Jake Virtanen | #18 | RW

[Canucks1219]

Calgary Hitmen @WHLHitmen · 12m 12 minutes ago

With the win, the #WHLHitmen have clinched a playoff spot and take a two-point lead for the Central Division's No. 1 spot!

I think that makes it 4 CHL prospects that have had their team clinch a playoff spot (Virtanen/CGY, Petit/ERI, McCann/SSM, Cassels/OSH).

He's probably facing worse competition now that he isn't on the top line.

Here's hoping it's not the reason. He's a big-bodied power forward playing in his 3rd WHL season after being taken with the 6th overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft. You'd like to think (and I do) that he can put up points against anyone in that league. I haven't been able to watch his games since his return from the WJC so I have no idea why he was in a slump for that 7 game stretch with 1 point. Is it possible that being unable to stay in top shape during the offseason caught up to him in those games? He has played a lot of high-intensity games already with the WJC. Well, who knows.

[BanTSN]

Calgary's been unbeatable for a good stretch here. Virtanen's doing a lot all over the ice to secure these wins. GREAT to see.

For those who want to know, Jake's game tonight was tremendous. Strong on forecheck, strong finish with the puck, a HUGE hit on guy into his own bench feet-first. (The hit will be on youtube soon.) Aggressive and wreaking havoc all over the place with only a 2min minor to show for it.

He's going to be the real deal. True power foward.

(lul. He's being sheltered. You guys are funny.)

Edited February 25, 2015 by BanTSN

[Amish Rake Fighter]

Isn't it kinda weird how Jake got better AFTER moving off the first line? What were the two over-agers doing ?

from what I saw, he wasn't getting the puck a whole lot

[Brick Tamland]

[Nino]

Calgary's been unbeatable for a good stretch here. Virtanen's doing a lot all over the ice to secure these wins. GREAT to see.

For those who want to know, Jake's game tonight was tremendous. Strong on forecheck, strong finish with the puck, a HUGE hit on guy into his own bench feet-first. (The hit will be on youtube soon.) Aggressive and wreaking havoc all over the place with only a 2min minor to show for it.

He's going to be the real deal. True power foward.

(lul. He's being sheltered. You guys are funny.)

Were you at the game?

[avelanch]

The thought of jumping never crossed MY mind

you were just there for the view?

[Ghostsof1915]

LOL... he undressed everyone even the usher in section 104. Shades of Bure there?

Edited February 25, 2015 by Ghostsof1915

[Derp...]

Old highlight.

Where's this hit that was too good?

[Gaudette Celly]

LOL... he undressed everyone even the usher in section 104. Shades of Bure there?

His skating reminds me more of Bobby or Coffey. Bure was more of a cutter and slasher, always driving hard. Bobby, Coffey, and Jake motor but simply glide out there yet at a higher speed than everyone around them.

[baumerman77]

I really hope they take their time with Virtanen. I don't want him to lose the power forward element of his game. There is no way he will be able to put his inside shoulder down and drive to the net on a consistent basis in the NHL over the next couple years. I hope he goes back to junior next year and start the following season in the AHL.

Although I doubt that will happen. Benning seems to want to appease the fanbase by bringing in younger talent.

[TOMapleLaughs]

I really hope they take their time with Virtanen. I don't want him to lose the power forward element of his game. There is no way he will be able to put his inside shoulder down and drive to the net on a consistent basis in the NHL over the next couple years. I hope he goes back to junior next year and start the following season in the AHL.

Although I doubt that will happen. Benning seems to want to appease the fanbase by bringing in younger talent.

So we're supposed to be down about the much-needed youth injection on this team? Okay.

What?

[Bigturk8]

I really hope they take their time with Virtanen. I don't want him to lose the power forward element of his game. There is no way he will be able to put his inside shoulder down and drive to the net on a consistent basis in the NHL over the next couple years. I hope he goes back to junior next year and start the following season in the AHL.

Although I doubt that will happen. Benning seems to want to appease the fanbase by bringing in younger talent.

I'm not sure what you mean by "appease the fanbase". Bo Horvat earned his spot and has been valuble since he started. The rest have been call ups for injuries and, for the most part, have proved to be excellent depth. These were all good/necessary managment decisions.

[baumerman77]

I'm not sure what you mean by "appease the fanbase". Bo Horvat earned his spot and has been valuble since he started. The rest have been call ups for injuries and, for the most part, have proved to be excellent depth. These were all good/necessary managment decisions.

I mean that the fanbase desires an injection of young talent. Popular opinion, at least from my vantage point, is that the fans largely think the core is past their prime and a new wave of talent has to play a bigger role moving forward for the team to be successful.

I'm not saying that a prospect will make the team solely to placate the fanbase, but that it is a factor and that it could be a deciding factor next year with Virtanen. I strongly disagree with the idea that just because a prospect is good enough to play in the NHL they should.

[Boudrias]

IMO the only reason Horvat got a look was because of his size and very solid defensive credentials. WD did not have to rely on Horvat producing offense. Without that pressure he could get his feet wet and establish his game. Now his line has pushed their TOI up to 2nd line stats. Story of the year in Van IMHO.

From what I have seen of Virtanen he is not capable of NHL play yet. If he made the Canucks it would have to be a repeat of Horvat's route on the 4th line. My take is he gets better opportunity staying in the DUB with a full year of play. His surgery gave him a late start and he needs more time on the d-side of the game. It would be pretty sad if Virtanen started in Van and got hit on that shoulder.

[aGENT]

I mean that the fanbase desires an injection of young talent. Popular opinion, at least from my vantage point, is that the fans largely think the core is past their prime and a new wave of talent has to play a bigger role moving forward for the team to be successful.

I'm not saying that a prospect will make the team solely to placate the fanbase, but that it is a factor and that it could be a deciding factor next year with Virtanen. I strongly disagree with the idea that just because a prospect is good enough to play in the NHL they should.

The team DID (and still does) need an injection of young (ready) talent. That's not some irrational fan thing. It's very much an NHL reality thing. The team was getting old and stale.

We've seen the positive effects first hand of having young, ready guys be able to come in and play. It's rejuvenated this team and propped up what's left of the quality but aging core.

If a prospect is good enough to play in the NHL, they absolutely should. I can't fathom any reasonable argument against it.

[Fred65]

Yeah youthful enthusiasm can cover up the odd mistake. The question will be howdo you send the likes of Kenins and Biega back to Utica when the vets become healthy.

This is what I'm wondering about

.

.

.

" ... The 23-man roster limit is in place from the conclusion of the preseason until 12:01 am on the day of the NHLs Trade Deadline. After that teams are allowed to have an unlimited active roster at the NHL level, provided players are signed to one of their 50 contract slots. NHL teams are only allowed to dress a maximum of 20 players 18 skaters and two goaltenders for any given game, but those 20 must come from the 23-player active roster. ... "

http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=430807

Edited February 25, 2015 by Fred65

[baumerman77]

The team DID (and still does) need an injection of young (ready) talent. That's not some irrational fan thing. It's very much an NHL reality thing. The team was getting old and stale.

We've seen the positive effects first hand of having young, ready guys be able to come in and play. It's rejuvenated this team and propped up what's left of the quality but aging core.

If a prospect is good enough to play in the NHL, they absolutely should. I can't fathom any reasonable argument against it.

I never said the need for youth was irrational. I think our core is old too. My concern is how we go about bringing in the youth.

There are many good reasons why a prospect should not make the jump to the NHL even though they are good enough here are a few of those arguments:

1. Add size/strength: Some players who have great offensive and defensive skill that would allow them to play in the NHL so that they can be more effective in using that skill in the NHL.

2. Injuries: Tied into point 1 if a player is recovering from an injury why risk re-injurying in the NHL, where the play is faster and the hits are harder.

3. Confidence: These players are use to being one of the best players on the ice. It is hard to predict how they would respond to taking a lower role in the NHL. Our own Kassian is a good example. He constantly talks (before his recent success) about needing to score. He still thinks of himself as a scorer, he is having trouble accepting that he may need to be a different player in the NHL. Shinkaruk seems to be down on himself this year for his point total. In many interviews he contends that he is a scorer (which I agree) and that he needs to score more. It's a big adjustment from junior to the pros (even the AHL). No need to ruin a players confidence.

4. Maturity: Similar to the point on confidence, it is difficult to know how a 19 year old (or an 18 year old) will respond to playing in the NHL from a maturity stand point. Higher levels of responsibility away from the ice may be overwhelming and translate negatively onto the ice. People only need to think back to when they were 18 or 19. Conversely, playing and being a leader in junior can allow prospects to mature positively and learn how to deal with responsibility.

5. Salary Cap/ Contract: I don't think anyone hear would argue that Virtanen at age 20, 21, 22 will be better than Virtanen age 19,20,21. If he stays in junior an extra year we get more bang for our buck. Moreover, this causes a ripple effect as his next bridge contract will come when he is entering his prime which will once again give us more bang for our buck. Furthermore, he will be an RFA for an extra year. Lastly, I don't think anyone here sees us as major contenders for the next few years (especially not next year) why not time his contract to match when the team becomes competitive again?

A good example would be Sam Reinhart. He was definitely good enough to make buffalo and to make them a better team. By sending him back to junior: they didn't have to burn a year of his contract when their team was horrible; it allowed them to tank even better; and it helped Reinhart grow as a player skill wise and leader through his WHL team and WJC.

Of course there are also reasons for bring a prospect in earlier. One that is significant is to appease fans. Horvat is making the Canucks money through ticket sales and jersey sales etc.

Don't get me wrong I love to see exciting prospects play, but to say that there is no good reasons for not playing a prospect that is good enough to play in the NHL is just for a lack of trying.

Virtanen's big hit last night:

Edited February 25, 2015 by baumerman77

[aGENT]

I never said the need for youth was irrational. I think our core is old too. My concern is how we go about bringing in the youth.

There are many good reasons why a prospect should not make the jump to the NHL even though they are good enough here are a few of those arguments:

1. Add size/strength: Some players who have great offensive and defensive skill that would allow them to play in the NHL so that they can be more effective in using that skill in the NHL.

2. Injuries: Tied into point 1 if a player is recovering from an injury why risk re-injurying in the NHL, where the play is faster and the hits are harder.

3. Confidence: These players are use to being one of the best players on the ice. It is hard to predict how they would respond to taking a lower role in the NHL. Our own Kassian is a good example. He constantly talks (before his recent success) about needing to score. He still thinks of himself as a scorer, he is having trouble accepting that he may need to be a different player in the NHL. Shinkaruk seems to be down on himself this year for his point total. In many interviews he contends that he is a scorer (which I agree) and that he needs to score more. It's a big adjustment from junior to the pros (even the AHL). No need to ruin a players confidence.

4. Maturity: Similar to the point on confidence, it is difficult to know how a 19 year old (or an 18 year old) will respond to playing in the NHL from a maturity stand point. Higher levels of responsibility away from the ice may be overwhelming and translate negatively onto the ice. People only need to think back to when they were 18 or 19. Conversely, playing and being a leader in junior can allow prospects to mature positively and learn how to deal with responsibility.

5. Salary Cap/ Contract: I don't think anyone hear would argue that Virtanen at age 20, 21, 22 will be better than Virtanen age 19,20,21. If he stays in junior an extra year we get more bang for our buck. Moreover, this causes a ripple effect as his next bridge contract will come when he is entering his prime which will once again give us more bang for our buck. Furthermore, he will be an RFA for an extra year. Lastly, I don't think anyone here sees us as major contenders for the next few years (especially not next year) why not time his contract to match when the team becomes competitive again?

A good example would be Sam Reinhart. He was definitely good enough to make buffalo and to make them a better team. By sending him back to junior: they didn't have to burn a year of his contract when their team was horrible; it allowed them to tank even better; and it helped Reinhart grow as a player skill wise and leader through his WHL team and WJC.

Of course there are also reasons for bring a prospect in earlier. One that is significant is to appease fans. Horvat is making the Canucks money through ticket sales and jersey sales etc.

Don't get me wrong I love to see exciting prospects play, but to say that there is no good reasons for not playing a prospect that is good enough to play in the NHL is just for a lack of trying.

If they need those things, they aren't actually ready

Edited February 25, 2015 by J.R.

[Dekey Pete]

Virtanen's big hit last night:

[Nas19]

Holy eff. That dude went flying.