SamJamIam

On the phone.....

Oh snap! Stoked to see if we go Vilardi or Glass now

I wish you were as able to write off the Canucks' struggles as easily as you do the Panthers'. It would save us having to hear you gripe based on a ridiculous double standard.

I would bet 3 of those guys make it with one of Dahlen and Goldy being in the A.

It's not just about muscle mass. The strength of muscle increases in men through their late teens and early twenties. It's a substantial biological change and is not a result of just working out. Some guys have it early (see Ekblad), others later. We will just have to see where Juolevi is at when camp begins.

Wow he looks big too unlike in Utica where he looked to have burned off 40 lbs over the course of the season.

Every thread is a "bitch about picking Virtanen" thread

Pretty sure he was consensus. Let's put revisionist history aside and recognise that he was behind consensus top 5 pick Michael Dal Colle.

We were talking about Boeser. Assumed that was a typo but can see now how that is confusing.

I'd love to see what you can dig up on scouting reports that mention anything below average about his skating but I can't find a thing. I just searched high and low and all I can find is scouts saying the exact opposite prior to the draft, claiming both his acceleration and speed were one of his positives.

Bro do you even hockey?

The comparison in this case is very applicable. You say he got fast in an off season. He didn't. He was already fast and then the complaint about his speed came from who knows where. Suddenly he's labelled slow. He puts in his time in the off season, makes decent (but not amazing) improvements. He's clearly not slow though so he's now credited with an amazing boost in speed. The reality is CDC just can't scout for $&!#.

Flashbacks to complaints about Horvat's speed abound.

When you say things like this it makes me wonder if you've ever watched a UND game. His skating was great even in freshman year. He scored a ton off the rush with Caggiula and Schmaltz. Even when they left he was a terror on the forecheck.

The beauties of playing for the Calgary Sh*tmen

The biggest problem when it comes to projecting Jake is that he is a player that can be neutralized if he's on a poor line. With some decently skilled linemates, he will open up space like few in the NHL can do. It's going to be like scoring in junior for some of the skilled guys that get to play with him at the NHL level. Good on him for working hard and putting together the defensive part of his game while down in Utica.

Yeah we should definitely get rid of him. Played 0 minutes, scored 0 points. Why would we keep him?

His name is Jake Virtanen and he's coming soon

Eh. I've been watching a ton of UND over the last few years and Boeser's game is not like Anson's. He has plenty of ability to stick handle and makes intelligent passing plays. He is good on his own but with other high skill guys he gets even better. He plays a fast game and uses his speed and smarts to open up space. The Sedins standing around playing catch are not a good fit for him. He just happens to be a better shooter than almost everyone else on the team. Goldobin is similarly smart and able to snipe and pass but uses speed to create space. The Sedins are just playing a style that doesn't work anymore.

Team was destroyed by injuries. You want Labate on our first line? Sometimes guys gotta play through things then address during the offseason.

Doubtful in Jake's case. He's just dropped a ton of body fat. He wasn't without muscle before. Agreed.

As a guy with a similar build, that is definitely more than 20 pounds

Well I am sufficiently excited!

Agree to disagree. Subjective taste for play style enters into things but this is the first year I haven't atched them. Wish them all the best nonetheless.

I haven't been watching the Comets this year because they are extremely frustrating to watch. Virtanen really is their only weapon but his speed and physicality are only so useful when he's the only guy with any offensive talent. He can separate players from the puck, create space and then it doesn't matter because the goalies can only play his shot, defenders only play his shot, etc etc. Every time he drives down a wing, outpacing everyone, that's when one Comet player should have the sense to just drive down the middle. Virtanen is always looking for a pass to the slot as he gets near the goal line and every time it's just 4 opposing players staring back at him. They all know the Comets don't have the speed to follow Virt into the zone so they just never play his pass because he never has that option. It's &^@#ing embarrassing. Put him next to some linemates with NHL talent, let them gel and he'll be making space for days, creating production for our more talented players.