RW Jake Virtanen (2014, 6th, VAN) III

[Neil Hamburger]

He is physically too good for WHL. He needs to develop his IQ and that will be better served with Pro Players and Pro coaching around him.

Every year especially this year the WJC exposes how weak the CHL is because it's saturated w. Too many teams. European development has prospects playing w. Men. CHL prospects play vs kids that never make it out of JR.

Would much rather Jake be in the NHL developing over CHL

If I was Virtanen right now, I know my confidence would be at an all-time low.

I don't think going to a league where he's put up 1 goal and 4 points in 19 games is going to help him develop offensively.

If I were the Canucks, I would want him to go back to a league where he could be one of the top players on his team, and learn to play in situations which top players find themselves in (on the powerplay and pk, protecting the lead late in games, etc). That is after all, what they hope he becomes for them in the NHL.

Riding the pine, playing fourth line minutes, and scoring one goal every 20 games isn't going to help him become the player they want him to be, in my opinion.

 

[carlweezer*]

In case anyone has forgotten why he was drafted 6th overall. Or is letting 5 games define JV where the whole team played horrible, 6'1 210 lbs as a 19 yr old.

1st in physical play
2nd in overall skating

According to central scouting


Lots of room for hockey IQ, but if he gets that. Watch out !!!
https://youtu.be/c3bsIGPQu-0

 

[canwincup]

I don't get all the hate, he was bad yes but it seems more like fans coming to troll. He is 19 and a power forward last time I checked power forwards take a longer time to develop. With that being said the penalties he took today were inexcusable and hopefully he learns from his mistakes.

 

[93LEAFS]

In case anyone has forgotten why he was drafted 6th overall. Or is letting 5 games define JV where the whole team played horrible, 6'1 210 lbs as a 19 yr old.

1st in physical play
2nd in overall skating

According to central scouting


Lots of room for hockey IQ, but if he gets that. Watch out !!!
https://youtu.be/c3bsIGPQu-0

He didn't really dominate in his draft plus 1 year and wasn't great in the AHL. He was supposed to be a leader and in an elimination game managed to get 6 penalty minutes while in the attacking zone of a power play. A week should never define a player, but he has under achieved for 18 months.

 

[Captain Timo]

In case anyone has forgotten why he was drafted 6th overall. Or is letting 5 games define JV where the whole team played horrible, 6'1 210 lbs as a 19 yr old.

1st in physical play
2nd in overall skating

According to central scouting


Lots of room for hockey IQ, but if he gets that. Watch out !!!
https://youtu.be/c3bsIGPQu-0

You generally don't "get" hockey IQ. Hence why it's such a heralded trait, because it is the most difficult aspect for a player to improve on.

 

[Icebreakers]

You cant develop offensive iq if you are stuck playing 8 minutes a game. You can only improve defensive iq because your job is not to be a liability out there. More exposure in the offensive zone means more opportunities to learn. He should go back, also this summer he really needs to work on his shot. His accuracy is dead awful. I want to see him in the skills comp.

 

[canwincup]

You generally don't "get" hockey IQ. Hence why it's such a heralded trait, because it is the most difficult aspect for a player to improve on.

Well physical tools can't really be taught IQ can be improved with a player maturing. All kids mature at different rates also players can be taught about positioning and be taught to be more aware.

 

[carlweezer*]

Well physical tools can't really be taught IQ can be improved with a player maturing. All kids mature at different rates also players can be taught about positioning and be taught to be more aware.

This is where I stand.

CHL competition is over rated. I'd much rather he learns , practices and watches the Sedins everyday.

Also I feel like the Canucks will do w him what they did to Horvat last year which is increase his minutes after Christmas.

 

[Raimo Sillanpää]

I heard a rumour that teams in the Pacific division have all suddenly increased practicing their powerplay following tonights game

 

[canwincup]

I heard a rumour that teams in the Pacific division have all suddenly increased practicing their powerplay following tonights game

Well the Canucks PK is awful! I'm not one to complain I'll take Matthews or one of the Fins lol.

 

[Anardil]

You generally don't "get" hockey IQ. Hence why it's such a heralded trait, because it is the most difficult aspect for a player to improve on.

Hear Hear! IQ is not a skill that can be obtained or be improved upon. You either have it or you don't. Virtanen does not have it. The Canucks have the next Lars Eller. If I'm proven wrong, feel free to call me out.

 

[carlweezer*]

I heard a rumour that teams in the Pacific division have all suddenly increased practicing their powerplay following tonights game

No correlation because in NHL you are actually allowed to hit and be physical unlike Euro and IIHF hockey.

JV only has 15 pim This yr

 

[carlweezer*]

Hear Hear! IQ is not a skill that can be obtained or be improved upon. You either have it or you don't. Virtanen does not have it. The Canucks have the next Lars Eller. If I'm proven wrong, feel free to call me out.

Hockey IQ can't improved upon ? So scouts should just see teenagers and say that how they will play when they are matured and in their prime ? What's the point of scouting then if what u see is what u get at 17-19

 

[Scrobble]

In case anyone has forgotten why he was drafted 6th overall. Or is letting 5 games define JV where the whole team played horrible, 6'1 210 lbs as a 19 yr old.

1st in physical play
2nd in overall skating

According to central scouting


Lots of room for hockey IQ, but if he gets that. Watch out !!!
https://youtu.be/c3bsIGPQu-0

Physical play is overrated. Sure, it's entertaining to watch guys hit real hard but as a mean of winning games physical play usually doesn't do as much as a lot of people think.

Hockey IQ can't improved upon ? So scouts should just see teenagers and say that how they will play when they are matured and in their prime ? What's the point of scouting then if what u see is what u get at 17-19

The scouts are there to see which players have hockey-IQ and which don't. Virtanen doesn't have it.

 

[Rebuilt]

Hockey IQ can't improved upon ? So scouts should just see teenagers and say that how they will play when they are matured and in their prime ? What's the point of scouting then if what u see is what u get at 17-19

You keep hopping from one argument to the next then back again.

Judge him when he is drafted, but dont judge him now? Conviently judge him when he was drafted 6th overall but not when it doesnt suit him?

Keep going back to the judgements from a year and a half to 2 years ago demanding we ignore what he is doing now?

No . If he takes all the accolades then, he takes all the criticism now.

 

[NylanderBros]

Best player for Finland today.

 

[Anardil]

Hockey IQ can't improved upon ? So scouts should just see teenagers and say that how they will play when they are matured and in their prime ? What's the point of scouting then if what u see is what u get at 17-19

That's what I said. A poor skater can improve by changing his mechanics, posture etc. A poor shot can be improved by shooting repetition. Hockey IQ, like scoring, is a God given talent, if not, the world would be full of Crosbys and Malkins.

 

[Hardyvan123]

He is physically too good for WHL. He needs to develop his IQ and that will be better served with Pro Players and Pro coaching around him.

Every year especially this year the WJC exposes how weak the CHL is because it's saturated w. Too many teams. European development has prospects playing w. Men. CHL prospects play vs kids that never make it out of JR.

Would much rather Jake be in the NHL developing over CHL

Physically too good for the WHL?

Well it would have been nice to see a marked improvement on his numbers after his draft year then.

Playing less than 10 MPG every 3 of 5 games in the NHL isn't the way I would develop a 6th overall pick.

 

[WilliamNylander]

Hockey IQ can't improved upon ? So scouts should just see teenagers and say that how they will play when they are matured and in their prime ? What's the point of scouting then if what u see is what u get at 17-19

Can you give us an example of a player as dumb on the ice as Jake Virtanen is that suddenly developed a hockey IQ?

Hockey smarts are instinctive and not something that can be taught. Yes he might learn to be more disciplined at the expense of some of his physical play but he will always be the dumbest player on the ice. Not sure he can ever fix that.

 

[carlweezer*]

You keep hopping from one argument to the next then back again.

Judge him when he is drafted, but dont judge him now? Conviently judge him when he was drafted 6th overall but not when it doesnt suit him?

Keep going back to the judgements from a year and a half to 2 years ago demanding we ignore what he is doing now?

No . If he takes all the accolades then, he takes all the criticism now.

Good bad w. Jake. Dominant and was our best player first 2 periods then wheels feel off in 3 rd.


Love his game and one that is definitely better suited for NHL over IIHF.

Would still draft him over Nylabder and Ehlers. Can get those guys every year.

Tough tournament for Jake but it's not like anyone can say they were impressed w. Any team canada player.

On to the NHL where he will hopefully become smarter and more disciplined.

 

[carlweezer*]

Can you give us an example of a player as dumb on the ice as Jake Virtanen is that suddenly developed a hockey IQ?

Hockey smarts are instinctive and not something that can be taught. Yes he might learn to be more disciplined at the expense of some of his physical play but he will always be the dumbest player on the ice. Not sure he can ever fix that.

Todd Bertuzzi , David Backes

And I think you are confusing discipline vs hockey iq

 

[Thebesthockey]

6th overall
wow

 

[ponder]

Jake's defenders in this thread are underselling how bad he was. The penalties were horrendous, but it wasn't just that. He played with top players all tourney long, and failed to generate anything offensively. The puck just died on his stick, he wasn't making anything happen with the puck at all, and wasn't moving well off the puck either. 0 goals, 1 assist in the whole tournament despite being put in tonnes of excellent offensive situations, crazy weak for a 19 year old former 6th overall pick, and he actually looked worse in the games that the stats indicate.

I thought he was Canada's worst player by a good margin (Perlini was weak too, but still moved the puck better and took less dumb penalties), and given his age, experience and draft pedigree he should have been one of the best. Hockey IQ is not and easy thing to gain when you don't have it, and Jake's hockey IQ is very weak, he makes tonnes of poor decisions and rarely shows any signs of seeing the ice well. I have a lot of trouble imagining him as a top 6 forward in the NHL, seems like a bottom 6er to me.

 

[McMatthews]

6th overall
wow

The 5th and 6th picks in the 2014 draft are proving to be bad picks.

Michael Dal Colle
Jake Virtanen

Both went ahead of...

8. William Nylander
9. Nikolaj Ehlers
10. Nick Ritchie
11. Kevin Fiala

Any of those four forward picks would be a better asset to have in your organization than MDC or JV.

 

[Josepho]

ummmm....thats a normal NHL rush play that 95% of NHL players can make...

you agree He's not an amazing pick, so what are you saying He could become? One of the Best 4TH liners? (If He learns some discipline)

No, I'm saying that he's a very unpredictable player. As of now though, he is not an amazing pick. And I'm saying that if he's a 19 year old with 4th line upside (upside means basically his maximum potential), he wouldn't be making plays like that as a 19 year old that most 4th liners don't make. I want this guy to have a couple of years in Utica under Travis Green (one of the best AHL coaches, maybe even the best), he could do wonders for him.