Lacks hockey IQ?
- Look I haven't watched him play live or anything, but judging from the highlights I've seen, he definitely doesn't lack in that area. He'll set people up when you think he's going to shoot, he'll play the body to open up space, he'll accelerate up the ice if he feels he has a step on the defender, he'll fake like the Sedins one way and rush up the other way to fool the defender, etc.
He's not double clutching, he has hockey IQ. It might not be amazing like the level that playmakers have but he has it.
- Most of his goals don't come off the rush, most of them are snipes from the right areas and from areas you wouldn't expect. He's got a wicked accurate wrister.
That being said he does score off the rush too, but what's wrong with that?
- He's not "bulldozing through players" to score goals, he's a big power forward who can accelerate PAST them.
If you look at the highlights the defenders can't even get back in time to try to stop him.
- When you say "Bulldoze through smaller players", that couldn't be more wrong. Virtanen is 6'1 210lbs, while skating for the puck, he knocked over Lukas Sutter who is 6'0 214lbs (roughly the same size) and it's not like he wasn't expecting it, he was trying to battle with him. Here's another example, he was skating down the boards with the puck when 6'4 212lb Mason Geertsen tried to stand him up. Geertsen ended up on the ice and it hardly slowed Virtanen down, he kept his stride and all of his momentum after bulldozing someone his size.
I don't think you realize how impressive that actually is.
- Brett Connolly isn't that great of a comparison, maybe offensively in junior but they're not even close to the same size. Plus Virtanen is better in his own end and has a way better shot to just name a few things.
- Lastly, just because Connolly was picked at 6th doesn't mean anything regarding Virtanen picked at 6th.
So in summary I disagree with your post because most of your points regarding Virtanen are incorrect and misinformed.