Top Vancouver Canucks defence prospect Tom Willander has left Boston University and the United States to return home to Sweden for the summer with no entry-level contract agreement currently in place.
Canucks management confirmed Monday in their exit interviews that Willander, 20, intends to return to Boston next season at this time.
"His advisor has informed us that he was going back to school," Canucks GM Patrik Allvin said Monday. "Our development staff has built a great relationship with Tom during the year, and they felt that he was ready to turn pro after two successful years in Boston University.
"It's a lot of money for a young player to pass on, but that's the information we had here, as of last week, from his agent."
In the interim, reports indicate that Willander will play for the Swedish national team in upcoming exhibition games, with matches starting as early as Tuesday.
It is worth noting that the Canucks do have some time to sign Willander, whose NHL signing rights will not expire until Aug. 15, 2027. Obviously, as Allvin inferred, the Canucks have been wanting to sign him much earlier than that and feel he can jump in and contribute immediately.
Due to injuries, the Canucks rotated a slew of names in and out of the defence position this season, with Filip Hronek and Tyler Myers standing as the only two right-shot blueliners on the NHL roster without an injured reserve designation.
Victor Mancini made for an intriguing option after Noah Juulsen's season-ending injury, but it is clear that, while impressive at times, Mancini is not yet close to being a finished product.
All things considered, it seems the Canucks would have given Willander a legitimate chance to make the NHL roster outright in 2025-26, and while an agreement is not in place now, it is important to remember that one phone call can change everything.
Allvin and the Canucks have confirmed the news nobody wants to hear, but fans would be unwise to give up hope on an aggressive management group so early into the offseason.