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

[Skinnyjimmy08]

I don't think the kid has looked out of place. Just incredibly tentative in barely any minutes.

But to quote a baseball player "this isn't a try hard league. It's a get it done league".

He's gonna have to accomplish something tangible soon or our coach and GM are going to botch his development and his contract structure moving forward.

THIS

I hope he gets sent back to WHL real soon cause they will be definitely wasting a year from his ELC if they give him these small mins. Let him dominate the WHL, have a good WJC and come back to camp next year looking way better and ready to go. He will be playing with some damn good players with the Hitmen

 

[Drew Doubty]

He just needs to calm down and make a few plays and he'll be alright. I actually feel a lot better about him after this stint. I was really negative when we drafted him, and his draft +1 year didn't change that, but watching his speed and physicality this year, i can tell he's going to turn into a solid NHLer.

What he needs to do is go down and put up decent numbers in his final WHL years (maybe 1.25 ppg) then come back next year knowing what he has to do to stick in the league. He might have to spend a little time in the AHL to add some polish, but I think he's going to end up being a solid middle 6 player. I actually see him becoming a good 2-way player based on how he's played. My bet is he tops out with a couple 30 goal seasons but never establishes himself as a consistent top-line player.

 

[Rebuilt]

It really comes down to what we want.

A Virtanen playing 5 or 8 min a night crashing and banging and burning a ELC year?

Or a Virtanen playing 20 min a night in Calgary working on his on ice awareness and playmaking skills while saving a ELC year.

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

No iq whatsoever. Useless to return him to junior he just doesn't think the game, he only has physical tools.

 

[Goon42]

No iq whatsoever. Useless to return him to junior he just doesn't think the game, he only has physical tools.

- 5 games into his career
- Extremely limited ice time
- 19 years old
- missed the 2015 draft by a month
- 10 games AHL experience


Wrap it up boys he's a bust.

Jake is going to have a monster game against the habs and I will come back to this post and lol

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

- 5 games into his career
- Extremely limited ice time
- 19 years old
- missed the 2015 draft by a month
- 10 games AHL experience


Wrap it up boys he's a bust.

Jake is going to have a monster game against the habs and I will come back to this post and lol

He's basically the opposite of Johnny Hockey. Big, strong, and no brain.

This goes back to junior, World Juniors screaming VIRTANEN what are you doing!!!!!! mind you he'll be a decent nhler, maybe compliment a good trio on a top 6 with his electric shot and speed, but your kidding yourself if you think his Hockey iq will vault him to elite player status. Look around the league players that have sucess at 18-24. They all think the game. He can't think.

Didn't know he had ahl experience, and figures he can't even get more then 1 point in that crap league. He'll be surpassed by a lot of 2015 picks next year and 2016 picks.

Watch the game take off your glasses of being a fan and think as well otherwise you'll be in his boat.

And after all that, I hope he continues this way, selfishly I just want him to help Canada win at World Juniors instead of wasting his time with the canucks in december. hehe

 

[Pip]

He's basically the opposite of Johnny Hockey. Big, strong, and no brain.

This goes back to junior, World Juniors, mind you he'll be a decent nhler, maybe compliment a good trio on a top 6 with his electric shot, but your kidding yourself if you think his Hockey iq will vault him to elite player status. Look around the league players that have sucess at 18-24. They all think the game. He can't think.

Didn't know he had ahl experience, and figures he can't even get more then 1 point in that crap league. He'll be surpassed by a lot of 2015 picks next year and 2016 picks.

There are successful NHLers with low or below average hockey IQ. Jake may not be much of an East-West player at this stage and I believe has a ton of benifit from going back to Junior to develop more offensively, but he can carve out a good career on his physical tools.

I'd argue that he has below-average hockey IQ for someone drafted as high as he was, but he doesn't have no brains like you're suggesting. That's absolutely ridiculous.

Not even a fan of the pick, but you clearly don't know what you're talking about here.

 

[The Iron Goalie]

No iq whatsoever. Useless to return him to junior he just doesn't think the game, he only has physical tools.

I disagree with you, as he has average hockey I.Q . Many people mistake not have elite i.q as having no hockey i.q.

Virtanen has very good physical tools, and an average tool box. No need for "No I.q" hyperbole.

 

[Rebuilt]

There are successful NHLers with low or below average hockey IQ. Jake may not be much of an East-West player at this stage and I believe has a ton of benifit from going back to Junior to develop more offensively, but he can carve out a good career on his physical tools.

I'd argue that he has below-average hockey IQ for someone drafted as high as he was, but he doesn't have no brains like you're suggesting. That's absolutely ridiculous.

Not even a fan of the pick, but you clearly don't know what you're talking about here.

He should have gone 10th or 11th. Not 6th when Ehlers, Nylander and even Ritchie were still on the board.

If you take away his draft position and just consider him a hockey player then :

-has outstanding speed.
-has outstanding balance. Can hit others and still remain in the play.
- has a good shot, but needs time to set it up. Not much for deflections, back hands

-his hockey IQ is normal to develop into a top 6 NHL winger. He isnt going to be Johnny Hockey , Ehlers or Nylander however.

The biggest obstacle to Jakes career is quite honestly his draft position. I wish the Canucks would just chuck it out the window and concentrate on whats best for Jake and the Canucks in the long run.

 

[banme*]

He should have gone 10th or 11th. Not 6th when Ehlers, Nylander and even Ritchie were still on the board.

If you take away his draft position and just consider him a hockey player then :

-has outstanding speed.
-has outstanding balance. Can hit others and still remain in the play.
- has a good shot, but needs time to set it up. Not much for deflections, back hands

-his hockey IQ is normal to develop into a top 6 NHL winger. He isnt going to be Johnny Hockey , Ehlers or Nylander however.

The biggest obstacle to Jakes career is quite honestly his draft position. I wish the Canucks would just chuck it out the window and concentrate on whats best for Jake and the Canucks in the long run.

Although I agree with everything else, this just isn't true. Virtanen as an outstanding release, can get it away in a phone booth. Also has a wicked backhander.

 

[lawrence]

He should have gone 10th or 11th. Not 6th when Ehlers, Nylander and even Ritchie were still on the board.

If you take away his draft position and just consider him a hockey player then :

-has outstanding speed.
-has outstanding balance. Can hit others and still remain in the play.
- has a good shot, but needs time to set it up. Not much for deflections, back hands

-his hockey IQ is normal to develop into a top 6 NHL winger. He isnt going to be Johnny Hockey , Ehlers or Nylander however.

The biggest obstacle to Jakes career is quite honestly his draft position. I wish the Canucks would just chuck it out the window and concentrate on whats best for Jake and the Canucks in the long run.

i disagree with you. We drafted an offensive player who can hit and skate, and from the Local area, we will be stupid to draft someone else.

you need to stop living in the past, it is what it is. If he's a bust or whatever, then so be it. Right now, the only 2 prospects that are playing better then him is Ehlers and Larkin, both guys were 6'0 and 160 lbs at the time of draft.

No iq whatsoever. Useless to return him to junior he just doesn't think the game, he only has physical tools.

******** comments continues to poor in for Jake.

His ice time and McCann has been very compariable, the only difference is that, despite getting more puck possesion time, Jared McCann has far more givewaways then Jake Virtannen, plays such as throwing into the middle of the ice. Jake Virtannen has not once turn the puck over in such deadly manner, sure there are times, were the puck was taken away from him, so far he's been playing physical, drives the net, in at least 7 games he's played, he's drawn at least 3 powerplays with the result of him blowing by guys and getting tripped up or interfered with.

Again i'm not sure were the dumb iq is coming from.

s goes back to junior, World Juniors screaming VIRTANEN what are you doing!!!!!

just yourself. No one was complaining about Virtannen. The biggest complaints were again Fredrieck Gautheir and Lawson Crouse. Virtannen played awesome, and you know it, he played his way onto McDavids wing. Sending Russian players flying over the ice, yea.... really? What are you doing? he was a physical force, wait til he's like 22 or 23. He's going to crush a lot dmans who handle the puck too long.

 

[Curufinwe]

The Calgary Hitmen need him back. Do the right thing, Canucks.

 

[lawrence]

I disagree with you, as he has average hockey I.Q . Many people mistake not have elite i.q as having no hockey i.q.

Virtanen has very good physical tools, and an average tool box. No need for "No I.q" hyperbole.

no iq is the easiest weapon against him, since many haters are using it, why are they hating on him, that's another question. Maybe he's a good looking kid with nice hair maybe? not a fridging clue. Kid has been humble as hell.

 

[Pyromaniac]

no iq is the easiest weapon against him, since many haters are using it, why are they hating on him, that's another question. Maybe he's a good looking kid with nice hair maybe? not a fridging clue. Kid has been humble as hell.

Yeah they hate him because of his looks lol.

 

[Rebuilt]

i disagree with you. We drafted an offensive player who can hit and skate, and from the Local area, we will be stupid to draft someone else.

you need to stop living in the past, it is what it is. If he's a bust or whatever, then so be it. Right now, the only 2 prospects that are playing better then him is Ehlers and Larkin, both guys were 6'0 and 160 lbs at the time of draft.

I appreciate that you disagree. However, when talent like Ehlers and Nylander present itself, you take it. If we were so sold on Virtanen we could have traded downwards and he or Ritchie still would have been there at #10.

 

[docbenton]

I appreciate that you disagree. However, when talent like Ehlers and Nylander present itself, you take it. If we were so sold on Virtanen we could have traded downwards and he or Ritchie still would have been there at #10.

Jake is an impact player in all facets of the game. He's much more valuable than Ehlers or Nylander who are easy players to find in the draft, and types of players you can't have too many of on a team.

 

[McNurse]

Jake Virtanen has Hockey IQ? This guy has some very nice tools, just a pretty average tool box. He kind of reminds me of Evander Kane.

 

[5 14 6 1]

Jake Virtanen has Hockey IQ? This guy has some very nice tools, just a pretty average tool box. He kind of reminds me of Evander Kane.

Good comparison.

 

[McNurse]

Good comparison.

I thought so too. Not attitude wise of course

 

[The Iron Goalie]

Jake Virtanen has Hockey IQ? This guy has some very nice tools, just a pretty average tool box. He kind of reminds me of Evander Kane.

Again, an average tool box =/= no I.Q, but I agree E. Kane is a good comp.

 

[Red]

He just got his first NHL point. Also 7 hits, all of them good ones. Probably his best game so far.

 

[Knight53]

Kid was a monster tonight all 7 hits were solid and added his first point, easily his best game so far.

 

[polarbearcub]

Jake was a ****ing beast tonight. He hits to hurt,

 

[Wry n Ginger]

I am on the fence with regards to sending him back to the Hitmen.

Positives are:

Keep him up and he slowly learns when to go for the hit vs be defensively responsible. He learns from his coaches and team mates and starts to understand and thus think the game better. Becomes a reliable 3rd/4th line guy that shows promise of making it up to the second line next year or the year after. Plays a safe game.

Send him down and he realizes what he needs to work on and becomes a well rounded player for Calgary. Knows when to attack and when to defend. Is on the ice whether the team is up or down a goal.

Negatives are:

Keep him up and he loses confidence and starts to try and do too much. Starts to try too hard to land the big hit because he thinks that is what is expected of him. Doesn't get time to absorb the lessons the league is throwing at him and feels pressured to do more than he should.

Send him down and he tries too hard to light it up down there and be the scoring star. Starts to cheat and get into bad habits that won't fly at the NHL level. Loses confidence and his spot on the first line.

Of course any of these and anything in between could happen...it's an interesting time in Mr Virtanen's career! I am completely rooting for him....he seems like a good kid.

 

[Rebuilt]

Jake is an impact player in all facets of the game. He's much more valuable than Ehlers or Nylander who are easy players to find in the draft, and types of players you can't have too many of on a team.

If you are going to argue baised hyperbole, then what is the point?


Congrats to Jake earning his first NHL point tonight. He made a nice 3 foot pass at his own blue line to his linemate who did all the rest to score on a great individual effort.


Kudos to Jared Mc Cann who had a very good game. I think he probably stays.