Devoted

I'd say thats about right. To make the playoffs, they'll need solid goaltending, secondary scoring and some good health luck. To fall down to 12th, shaky goaltending and little secondary scoring.

I'm confused why most people think the Canucks would pay him anything close to 2 million. 1 year 1.1-1.3 million seems awfully fair for a guy who hasn't established a NHL roster spot before.

Very pleased! Pure goal scorer Welcome to the west coast Brock

Little article on Hockey Future's about Jake.. Nothing we don't already know, but good to see some positivity surrounding this kid. Photo: Utica Comets forward and Vancouver Canucks prospect Jake Virtanen had a busy 2014-15 season with a stop in the WHL, a gold medal win at the 2015 World Juniors, and his first pro action in the AHL (courtesy of Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire) When Jake Virtanen arrived in Utica after his WHL playoff run with the Calgary Hitmen came to an end, he was expecting to come in and practice with the Vancouver Canucks‘ top minor league affiliate, the Utica Comets, to learn about the game at the professional level. Instead, injuries to forwards Darren Archibald and Carter Bancks opened up a spot in the lineup right away for Virtanen, who made his pro debut in Game Six of the AHL’s Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Barons before appearing in his first-ever Game Seven in pro hockey two nights later. “Coming here, I just thought I’d be here for experience,” Virtanen said after Utica’s Game Seven win over Oklahoma City. “Coming in and then with some injuries we have, Travis told me that I would be going in and there’s nothing better.” Virtanen created offensive opportunities with linemates Mike Zalewski and fellow rookie Hunter Shinkaruk on a regular basis while also being a physical force, playing a gritty two-way game at a high level. “They have a lot of skill on that line,” Virtanen said of his linemates. “I’m probably the heaviest guy on that line so I’m going to create room for those guys to get in on net or anything like that just to make space for them. If I have the time with the puck, I’ll try to get shots on net, too. It’s a good line combination.” Virtanen was held off the scoresheet against the Barons but was still very noticeable on the ice, particularly in Game Seven at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. “Coming from junior, I think I’ve been in two game sevens in playoffs, but this is completely different – it doesn’t compare,” Virtanen said. Virtanen’s breakout season in 2013-14 saw him selected sixth overall by the Canucks at the 2014 NHL Draft. Coming off a 45-goal WHL season, Virtanen followed it up with 52 points (21G-31A) in 50 regular season games this season – also adding 13 points (5G-8A) in 14 WHL postseason contests before joining Utica at a critical time. “My last game was my first game of pro and [this was] just an unbelievable experience for me,” Virtanen said after the Comets’ 1-0 Game Seven win over Oklahoma City, adding, “It was a Game 7, only my second game of pro and [we] come away with a huge win.” In Game Three of the Western Conference Finals against the Grand Rapids Griffins, Virtanen added the primary assist on Sven Baertschi’s hat trick goal in the second period for his first professional point. Virtanen got open at the top of the right wing faceoff circle and, although his shot was stopped by Griffins’ netminder Tom McCollum, Baertschi swooped in for an uncontested rebound goal. Although the Comets eventually fell to the Manchester Monarchs in the 2015 Calder Cup Finals, Virtanen and several other Canucks prospects played in a highly competitive atmosphere, gaining valuable experience that bodes well for the future of the organization. “Being in this atmosphere [was] unbelievable,” Virtanen remarked about Utica’s postseason run. “Just going out there and getting the experience will help me in the future, so that’s really good.” http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/124923/virtanen-gained-valuable-experience-vancouvers-ahl-affiliate-utica/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=virtanen-gained-valuable-experience-vancouvers-ahl-affiliate-utica

Back to Calgary to find the dynamic scoring touch that we need out of this player. He will be THE guy for the Hitmen next year, a top 6 forward with Team Canada and hopefully another chance to suit up for Utica as they prepare for another deep Calder Cup run. Playing in the NHL next year would obviously help him get used to the speed and structure of the pro game as well as the benefits of practicing with NHL'ers everyday, but playing 8-10 minutes a night on the 4th line would likely be detrimental to his offensive skills and his overall development. Go back, pop 40 goals, 1.2-1.4 ppg and then come into camp for 2016-2017 ready to push for a top nine spot.

I feel the same way. Give the kid two years of pro hockey before setting a limit on him. By that time we should all have a fairly good idea of what type of player they'll be. Not assured of course, but at least a decent sample size to assess.

Cornerstone potential in this kid. Just seems to have that 'it' factor. 2015-2016 - BC 2016-2017 - Utica 2017-2018 - Utica 2018-2019 - #2 in Vancouver 2019-2020 - The year of the Demko.

He'll start in the press box, but like the CBC boys were saying, tonight's game really added credit to Baertschi's game and WillieD will be far more likely to go to him somewhere into the series if an injury occurs or a player is struggling. His speed and skill are palpable, and I could really see him and Vrbata being a perfect pair and the perfect mentorship. Loving the positive finish to the season.. you wanna go in winning, not slipping through the backdoor like Pittsburgh

I like the pick still as well.. Jake has a dynamic skill-set that should translate very well to the NHL. It also filled a hole in Vancouver's depth chart. It was, and still is, a good selection. Larkin is simply having a fantastic season as an 18 year old in the NCAA. Another 4 points last night (1 g 3 a) in the first game of the Big10 tournament. He looks like a player who can be a #1 centre in the NHL. You're right about the other players being borderline to pass Virtanen (minus Pasternak). They have had better draft+1 years than Jake, but time will tell who turns out to be the better players.

Larkin for me. I think if the draft was done today he would jump up to #5 pushing MDC back. He looks like a pretty special player. Virtanen's season thus far (shoulder injury + strong WJC tournament) would probably see him going around the 10 -13 spot. You'd have to think Pasternak and Larkin would jump over him, with Ehlers, Nylander.. maybe even Fiala and DeAngelo pushing up as well. This is all under the pre tense that the draft was completed today.. and how players are judged on what they've done up to that moment.

That was a nice gift by the Flames. Everyone and their dog knew that Demko was the #1 ranked goaltender in the draft. I was very surprised when I saw Mason go 34, and was very pleased when Vancouver called Demko's name 2 picks later.

Blast! I knew it was a real possibility, but I was sure hoping he'd skip the senior year and start to acclimate to the rigours of a tougher, longer, pro season. He could've always finished that degree over a couple summers..Maybe JB can convince him of such, although I doubt it. Ah well!

The fan voting system adds up to a whopping 1% of the total ballet for the winning player. Eichel could easily win without receiving a single fan vote. Same with Demko.. but less likely. Also here is how the award is considered.. NOMINATING AND SELECTION CRITERIA There are four criteria against which nominees for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award are considered: Strength of character, on and off the ice Contribution to the integrity of the team and outstanding skills in all phases of the game Scholastic achievement and sportsmanship Compliance with all NCAA rules, including being a full-time student in an accredited college or university and completing 50 percent or more of the season The selection process for the award is in three parts. First, the head coaches of NCAA Division I schools nominate the top three players in their league and the top three players in the nation. College hockey fans can also vote online at this time—and fan voting can be an important factor in the balloting outcome. Price Waterhouse Coopers tabulates the votes and the top 10 candidates are announced. Voting then commences for the "Hobey Hat Trick," which is a narrowing of the field from ten players to three, from which the winner is selected. The primary voting in this part of the process is by the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Selection Committee, a geographically balanced group of 27 individuals representing print and electronic sports media, college hockey coaches and officials, and NHL scouts. Fans may also vote online for their favorite candidate during this phase of the process. After the three finalists for the award are announced ("Hobey Hat Trick"), the countdown begins toward the announcement of the award winner in a nationally televised ceremony. http://www.hobeybaker.com/awards/the-hobey-baker-memorial-award/criteria-selection-process

Nice bit of research Down by the River. Thanks. I have very high hopes for Demko. There's just something about his personality and playing-style that just screams NHL goaltender. Prediction! He'll be on Team Mcdavid at the All-Star game in 2021-2022

Jake certainly has some deficiencies, but my goodness does he ever have top-flight tools. This kid at 22 years old should be an absolute terror on the ice. He is going to be a very special player one day