Player Discussion Jake "Big Tuna" Virtanen | XVII Nikolaj Who...?

[NoShowWilly]

Virtanen is in town right now, don't ask me how I know, but I do. (i am sure you can guess).

Doing training at home most likely

back at it again with the 2 decks?

 

[MikeK]

Surprised people are still debating about him. He is without a doubt a bust of a pick. I still believe he could turn out to be a decent 3rd/4th liner in the NHL one day but he was a 6thOA pick. It is time to get real people. He's a bust.

 

[RobertKron]

Am I saying that Virtanen has been good enough since being drafted no but to say there's no upward trajectory or he does not have tremendous potential to take over games and be an impact player in the NHL i'm sorry that's just a bunch of malarkey

Did Virtanen even take over games in the WHL? He wasn't a first liner his final year of junior.

Even if he pans out 100%, he doesn't project as a player who "takes over games." He projects, best case, as an opportunistic complementary goal scoring winger who forces errors on the forecheck. He's not a guy you want anchoring a line, and he's never going to be the guy who offence runs through.

 

[F A N]

Trust me, I'm all about training camp being a competition and players making the team on merit.

But Virtanen is different and the team needs to be looking at the bigger picture. This is a player with shattered confidence who appeared to be broken mentally last year, and who has been jerked around all over the place by this organization development-wise.

He needs to get consistent offensive icetime, a consistent message from a coaching staff, and build back his confidence offensively. Completely throwing the process out the window because he has a blip in training camp, and putting him back in a low-icetime position on the NHL club - where his confidence will probably just get wrecked again - is just completely foolhardy. And is the kind of awful management/development that helped put him in the position he's in now in the first place.

If he can show an EXTENDED run of quality play for 20-30 games to start the season in Utica - which would be his first extended stretch of good play since the spring of 2014 - then you look at bringing him up.

I understand that and I don't disagree. All I'm saying is that if he legitimately comes to camp and earns a spot you give him a spot. That doesn't mean you give him a long leash. If he falters you can send him down. Personally, if he can get back to his post WJC play in his rookie year where he was physical, strong possession wise, and basically didn't get scored upon while chipping in some goals that might be the best for him. I mean part of the reason why you and others are saying that Virtanen should the year in Utica is the expectation that given 1st line minutes etc. he will produce offensively and get back on track to reaching his potential. You like Gaunce a lot, maybe what Virtanen needs to do is to play like Gaunce albeit provide more offense.

 

[Shareefruck]

Why shouldn't we though...both first round picks....one given a lot of leeway, for reasons the other written off.

Because it's a total non-sequitor.

You said that Virtanen has already proven he can score at the NHL level, which nobody has ever argued about Gaunce-- it would be asinine to suggest that for Gaunce, just as it would be for Virtanen. Gaunce is given leeway for the complete opposite reason, based on qualities which Virtanen does not possess.

 

[Rotting Corpse*]

Virtanen couldn't take over a game of pin the tail on the donkey.

 

[me2]

Am I saying that Virtanen has been good enough since being drafted no but to say there's no upward trajectory or he does not have tremendous potential to take over games and be an impact player in the NHL i'm sorry that's just a bunch of malarkey

There has been nothing but down since the moment he was drafted.

The best year of his career at any level was his draft year.
His D+1 was worse, regressed.

His 1st year pro (NHL) was very meh.
His pro+1 was a big regression, he was terrible, and that was against AHLers.

If he was on an upwards trajectory he'd have been pushing PPG+ at AHL level last year. It would an outright lie to say it hasn't downhill for Jake since the draft. Right now that draft year all people are hanging their hats on, hoping he can get back to that promising player. I won't write him off yet, he does have excellent natural gifts, but he's on his last year to show big improvements and get his career back on track IMHO.

 

[DustyMartellaughs]

Hoping that Virtanen turns into what a 6OA player should be is like being set up with 2017 Kirstie Alley and expecting Cheers Kirstie Alley to show up.

 

[lush]

Not sure if I'd call him a bust yet, but he's basically a Raffi Torres if all goes well...

But worse than Torres because Torres was in a terrible draft class. Jake not so much

 

[Ryan Miller*]

Hey now, if you add together the point totals of McCann and Virtanen's rookie years in the AHL you almost get William Nylander's AHL point total...

 

[thelittlecoon]

Saw Jake at the gym this morning and he's looking really fit, much better than last summer. Looks like he's really motivated for the upcoming season.

 

[Paulinvancouver]

Saw Jake at the gym this morning and he's looking really fit, much better than last summer. Looks like he's really motivated for the upcoming season.

It's good to know you've been checking out other dudes in the gym.

 

[thelittlecoon]

It's good to know you've been checking out other dudes in the gym.

😃

What else are you supposed to do while you're there?

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Saw Jake at the gym this morning and he's looking really fit, much better than last summer. Looks like he's really motivated for the upcoming season.

Hopefully he's also re-learned how to score, hit and play good two-way hockey.

 

[DustyMartellaughs]

Fitness can make a huge difference. I still marvel that Andrei Medvedev, Pavel Brendl, and at the end Vladimir Khrutov all let food derail their careers.

 

[F A N]

Saw Jake at the gym this morning and he's looking really fit, much better than last summer. Looks like he's really motivated for the upcoming season.

Is he not working out at Canucks' facilities? Do you have access to Canucks' facilities? Regardless, I'll take your word for it. That's good news.

 

[Verviticus]

It's good to know you've been checking out other dudes in the gym.

what is wrong with you

 

[thelittlecoon]

Is he not working out at Canucks' facilities? Do you have access to Canucks' facilities? Regardless, I'll take your word for it. That's good news.

VRC Fitness in Abbotsford. Looked like he was with his brother (or cousin?) and another guy. No trainer with him though as far as I could tell.

 

[go comets]

Plan on another season in Utica Jake... And don't forget to bring your "Stuff".....

 

[DL44]

Plan on another season in Utica Jake... And don't forget to bring your "Stuff".....

Brings up good summer survey question...

Do people here predict Virtanen to play more games with Utica this yr or with Vancouver?

Your prediction should take onto account everything. Depth chart, development, waiver exemption status, new but familiar coaches, conspiracy theories of gifting spots, predicted performance/development of his competition.


I personally think the only time he'll come close to spending with Utica will be an initial stint to start the
season to save another from being put on waivers. (Even then i expect others to be sent down before him)

72-10.. NHL to AHL...

Whats HFVan say?

 

[DustyMartellaughs]

72-10 AHL and ECHL.

I kid. I think he'll spend the year with the Comets unless he shows a game consistent enough to warrant a call up. I wish he was a dominant NHLer, but wishing doesn't make it so.

 

[DL44]

72-10 AHL and ECHL.

I kid. I think he'll spend the year with the Comets unless he shows a game consistent enough to warrant a call up. I wish he was a dominant NHLer, but wishing doesn't make it so.

So your read on the overall situation is Virtanen spends all 82 in the AHL? Interesting.

 

[DustyMartellaughs]

So your read on the overall situation is Virtanen spends all 82 in the AHL? Interesting.

It quite likely won't pan out that way. Management badly wants their pick validated, so he'll probably get a call after stringing together three or four decent but not dominant games. Even if Virtanen has an outstanding first ten games in Utica, translating that to the NHL is no guarantee.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Brings up good summer survey question...

Do people here predict Virtanen to play more games with Utica this yr or with Vancouver?

Your prediction should take onto account everything. Depth chart, development, waiver exemption status, new but familiar coaches, conspiracy theories of gifting spots, predicted performance/development of his competition.


I personally think the only time he'll come close to spending with Utica will be an initial stint to start the
season to save another from being put on waivers. (Even then i expect others to be sent down before him)

72-10.. NHL to AHL...

Whats HFVan say?

82 Utica.

Just don't think Virtanen's got it.

 

[maroon 6]

Does the AHL even have 82 games in a season