The St. Louis Blues will have a golden opportunity to add to their prospect pool at the 2023 NHL Entry Draft with three first-round picks at their disposal. The club will have two choices in the latter half of the first round and one that could land within the top 10, providing them with their highest-drafted prospect since 2008 when they selected defenseman Alex Pietrangelo fourth overall.
Heading into the draft, the Blues have several well-rounded, talented forwards coming up their pipeline, including standouts in Zachary Bolduc, Jimmy Snuggerud, Zach Dean, and Dylan Peterson. With the 10th overall choice, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong could look to the defensemen available to him to help bolster a prospect pool that lacks anyone with true two-way upside that could develop into a top-four, or maybe even a top-pairing defenseman in the NHL. With the draft selection, Armstrong could look to defenseman Tom Willander to hopefully one day fill that void.
Tom Willander Scouting Report
Born on Feb. 9, 2005, in Stockholm, Sweden, Willander is a right-shot defenseman for Rögle BK of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). Currently ranked as the 12th-best skater among a very deep European prospect group, Willander has earned a well-deserved rise in his draft stock over the past few months. The 6-foot-1, 179-pound defenseman utilizes his elite skating ability and speed to his advantage in all three zones and is among the best breakout passers in this draft class.
The 18-year-old has proven himself effective offensively this past year, scoring four goals and 25 points for Rögle BK’s J20 team. However, it is when he is playing in his own zone that the Swede comes alive, showing that he is among the best defensive defensemen of his age. He excels at knocking the puck off the opposition’s stick and angling players into the boards rather than allowing them to drive the middle of the ice. His agility offers him great closing speed, which allows him to catch up to forwards and eliminate odd-man rushes.
Related: 2023 NHL Draft Guide
This past season, along with his time spent with the J20 squad, Willander also appeared in two SHL games and seven games playing for the Swedish national team at the World Junior Championships. In those seven games, he registered eight points (three goals, five assists).
Where Willander Fits With the Blues
Looking at the Blues prospect depth chart, there is a severe lack of right-shot defensemen outside of Matt Kessel and Hunter Skinner. Over the next few seasons, the club could see Kessel ascend to a second or third-pairing unit, while the jury is still out on the upside and future of Skinner in the NHL. Adding a player like Willander to this group offers a defensive prospect for fans to get excited for and provide a true two-way, right-shot defenseman that could develop into a top-four player within the next few seasons and even maybe one day, a top-pairing defenseman.
While he may not turn into a player like Pietrangelo in the future, he could see a similar trajectory and style of play as Brandon Montour, or fellow countryman, Anton Stralman. The Blues have lacked a defenseman with upside and promise for quite some time, perhaps as far back as the days when Colton Parayko was a prospect in the system.
Why Drafting Willander Makes Sense
With multiple high-end forwards to choose from with the tenth overall selection, the Blues may take their opportunity to double down and reinforce their forward core. However, with the scarcity of high-end defensemen available in the first round, they could opt to leave their forward choices to their later draft choices in the first round and choose a defenseman with a high upside at number 10. The ability to draft and secure a prospect that has high-end defensive skills and the ability to develop into a stand-out top-four defenseman. The Blues could use this opportunity to draft a player that is capable of serving in every situation in the future. Fans will have their opportunity to see more of the Swede this year as he is reportedly committed to playing for Boston University this Fall.