6th Pick: 2014 NHL Entry Draft

[Ossi Vaananen]

Virtanen could well be 100+ pts next year in the dub. People forget that his birthday is in August so he's been putting these numbers up as a 17 y/o all year. This is just the start of his greatness.

[baumerman77]

Virtanen could well be 100+ pts next year in the dub. People forget that his birthday is in August so he's been putting these numbers up as a 17 y/o all year. This is just the start of his greatness.

This is a very good point here is a comparison based on stats as a 17 year old:

Virtanen 71G - 71 Points

Draisaitl 64G - 70 Points

I don't have the numbers for Ritchie but by the looks of things he was right under a PPG as a 17 year old

[missioncanucksfan]

This is a very good point here is a comparison based on stats as a 17 year old:

Virtanen 71G - 71 Points

Draisaitl 64G - 70 Points

I don't have the numbers for Ritchie but by the looks of things he was right under a PPG as a 17 year old

Jake is almost a year younger than Leon

Another RH gun is what this team also needs

Hansen and Kassian are the only decent ones....if Kesler gets dealt that is

[thad]

Jake is almost a year younger than Leon

Another RH gun is what this ream also needs

I'd still take Draisaitl over him but Virtanen is starting to take my number six spot.

[baumerman77]

The age difference between Virtanen and Draisaitl (10 months) and Virtanen and Ritchie (8 months) should not be understated.

One major difference is that fact that Draisaitl and Ritchie were not in high school (grade 12) this season whereas Virtanen was. This is a huge difference. Draisaitl and Ritchie had the luxury of practicing more often, working out more often, scouting and learning the game whereas Virtanen spent time doing school work.

There have been a study or two that show drafting players closer the the September 15 cutoff (Virtanen being August 17) are more likely to be better NHL players. The study just shows correlation and does not establish a particular causal reason but they do hypothesis a few reasons why this is the case. One is the aforementioned 'high school' difference. Another possible reason is that those born later (like Virtanen) had to play against older (presumably tougher) competition his entire hockey career thus making an easier transition to the NHL.

[baumerman77]

Jake is almost a year younger than Leon

Another RH gun is what this team also needs

Hansen and Kassian are the only decent ones....if Kesler gets dealt that is

That's another great point. Drafting a Right Handed Shot is very important. Out of our prospects: Shinkaruk, Horvat, Jensen, Gaunce, and Fox all are Left Handed Shots.

[73 Percent]

That's another great point. Drafting a Right Handed Shot is very important. Out of our prospects: Shinkaruk, Horvat, Jensen, Gaunce, and Fox all are Left Handed Shots.

shit really?

[L. Stanley]

Maybe you should look back at Allan's draft year and ask yourself again if that was a bad pick

it was bad, but again, we missed out on the good players

-regher,mike fischer, cheechoo, gomez (was good early in his career), rebeiro, alex tanguay, simone gagne (before the injuries), gionta

[L. Stanley]

The age difference between Virtanen and Draisaitl (10 months) and Virtanen and Ritchie (8 months) should not be understated.

One major difference is that fact that Draisaitl and Ritchie were not in high school (grade 12) this season whereas Virtanen was. This is a huge difference. Draisaitl and Ritchie had the luxury of practicing more often, working out more often, scouting and learning the game whereas Virtanen spent time doing school work.

There have been a study or two that show drafting players closer the the September 15 cutoff (Virtanen being August 17) are more likely to be better NHL players. The study just shows correlation and does not establish a particular causal reason but they do hypothesis a few reasons why this is the case. One is the aforementioned 'high school' difference. Another possible reason is that those born later (like Virtanen) had to play against older (presumably tougher) competition his entire hockey career thus making an easier transition to the NHL.

you cannot argue with logic, I do find this compelling, and you have won me over

[missioncanucksfan]

That's another great point. Drafting a Right Handed Shot is very important. Out of our prospects: Shinkaruk, Horvat, Jensen, Gaunce, and Fox all are Left Handed Shots.

do you also see how he steamrolls dmen as he carries the puck?

This is my choice if he is still there

[Fred65]

Frances Woolley is a professor of economics at Carleton University

Malcolm Gladwell'sOutliers argued that extraordinary success requires hard work, talent, ambition - and being born at the right time. His favourite example is hockey.

In minor hockey, children are grouped by birth year. This year, any player born in 1995 is a "minor midget."

• But January-born minor midgets are, on average, bigger and taller than December-born players. Gladwell argues that this head start gives players born in the first months of the year a life-long advantage: they are more likely to be chosen for top tier competitive teams, they get more ice time and better coaching.

The result, Gladwell says, is "an iron law of Canadian hockey: in any elite group of hockey players - the very best of the best - 40 per cent of the players will have been born between January and March." Those born in the last quarter of the year might as well just "give up on hockey."

[HowYaDrouin]

The age difference between Virtanen and Draisaitl (10 months) and Virtanen and Ritchie (8 months) should not be understated.

One major difference is that fact that Draisaitl and Ritchie were not in high school (grade 12) this season whereas Virtanen was. This is a huge difference. Draisaitl and Ritchie had the luxury of practicing more often, working out more often, scouting and learning the game whereas Virtanen spent time doing school work.

There have been a study or two that show drafting players closer the the September 15 cutoff (Virtanen being August 17) are more likely to be better NHL players. The study just shows correlation and does not establish a particular causal reason but they do hypothesis a few reasons why this is the case. One is the aforementioned 'high school' difference. Another possible reason is that those born later (like Virtanen) had to play against older (presumably tougher) competition his entire hockey career thus making an easier transition to the NHL.

Thats actually really interesting.. I had no idea that Virtanen was still in high school and almost a full year younger than the other prospects.. on a somewhat unrelated note, Virtanen would be a long term project, but if he's playing the way he is being 2 and sometimes 3 years younger than his opponents thats pretty damn impressive..

[HowYaDrouin]

Yeah i was going to say I thought those born in the first half of the year were shown to become better athletes, not just at hockey, but across most sports as well.

[Ossi Vaananen]

This:

actually supports this:

The age difference between Virtanen and Draisaitl (10 months) and Virtanen and Ritchie (8 months) should not be understated.

One major difference is that fact that Draisaitl and Ritchie were not in high school (grade 12) this season whereas Virtanen was. This is a huge difference. Draisaitl and Ritchie had the luxury of practicing more often, working out more often, scouting and learning the game whereas Virtanen spent time doing school work.

There have been a study or two that show drafting players closer the the September 15 cutoff (Virtanen being August 17) are more likely to be better NHL players. The study just shows correlation and does not establish a particular causal reason but they do hypothesis a few reasons why this is the case. One is the aforementioned 'high school' difference. Another possible reason is that those born later (like Virtanen) had to play against older (presumably tougher) competition his entire hockey career thus making an easier transition to the NHL.

In as much as it's a more difficult challenge for players born later in the year to face bigger competition, it should showcae the fact that putting up the numbers that Virtanen has is no small feat, especially against older players.

[Junkyard Dog]

Virtanen is 6'1'' and 210 lbs at 17 years of age? That's pretty remarkable.

[SamJamIam]

Virtanen is 6'1'' and 210 lbs at 17 years of age? That's pretty remarkable.

And fastest skater in the league. And yet I still don't really like him as a pick. I just don't see him really showing particularly high level hockey sense. That toe drag goal was the only one in the highlight package that would go in against an NHL goaltender (save for a few where the goalie was screened). Wrap arounds, a clumsy backhand and just generally being big don't really scream success to me.

[baumerman77]

OK. Please allow me to clarify a few important points.

Gladwell states that young hockey players are grouped by age (all players from 1995 for example are minor midget) this is true. The NHL draft has its cutoff on September 15th.

So what this means is that as players grew up those born at the start of the year (January and February) are more likely to be stronger. Those born at the end tend to get weeded out (they get discouraged because they are not as good). So what that means is going into their NHL draft eligible year, a higher portion of those players were born at the start of the year.

What does this have to do with the Canucks and Virtanen? Well despite playing against stronger older players his whole life Virtanen was not weeded out (think survival of the fittest and he survived). Now Virtanen was born in the 8th month putting him slightly behind his entire hockey career, but with the NHL draft the year doesn't go from JAN-DEC it goes SEPT 15-SEPT 15. What does this mean? He is now at the very far end of the pack (11 out of 12). Despite this he is still preforming at a high level.

[Junkyard Dog]

And fastest skater in the league. And yet I still don't really like him as a pick. I just don't see him really showing particularly high level hockey sense. That toe drag goal was the only one in the highlight package that would go in against an NHL goaltender (save for a few where the goalie was screened). Wrap arounds, a clumsy backhand and just generally being big don't really scream success to me.

Though Virtanen's put up the numbers he has as a 17 years old. Virtanen is also is highly athletic for his age and can still grow.

We lack in RHD forward prospects and fast players in general.

Seems like he is the type of prospect that would need some time to develop. I think he has the potential to be a solid player though.

[thad]

And fastest skater in the league. And yet I still don't really like him as a pick. I just don't see him really showing particularly high level hockey sense. That toe drag goal was the only one in the highlight package that would go in against an NHL goaltender (save for a few where the goalie was screened). Wrap arounds, a clumsy backhand and just generally being big don't really scream success to me.

I am willing to bet you could find an nhl goal that looks exactly like every one of his goals. That is an nhl caliber shot he's getting off at the age of 17. Extremely fast and accurate

NHL goalies are not robots

[baumerman77]

Although Draisaitl, Ritchie, and Virtanen do not need to get any bigger in height or weight to compete in the NHL. Virtanen is the guy who is most likely to grow.