wexcar Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Depending on how he does at the WJC will determine a lot about next year for him in my opinion. That's a fairly good measuring stick, and if Calgary doesn't go far in the playoffs I could see him getting a cup of coffee with Comets for there finish to the season and playoffs.If he gets 15 AHL games this year, maybe more if they have a good playoff run, I could see him getting a look right away, but at the same time, we won't even need him to be ready yet in my opinion. He needs to work on his D game a bit like most prospects, and he could do that at the junior level still. Even though he will literally make people look like they are standing still on a regular basis. If he can skate like Stamkos, hit like Ovechkin and shoot like Naslund He's gonna be a force. He reminds me of a Stamkos/Ovechkin Hybrid. He doesn't have the hands yet, but he's big fast and can Shoot with the best of them. Don't believe he is eligible to play AHL this season or next season for the same reason Horvat couldn't play AHL this season. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dasein Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Pretty sure the Hitmen will be eliminated from WHL playoffs early so once his WHL season is over he'll be a ble to join Utica in th AHL. They should be making a deep run so it shuld be a good experience for him. However, for next year I would love to see him traded to a better team with a better system so he can develop properly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avelanch Posted December 5, 2014 Author Share Posted December 5, 2014 he'd be eligible if the hitmen don't make the playoffs or is kicked early and utica is still playing, which looks like a very strong possibility. if utica goes deep/all the way he could get around 15 games or more, depending on whether green wants to throw him into the already successful mix of talent we have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dasein Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 I reckon he will because I think Jensen will be up with us for the Canucks run and if Jake can contribute offensively it'll help both his and Utica's cause since they seem to struggle a bit without Jensen. Even if he doesn't get to play it would be invaluable to practice under a good coach who demands that players buy into the system. Seeing the Virtanen highlights above, not convinced that the Hitmen have any sort of a working system.. they looked lost like the Canucks under Torts 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avelanch Posted December 5, 2014 Author Share Posted December 5, 2014 there's also the possibility of the hitmen trading him to someone making a memorial cup run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derp... Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 It would be nice for him to be traded to a contender, but I'm almost inclined to say that playing a few playoff games in the AHL will be better for his overall development because the level of hovkey will be a fair bit higher than WHL playoffs. I havn't watched AHL playoffs much, but I expect them to be similar to what a good regualr season NHL game is like in terms of speed, and physicality. at the same time, finding Virtanen a spot in the lineup will not be easy for the Comets who are relavtively deep throughout the forward group. So in that case better to be playing than just practising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aGENT Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Don't believe he is eligible to play AHL this season or next season for the same reason Horvat couldn't play AHL this season. AFTER his WHL season is over, yes he can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dasein Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 there's also the possibility of the hitmen trading him to someone making a memorial cup run. I would be so happy if that happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avelanch Posted December 5, 2014 Author Share Posted December 5, 2014 medicine hat would be ideal. with all the tigers connections on our team already and them leading the pack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robongo Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 I would be so happy if that happened. I'd prefer him getting on that Utica squad on their playoff run and possibly competing for the Calder cup over the Mem cup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewH Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Don't believe he is eligible to play AHL this season or next season for the same reason Horvat couldn't play AHL this season. You're right. Jake is not eligible for the Comets this year or next year. However, maybe they could get him in the AHL for a short conditioning stint like they did with Bo. Of course this would chew a year of his ELC and the nucks would have to play him in the NHL after. I do not think that this is likely to happen though. Far mor likely they send him back to junior after the WJC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewH Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 AFTER his WHL season is over, yes he cac. I guess if i had kept reading i would have seen this. :-) That would be the only instance i would want the hitmen to have no playoff run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarGirl Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Pretty sure the Hitmen will be eliminated from WHL playoffs early so once his WHL season is over he'll be a ble to join Utica in th AHL. They should be making a deep run so it shuld be a good experience for him. However, for next year I would love to see him traded to a better team with a better system so he can develop properly. Yeah, that's what I'm thinking too and hoping for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avelanch Posted December 5, 2014 Author Share Posted December 5, 2014 You're right. Jake is not eligible for the Comets this year or next year. However, maybe they could get him in the AHL for a short conditioning stint like they did with Bo. Of course this would chew a year of his ELC and the nucks would have to play him in the NHL after. I do not think that this is likely to happen though. Far mor likely they send him back to junior after the WJC. that would be very unlikely. he'd have to get injured in the preseason like bo did. and a conditioning stint would not burn a year unless he came back to the nhl after that stint and then proceeded to play 10 NHL games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canucks1219 Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 (edited) Virtanen with two assists (PP and EV) as the Hitmen lead the Oil Kings 3-0 in the second. Edited December 6, 2014 by Canucks1219 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canucks1219 Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 (edited) Virtanen with 2 assists, +1, 2PIM as the Hitmen rout the Oil Kings 6-2. A very chippy game and Virtanen was involved. He was chirping at someone at the final buzzer. On the year: 19GP 7g 14a 21pts +5 34PIM Update: He was named the 2nd star. Play-by-play guy said he was dangerous around the net tonight. Colour guy said he ran guys over and skated hard tonight. Edited December 6, 2014 by Canucks1219 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuktravella Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 hopefully he gets traded to kelowna at deadline for memorial cup run if that fails he can go to utica fir their playoffs maybe gaining really good experience and a short summer to train he will make nhl next yr watch him steal the show Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gyllenhaal Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 I'll be honest, I was one of the people who thought Virtanen wasn't much of a playmaker but I'm pleasently surprised by his production. I'm happy he proved me wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canucks1219 Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 Just bought the archive for the game tonight. Sounded like the Hitmen played really well in this one so I'm looking forward to seeing exactly how Virtanen did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canucks1219 Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 Finished watching a couple minutes ago. Recorded nearly all of Virtanen's shifts and I plan to compile them into a video. I got the idea to do that midway through the first so there's nothing from early in the game. He got into it (sort of) but there wasn't anything major that was missed aside from that and a powerplay that did nothing. I'll put this in the beginning of the video, but there are some clips that skip a few seconds. This is exactly how it is in the archive so there is nothing I can do about the "lost" footage. Luckily the play wasn't disrupted often. Here was the lineup for the Hitmen in this game: Rankin-Tambellini-Lang Helgeson-Fazleev-Virtanen Peterson-Karnaukhov-Stallard Sanheim*-Draude-Malenstyn *twin brother of Travis Sanheim So even with Helgeson back the original top line of Helgeson-Tambellini-Virtanen wasn't reunited. Makes sense though because that Rankin-Tamb.-Lang line absolutely exploded for offense last game. Unfortunately, this means that Virtanen is stuck on the second line again. It's also now clear that he is playing as a RW this season. As for special teams, Virtanen no longer plays on the penalty kill but, obviously, gets first unit powerplay time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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