Jake Virtanen | #18 | RW

[Derp...]

I blame the CHL for not allowing players to properly develop. If Jake had been able to play in the AHL last year same as Nylander, we would probably see Jake a whole year further ahead in his development. Maybe he would have struggled like this year in scoring last year, but at least he would have been able to play a role that suited him against competition that was physically similar.

Maybe he would have been okay going back to junior, but I don't think it would have taught him how to compete every shift like he is learning in the AHL under Green.

Jake is the kid of player that will produce similarly between the AHL and NHL in his young years, especially considering the skill, and goal scoring ability of the Comets. The amount of scoring chances he will get in the NHL will probably be higher than the AHL because he'll play with better playmakers.

 

[UticaHockey]

Two very nice "goal scorer's" goals for Jake last night.  A beautiful snipe top corner on a power play and a nice one timer on a 2 on 1 where he got his hips open and in great shooting position to accept the saucer pass from Valk.  Besides the two goals Jake was active all game and played the body well.

[saucypass]

2 hours ago, Derp... said:

I blame the CHL for not allowing players to properly develop. If Jake had been able to play in the AHL last year same as Nylander, we would probably see Jake a whole year further ahead in his development. Maybe he would have struggled like this year in scoring last year, but at least he would have been able to play a role that suited him against competition that was physically similar.

Maybe he would have been okay going back to junior, but I don't think it would have taught him how to compete every shift like he is learning in the AHL under Green.

Jake is the kid of player that will produce similarly between the AHL and NHL in his young years, especially considering the skill, and goal scoring ability of the Comets. The amount of scoring chances he will get in the NHL will probably be higher than the AHL because he'll play with better playmakers.

 

I still think another year of junior would've been good for him. Personally, from watching his Hitmen games, it would've been really nice to see him try to expand his game outside of coasting by the blueline and simply cut to the outside and shooting it while muscling off defenders 30 lbs. lighter than him. I think he's got great tools, and if he tried expanding his repetoire in junior, it'd open up his perspective perspective on the game so that he can continue buIlding on what works and what doesn't work for him at the pro level. 

 

Would definitely be nice next year if the Canucks or the Comets could sign an AHL playmaking star who could feed Virtanen. But at the same time I hope he'll still work on learning how to drive the line as well. 

[Conscience]

Is benning really that good of a scout or do we have our scouting team to thank for those late finds?  You can almost guarantee that Benning himself personally scouts the top players of the draft, but i doubt he has been to many games of potential later round picks, like Tryamkin in russia. I know he still makes the final call but thats based off a scouting report not his own eyes.

[appleboy]

1 hour ago, Conscience said:

Is benning really that good of a scout or do we have our scouting team to thank for those late finds?  You can almost guarantee that Benning himself personally scouts the top players of the draft, but i doubt he has been to many games of potential later round picks, like Tryamkin in russia. I know he still makes the final call but thats based off a scouting report not his own eyes.

I think it is more or less the same scouting team that Gillis used.

[bernzie71]

gotta say for ppl saying Jakes a bust we shoulda picked Ehlers or Nylander they are great players i love watching them but what if Ehlers didn't pan out. and what if William stayed in Sweden. or they r to small for the nhl and people will be like we all really have  Baertchi

and shinkaruk. for small skilled forwards. that's why Jim and Co, drafted Jake for the Power forward.

[appleboy]

The league switches back and forth between size and speed. I have seen things change several times and it seems to be that the style of team who wins the cup is emulated by other clubs. We see heavy teams and then teams built on speed.The one thing that seems to be a constant is the playoffs are always allowed to be played in a more physical manor. Some players are regular season performers but struggle once the playoffs start and things get ramped up to the next level. Benning knows what it takes to win a cup and some of the personal moves that he makes are thinking of being a cup contender more than a regular season wonder. Tryamkin is a prime example of a player who should excel in a playoff format.

Jake has that rare size and skill combo that is so hard to find. He is an elite skater and posses an NHL shot. You can see why they could not pass up on him and if not us someone else would have grabbed him up quickly. He may never become an elite scorer but if he matures and becomes a solid two way winger he will be the type of player you want in a playoff environment.

 

I would like to see a heavy team who can play with speed.

Bo is that type of player. 223 lb and very quick..  Boeser will probably increase his overall quickness. He is the type of personality who will want to become the best he can be.

[Phat Fingers]

On 2017-03-23 at 8:47 PM, BoDangles53 said:

It's been his knock yes but reality is, even as someone who played junior you'd know

 

1. You don't score 'goal scorers' goals without having a decent hockey IQ - his ability to see and capitalize on opportunities to score shows hockey sense

 

2. Now while he may not be Ehlers in terms of creativity he still has buckets full of game sense

 

3. That wasn't even the issue I was discussing. I wasn't talking about hockey IQ -it was mental focus there is a difference.

 

One of the biggest issues in moving from junior/college to pro is not only the speed of the game but the ability to process the game quickly -all players say this. This comes from 'learning the game' the systems, listening to your coaches, but also mental focus. Realize that, in junior or college you can get away with losing your check or your positional assignment because of your athleticism and ability to recover -recovery speed, in the pros, even the AHL or Europe you cannot. The game is all about countering on errors now. That's why so many teams focus on trying to teach players to play 200ft. A 200ft game is hard physically but also mentally, focus wise. You don't need a high hockey IQ to play defense to be honest you just need to know/learn to play positionally, and work your tail off and not allow your mind to lose focus.

 

I suspect this (focus) is alot of Jake's issue (and not that he has a low hockey IQ) because as I said  you and I both know the difference between a 3rd line grinder in Jr who scores and they types of goals Jake scored - you need a decent hockey IQ to score like he did and can. Jake likely, in junior could lose 'in game focus' and it never mattered, he could recover given his speed, in the NHL not so much, add in his fitness issues, now you're physically tired, your mind gets tired. Then you're stapled to the bench and start losing confidence etc.

 

Jake will be fine, he needs to address alot of issues but being with Green will help him. Learning to be a pro isn't just about playing defense, its about how you approach the game, your focus going in your mental preparation, and your focus shift to shift. He's learning that, and it takes time.

 

I think Jake is learning that his physical attributes are not enough now, that it's actually hard work to stay mentally focused, to be in shape and they both matter just as much at the pro level. Working to be in top shape, and starting to learn how to mentally stay 'in the game' every stride of every shift doesn't mean he has low hockey iq - it means he is transitioning from being a very talented and gifted amateur athlete who got away with natural ability to now learning what it takes to be a pro...Example, I occasionally saw Paul Kariya in my gym in the offseasons when he was in anaheim. I used to notice when he was on the bike, just slowly warming up he would close his eyes and would be moving his arms like he was shooting. Here was a guy, offseason, riding the bike, visualizing. Can you imagine how much focus he had when shift to shift? Anecdotal but you get the point

 

Any athlete knows, if you're out of shape you get mentally lazy as well. I guarantee you if he comes back to camp in shape next year you'll see alot of improvement on the mental side. One more year in Utica and his in game focus will be solid and people will forget all this nonsense (assuming he commits himself to it, which I think he will).

Excellent post 

[Phat Fingers]

10 hours ago, DontMessMe said:

Im sorry for doing this guys but ima ruin the party 

 

Meanwhile... 

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/william-nylander-nhl-rookie-of-march-2017/c-288326266

 

https://www.nhl.com/player/nikolaj-ehlers-8477940

 

Both with around 60 pts in NHL already... rip Guess Virtanen getting 2 goals in AHL is better than nothing. 

 

 

Jake has a good game and is showing what that he is figuring things out.  A positive night and this fool ( insert expletive here) has to whine "we should have drafted Nylanderz, whaaaa, we should have drafted Ehlerz, cry". 

 

Did jake bully you in school, steal your girlfriend, if you ever had one??  Grow up son and get a life, do the world a favour and troll Donald Trump instead of a few dedicated hockey fans.  

 

Put your useless skill set to work.  

[Tiger-Hearted]

I bet anyone that if Jake develops into a power forward version of Alex Burrows, fans, including critics, will L♡VE him. Remember that Burr paid his dues in both the ECHL and the AHL before he was offered an NHL contract. I'm with N4ZZY on keeping Jake in the AHL for at least another season. He needs to continue to his overall growth as a hockey player and get more hungrier to crack the big show. 

 

Yes, Jake shouldn't have been taken at 6th overall but Boeser was taken at 23rd overall in his draft year so things kind of got evened out here. And what IF Nylander were taken instead of Jake and he struggles? What if he became a second coming of Jordan Schroeder, who played a similar offensive style?? It does help that he plays in Matthews' shadow.

 

Jake's two-goal game, including the game winner, should be celebrated. Hopefully, he finishes the season on a strong note and that the Comets qualify for the postseason. That would be a great test for him.

 

Time to stop playing the Canucks Fan Victim Card on what we got and should've got. 

[Crabcakes]

1 hour ago, appleboy said:

The league switches back and forth between size and speed. I have seen things change several times and it seems to be that the style of team who wins the cup is emulated by other clubs. We see heavy teams and then teams built on speed.The one thing that seems to be a constant is the playoffs are always allowed to be played in a more physical manor. Some players are regular season performers but struggle once the playoffs start and things get ramped up to the next level. Benning knows what it takes to win a cup and some of the personal moves that he makes are thinking of being a cup contender more than a regular season wonder. Tryamkin is a prime example of a player who should excel in a playoff format.

Jake has that rare size and skill combo that is so hard to find. He is an elite skater and posses an NHL shot. You can see why they could not pass up on him and if not us someone else would have grabbed him up quickly. He may never become an elite scorer but if he matures and becomes a solid two way winger he will be the type of player you want in a playoff environment.

 

I would like to see a heavy team who can play with speed.

Bo is that type of player. 223 lb and very quick..  Boeser will probably increase his overall quickness. He is the type of personality who will want to become the best he can be.

This is why I think you want both elements on your team.  Benning seems to be adding more speed than size but he hasn't neglected size (Virtanen, Tryamkin, Gudbranson)

[Byrix]

If the AHL option was available to Virtanen last year, we all wouldn't be having this conversation.

[aGENT]

3 hours ago, suitup said:

I still think another year of junior would've been good for him. Personally, from watching his Hitmen games, it would've been really nice to see him try to expand his game outside of coasting by the blueline and simply cut to the outside and shooting it while muscling off defenders 30 lbs. lighter than him. I think he's got great tools, and if he tried expanding his repetoire in junior, it'd open up his perspective perspective on the game so that he can continue buIlding on what works and what doesn't work for him at the pro level. 

 

Would definitely be nice next year if the Canucks or the Comets could sign an AHL playmaking star who could feed Virtanen. But at the same time I hope he'll still work on learning how to drive the line as well. 

I'm going to have to disagree with the first paragraph.

 

All the bad junior habits Jake has had to work on/fix this season would simply have been further solidified with another year of junior. Playing against smaller, slower competition in junior would have let him continue to coast.

 

They did the right thing by having him turn pro (though the AHL would have been far preferable if only it was available). They also could have handled his time on the Canucks a LOT better IMO. I'll grant you that. 

 

Otherwise, totally agree he should be back in Utica with more talent next year, getting his offense/confidence back up and forced to bust down the door to the bigs. 

Edited April 2, 2017 by J.R.

[TheOgRook]

18 minutes ago, Byrix said:

If the AHL option was available to Virtanen last year, we all wouldn't be having this conversation.

Yeah I would love to see some kind of sliding scale for prospects that have already proven all they can in the CHL.  I understand WHY it is the way it is, but sometimes it can actually set the player back, and let's be honest.. a development leagues main focuses should be the kids. Totally out of left field but maybe they could monitize it after the kids are drafted.  Almost like buying out a contract??  I don't know just spitballing but something has got to give.

 

judt realized.. they are thinking of bumping the draft age so this may do the trick

Edited April 2, 2017 by TheOgRook

[JustABandwagoner]

1 hour ago, Eastcoast meets Westcoast said:

Jake has a good game and is showing what that he is figuring things out.  A positive night and this fool ( insert expletive here) has to whine "we should have drafted Nylanderz, whaaaa, we should have drafted Ehlerz, cry". 

 

Did jake bully you in school, steal your girlfriend, if you ever had one??  Grow up son and get a life, do the world a favour and troll Donald Trump instead of a few dedicated hockey fans.  

 

Put your useless skill set to work.  

Donald Trump is amazing. Great leader. Hes making america great again. Hes been keeping his promises. He gets things done even tho they may be controversial. 

 

ONE game does not show he is figuring things out. We will see at training camp next year. 

[aGENT]

Just now, DontMessMe said:

ONE game does not show he is figuring things out. We will see at training camp next year. 

All the hard work he's done this year has started to show results in the last month'ish +/-. It's not 'ONE game'. 

[JustABandwagoner]

1 minute ago, J.R. said:

All the hard work he's done this year has started to show results in the last month'ish +/-. It's not 'ONE game'. 

Im open to seeing what he CAN do in training camp/pre season etc  

[flickyoursedin]

Unless he really shines in training camp and is a lock for a top 6 spot and at least 14 minutes of ice time would I take him on the big club. If that's not the case I'd send him back to Utica to play 18-20 minutes a game on the top line and top pp unit. He needs to work on his confidence and that's not gonna happen unless you give him good chances to succeed!

[Warhippy]

5 minutes ago, DontMessMe said:

Im open to seeing what he CAN do in training camp/pre season etc  

I myself don't care what he can do in the pre-season or training camp.

 

I care he has another solid year in the AHL because I don't want to see him in vancouver next season.  I want him to have a minimum of 1 more year or even 2 in the AHL.

 

But...he's outscoring both Ehlers AND Nylander in the AHL this season so....

[Gaudette Celly]

14 hours ago, DontMessMe said:

Im sorry for doing this guys but ima ruin the party

No you're not.