If this is what JV is, he's still a useful piece. Still room for improvement, but draft day is long gone and the player Jake is today brings utility. I've been fine with his game so far this year, and like him beside Bo.
If this is what JV is, he's still a useful piece. Still room for improvement, but draft day is long gone and the player Jake is today brings utility. I've been fine with his game so far this year, and like him beside Bo.
Really? At 23? We calling it a day for his development at 23 now?Virtanen is one frustrating player.....when he plays like he did the last two games, he's a load for any NHL d-man and can tilt the rink almost by himself. Then for a couple of games you have to check the lineup card to determine if he was even out there.
Everybody seems to have Jake topping out as a third-liner, who'll get you 10-15 goals and throw some hits. But of course playing wing with Sutter and Beagle as your center that's about all you could ever expect. But every time they move him up in the lineup, he seems to respond with moves and a shot you never see otherwise.
Like I said, an enigmatic player, and maybe at this point in his career, what you see is what you get.
Intended to post this right after the game but got stuck reading this thread and then didnt have the energy...
JV getting open for that setup by Horvat was awesome. If only he could do these things with any regularity.
Jake has been a pleasant suprise since moving up wih Horvat. His transitional play has been much better and as stated above he creates a tonne of room for Horvat and Pearson when his feet are moving like last night.
Was saying this before Green moved him up that his elite speed would really help balance the top6 as Perason and Boeser are average skaters. Its smart to have Miller and Jake on the wings to back teams off and increase the threat off the rush. Jakes backcheck really closes the ice for the opposition when he's flying and Miller has done much the same as he has played a lot of C and can help with faceoffs as well. Looking pretty balanced right now.
If Jake plays like he has so far this year he may have a big year.
Really? At 23? We calling it a day for his development at 23 now?
He'll continue to improve his consistency. I have no doubt.
Jake has been a pleasant suprise since moving up wih Horvat. His transitional play has been much better and as stated above he creates a tonne of room for Horvat and Pearson when his feet are moving like last night.
Was saying this before Green moved him up that his elite speed would really help balance the top6 as Perason and Boeser are average skaters. Its smart to have Miller and Jake on the wings to back teams off and increase the threat off the rush. Jakes backcheck really closes the ice for the opposition when he's flying and Miller has done much the same as he has played a lot of C and can help with faceoffs as well. Looking pretty balanced right now.
If Jake plays like he has so far he may have a big year.
not saying I disagree completely as he’s been decent but I’ve seen posts like this, ended with the exact sentence you did, and 5 games later he reverts back into the player we all know him to be.
I see no reason why it won’t happen again. Virtanen always has his little spurt of games then it’s nothing for even longer.
He's got tonne of development left.this has literally been said for 5 years now. He is what he is. His IQ has ALWAYS been a knock on him, he’s not just going to magically develop it now.
His brain just doesn’t work in the offensive zone. Tunnel vision and no effort to drive the net and use his size/speed.
If Jake scores 15-20 goals and 30-40 points and continues to build his defensive game--particularly along the wall in getting pucks out--then he'll be a useful player for the Canucks moving forward.Yep. He's been a streaky player thus far in his career, which is why I'm always cautiously optimistic when he racks up a bunch of points in a small set of games. We've seen this before from Jake. I'm not yet convinced he's more than what he's shown in previous seasons: a decent 3rd line winger.
FWIW, he's currently on pace for 30 to 35 points.
If Jake scores 15-20 goals and 30-40 points and continues to build his defensive game--particularly along the wall in getting pucks out--then he'll be a useful player for the Canucks moving forward.
You could argue that you should expect a lot more from a sixth overall draft pick....but that appears to be his ceiling. I suppose the silver lining is that he's not an outright bust like the guy drafted just before him--Michael Dal Colle or a borderline 'bust' like Sam Bennett who went fourth overall.
He's got tonne of development left.
Especially his consistency.
You know his good games?
You know his quiet games?
You know how he has some quiet gms in a row?
You know how sometimes he has a bunch of good games in row?
Well... as he gets older, he will play less quiet games and more good ones. Development.
Hmmmmmm... I don’t think that’s what it means... but I think you know that.Well if it were that easy then every player would be consistent.
Hmmmmmm... I don’t think that’s what it means... but I think you know that.
I read what you wrote above.Virtanen is what he is and I have no doubts in that changing. He’s not smart enough offensively to be a top six player. He isn’t willing to use his size and speed often. Believe it or not, his lazy perimeter shots from bad angles aren’t achieving anything. He’s been doing that ever since he stepped on the NHL ice. Yet every week I swear I see “give him time he’ll learn.” Well it’s been years and here we are.
you don’t just pick up hockey IQ out of thin air from “experience”.
could Virtanen be a jannik Hansen type? Perhaps. That’s what I see his ceiling as and nothing more.
A player known to have bad hockey IQ isn’t going to just randomly wake up one day and have it. We’ve been hearing the same knocks since junior and the same issues still arise.