N4ZZY Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 he'd have to get quasi-decent linemates before he could use them better. i understand that he may not have the best linemates in junior. hopefully that changes this coming year. he'll have better linemates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avelanch Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 i understand that he may not have the best linemates in junior. hopefully that changes this coming year. he'll have better linemates. hopefully ones that can actually finish on his setups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N4ZZY Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 hopefully ones that can actually finish on his setups. EXACTLY. What's the point of having better linemates, if they aren't able to finish on the setups? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkstar Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 (edited) The best comparison for Virtanen is still Torres. Pretty much the exact same player at the time of their draft. http://www.nytimes.c...big-trades.html Torres, according to the Central Scouting report, is ''a shifty skater with very good agility and balance.'' It continued: ''Excellent straight-away speed. A very strong puckhandler who excels in one-on-one situations. A tireless skater with outstanding endurance and high energy. Has a hard, accurate shot with a quick release. Very dangerous around the net. Very effective at forcing turnovers. A focused player who plays a disciplined game.'' Virtanen had 45 goals and 71 points in 71 games in his 2nd year in the WHL Torres had 35 goals and 62 points in 62 games in his 2nd year in the OHL Torres went 5th overall, Virtanen went 6th overall. Virtanen is 6'1, 210 lbs at the time of the draft. Torres was 6'0, 200 lbs at the time of the draft. Both players have/had great tools, but no toolbox. Virtanen will still likely become a better player than Torres, but he'll likely fit the mold of a good 2nd/3rd line winger. Don't be disappointed if he ends up there. Edited July 28, 2014 by TheEhrhoffEffect 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jägermeister Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 The best comparison for Virtanen is still Torres. Pretty much the exact same player at the time of their draft. http://www.nytimes.c...big-trades.html Torres, according to the Central Scouting report, is ''a shifty skater with very good agility and balance.'' It continued: ''Excellent straight-away speed. A very strong puckhandler who excels in one-on-one situations. A tireless skater with outstanding endurance and high energy. Has a hard, accurate shot with a quick release. Very dangerous around the net. Very effective at forcing turnovers. A focused player who plays a disciplined game.'' Virtanen had 45 goals and 71 points in 71 games in his 2nd year in the WHL Torres had 35 goals and 62 points in 62 games in his 2nd year in the OHL Torres went 5th overall, Virtanen went 6th overall. Virtanen is 6'1, 210 lbs at the time of the draft. Torres was 6'0, 200 lbs at the time of the draft. Both players have/had great tools, but no toolbox. Virtanen will still likely become a better player than Torres, but he'll likely fit the mold of a good 2nd/3rd line winger. Don't be disappointed if he ends up there. Torres actually had 43G and 91pts in 68 games his 2nd season, but he was 18 for most of the season while Virtanen was only 17. I think both the Nolan and Torres comparisons are fair, but am leaning more towards Torres. I'd be thrilled to see him have a career somewhere in between what they had in their prime (somewhere in the 25G/50pts area, and a physical force). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wshdrvvn Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 (edited) A focused player who plays a disciplined game. HA! If Jake becomes a Torres type, I hope this portion actually remains true for Jake unlike Raffe. Edited July 28, 2014 by wshdrvvn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WonderTwinPowers Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 HA! If Jake becomes a Torres type, I hope this portion actually remains true for Jake unlike Raffe. Lol I had to laugh at that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canucklehead44 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 I would say top end potential would be Owen Nolan, lower end potential would be Raffi Torres.I don't think he is nearly as tough as Nolan, but he seems willing to drop the gloves: Virtanen was 16 here, his opponent 19 going on 20 and a guy who had 18 fighting majors. Looks able to hold his own. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEON.KNEE Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 people comparing Virtanen to Torres are making me sad about this fanbase. He is already bigger and generating more offence at a younger age than Torres...I have a feeling Virtanen is going to be more of a Cam Neely calibre player than a Raffi Torres. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 (edited) I find it funny when everyone rushes to slap a label on an 18 year old kid and try and compare him to NHL players. That assumes that he's not going to develop any more aspects to his game and stay the exact same player. If that happens, then the Canucks didn't do a very good job of developing him. He's fast, he can shoot the puck, and he plays with an edge. Guess what? That describes hundreds of players, past and present. Trying to narow it down to one and put a ceiling on the guy at 18 is just pointless. Why can't he just be Virtanen and leave it at that? Edited July 29, 2014 by DeNiro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BanTSN Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 He'll be an all-star power forward. That doesn't describe a lot of players. Anyone think of any? Iginla? Nolan? Cam Neely? On top of my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 He'll be an all-star power forward. That doesn't describe a lot of players. Anyone think of any? Iginla? Nolan? Cam Neely? On top of my head. Well first of all, it's not a guarantee that he'll be an all star. Second of all, he's more of a hybrid powerforward rather than a traditional one. Those are pretty common in today's NHL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BanTSN Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Hybrid as in part all-star, part power forward? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 (edited) Hybrid as in part all-star, part power forward? Hybrid in that he plays like a power forward by driving the net and going to the dirty areas, but he doesn't bring the intimidation and fighting ability of traditional powerforwards like a Bertuzzi. Edited July 29, 2014 by DeNiro 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogbyte Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 I find it funny when everyone rushes to slap a label on an 18 year old kid and try and compare him to NHL players. That assumes that he's not going to develop any more aspects to his game and stay the exact same player. If that happens, then the Canucks didn't do a very good job of developing him. He's fast, he can shoot the puck, and he plays with an edge. Guess what? That describes hundreds of players, past and present. Trying to narow it down to one and put a ceiling on the guy at 18 is just pointless. Why can't he just be Virtanen and leave it at that? NO HE'S TORRES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 NO HE'S TORRES Lol. Okay sorry, he's Torres. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BanTSN Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Not that Bertuzzi fought all that often, but i'd be happy if Jake didn't spend so much time in the box. Power forward is a loose-goose term applied to players who play like Virtanen and Bertuzzi, and as far as I know, nobody uses the term hybrid power forward, so i'm going to be very glad when he turns into an all-star power forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tebeaune Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 (edited) People on this board confuse me. I am from Abbotsford and have followed this kid since he went to school here. He's a good kid with an edge on the ice. He is the fastest skater, he is not small, he can put the puck in the net, he stands up for himself and team mates, he hits, he plays a north / south game, he wants to play for the Canucks and he is motivated. Previous complaints on this board. " We are too small, we are too slow, we pass too much, we need a shooter, we have no toughness, we need people who want to play here, no more Europeans......... So people want Ritchie and Europeans..... Jake apparently isn't what this team needs. I am so confused. He is exactly what this team needs more of. Will he pan out, just as much chance as any of the others outside the top four. If he doesn't turn into a top six. I would be surprised. And in the event he doesn't he is still a very useful player. I like the pick and the package he brings. It's what this team needs more of. Take a look at L.A. and the current successful teams for evidence. I'm thankful that we aren't running this organization. Edited July 29, 2014 by tebeaune 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BanTSN Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 People on this board confuse me. I am from Abbotsford and have followed this kid since he went to school here. He's a good kid with an edge on the ice. He is the fastest skater, he is not small, he can put the puck in the net, he stands up for himself and team mates, he hits, he plays a north / south game, he wants to play for the Canucks and he is motivated. Previous complaints on this board. " We are too small, we are too slow, we pass too much, we need a shooter, we have no toughness, we need people who want to play here, no more Europeans......... So people want Ritchie and Europeans..... Jake apparently isn't what this team needs. I am so confused. He is exactly what this team needs more of. Will he pan out, just as much chance as any of the others outside the top four. If he doesn't turn into a top six. I would be surprised. And in the event he doesn't he is still a very useful player. I like the pick and the package he brings. It's what this team needs more of. Take a look at L.A. and the current successful teams for evidence. I'm thankful that we aren't running this organization. Don't worry about it. The Canucks picked the right guy and everyone knows it. (But may not admit it.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMJB Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 So by the sounds of it worst case scenario are 2 recent top 10 draft picks become the Torres-Malhotra line 2.0 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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