The World Juniors have reached the halfway point, and teams are preparing to set their fates with their fourth and final preliminary game.

So far, the tournament has lived up to its promise of being one of the more entertaining stretches of the year.

For the Vancouver Canucks, their prospect representative pool may not be as deep this year. Still, the trio of Tom Willander (Sweden), Basile Sansonnens (Switzerland), and Sawyer Mynio (Canada) have provided plenty of intrigue.

Here are five key takeaways at the halfway point of the tournament.

For Tom Willander, this year’s World Juniors somehow feels like a coming-out party. The 2023 first-round pick has taken on a prominent role for Team Sweden and has now established himself as one of the tournament’s premier rearguards.

Already known for his defensive prowess, Willander has flexed his offensive muscles over a three-game stretch. He’s confidently quarterbacking Sweden’s top power play unit, joining forces alongside Detroit Red Wings prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka.

From that spot, he’s shown his ability to distribute the puck, set up scoring opportunities, and generate high-danger chances with his quick, accurate snapshot from the point.

And as of Sunday, he’s potted a few goals.

Willander’s two goals and five points place him third among all defencemen in the tournament, trailing only offensive dynamos Sandin-Pellikka and Cole Hutson (USA). He’s also one of just two defenders with multiple goals and has the second most shots in that field, with eight on target.

Beyond the scoresheet, Willander has logged heavy minutes as Sweden’s most utilized skater, averaging around 21 minutes per game. His defensive acumen remains the backbone of his game, as he consistently shuts down opposing top lines, breaks up plays with an active stick, and uses his exceptional skating to neutralize threats.

Willander’s game has grown leaps and bounds since last year’s World Juniors, where he tallied just one goal and three points. With one preliminary game and medal rounds still ahead, the Canucks prospect has ample time to continue elevating his play and adding to his totals.

He’s shown incredible growth at Boston University this season, and now, he’s showing that polish off on the world stage.

If this tournament has proven anything, it’s that Tom Willander is inching closer to being ready for professional hockey by the day. Whether that journey begins in Abbotsford or Vancouver remains to be seen. But at this point, he should be throwing on a Canucks jersey by Spring time.

With a promising freshman year under his belt, Willander worked hard during the off-season to polish up some loose ends on the offensive side of the puck. This year, his ability to handle the puck, move the puck up the ice, and generate looks has come a long way. Today, he’s showing that off at the World Juniors.

While his offensive game has grown significantly, it’s his impeccable skating and defensive reliability that make him a pro-ready asset. He’s shown the ability to handle high-pressure situations, log significant ice time, and contribute at both ends of the ice.

Boston University’s regular season ends on March 8th, followed by the Frozen Four Championship, which could run until April 12th. Should BU make a deep playoff run, Willander could join either the Abbotsford Canucks or Vancouver Canucks for the final stretch of the 2024-25 season, if not sooner.

Given the current makeup of Vancouver’s defensive corps, reinforcements cannot come soon enough.

His potential NHL debut might depend on the Canucks’ playoff aspirations and the state of their defensive corps, but one thing is clear: Willander’s development trajectory is on the right path, and fans won’t have to wait long to see him in a Canucks jersey.

As a seventh-round pick, expectations for Basile Sansonnens were and should be modest. However, the towering 6’4″, 205-pound defender has shown enough at this tournament to warrant closer attention moving forward.

Playing on Switzerland’s third pairing, Sansonnens hasn’t provided many highlight-reel moments, but his steady defensive play and willingness to engage physically have been notable. He enjoys net-front and corner battles, breaking up plays and maintaining defensive structure. Solid skating complements his shutdown-first approach, which gives him the foundation to grow into a reliable defensive prospect.

While his offensive contributions have been limited, he’s demonstrated an ability to move the puck much more effectively than we saw, even in the summer.

While Sansonnens’s road to the NHL is long and uncertain, his performance at the World Juniors has shown that he’s worth keeping tabs on.

To the demise of Canucks fans, Sawyer Mynio was left off of Canada’s roster for the opening two games. He wasn’t just scratched; he was left unregistered.

Unfortunately for Matthew Schaefer, injury-driven circumstances (broken collarbone) led to Mynio not only drawing into the lineup to make his World Juniors Championship debut but also cashing in on his first point.

Seeing less than 12 minutes of ice time, the Kamloops native sample size was limited. Yet, he showed poise in making quick and crisp outlets and played a relatively mistake-free match. Of course, he capped it all off with a primary assist on one of the luckier bounces you’ll see in the tournament.

It wasn’t much, but it was likely enough to warrant another look as Canada gears up for their marquee New Year’s Eve title against the USA.

Although not directly Canucks related, Canada’s offence, or lack thereof, is surely enough to spark a takeaway. Despite a four-goal start to the tournament – where they blanked Finland by a score of 4-0 – the home team has struggled to find their offensive legs.

Highlighted by one of, if not the biggest, upsets in the event’s history, Canada has scored just five goals against Latvia (3-2 loss) and Germany (3-0 win) combined.

To put in perspective how alarming this is, Germany opened the tournament with a 10-3 loss to the States, while Latvia suffered a 5-1 loss to the same opponents.

Among those who have played three games, here is how Canada stacks up among the highest-scoring teams in the tournament:

Canada’s highest scorer is Easton Cowan, who has just three points (one goal, two assists) through three games. Meanwhile, there are 12 forwards with one point or less.

Of course, those left off the team continue flourishing in their respective leagues. While Canada was struggling to find goals against the Germans on Sunday, notable roster snubs such as Anaheim Ducks prospect Beckett Sennecke notched two assists, Calgary Flames defensive prospect Zayne Perekh collected three assists, while Carter Yakemchuk (Ottawa) and Andrew Cristall (Washington) each collected assists.

Despite all this, Team Canada can still grab the top spot in Group A with a win over the States on Tuesday.

With the tournament shifting toward its high-stakes medal rounds, all three prospects will have opportunities to elevate their play and add to their development resumes.

The pool may not be as deep as in other years, but with skaters such as Tom Willander showing extremely well, there is still tons of intrigue for Canucks fans to enjoy the next week of World Juniors Championship action.