Daniel and it's like a dream come true,” Björck said.
He talks about making the jump to the NCAA hockey at Colorado College next season and playing on a North American rink.
“I think that's a good step to like to try the American style of hockey and just to go on a smaller rink. I don't really want to stay in Djurgårdens IF and then get traded to a lower division team, so I kind of want to be in one place and just be better every day,” Björck said.
In preparation for NCAA hockey, he’s working on the explosiveness in his game to help him on a smaller rink.
He also makes recommendations on Swedish foods that everyone should try.
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