Jake Virtanen | #18 | RW

[aGENT]

4 hours ago, Hutton Wink said:

Teeny tiny.  Kinda like how Juolevi (so someone says) has a "little bit more offense" than Tanev.  It's like saying Patrick has a "little bit more size" than Hischier.

Like a dog with a bone HW 

[Boudrias]

2 hours ago, 250Integra said:

Your whole argument is opinion based as well.

 

Yes, there is no denying that he has had a better career than A LOT of players drafted in the first round, but he benefited from playing alongside two superstar players in their prime. Do you really believe that Burrows would be a first line player on any team without the Sedins? 

 

Burrows played on a first line, but he is not a "first line player" by any stretch. He has never been a driving force of any line, even when he was playing with Kesler. This is the type of player we drafted and hope Virtanen will be. A player that can dominant games using his shot, speed, and strength while being responsible in all zones.

Pretty sure I saw Burrows as the 1LW on the Sens PP unit yesterday.  

When the Twins won their scoring titles who was their LW? Alex Burrows was a 1st line player in his prime that lasted for at least 3 seasons. Was Morrison a 1st line player on the WCE. Many might argue not but who was backing up Bert and Nazzy on their terrible defensive coverages. It was no different with Burrows backing the Twins. Again, if the Twins were the reason Burrows was a 1st liner then one might question why the Canucks have searched for a winger for them for 18 years. Should we list all those who failed?

[250Integra]

13 minutes ago, Boudrias said:

Pretty sure I saw Burrows as the 1LW on the Sens PP unit yesterday.  

When the Twins won their scoring titles who was their LW? Alex Burrows was a 1st line player in his prime that lasted for at least 3 seasons. Was Morrison a 1st line player on the WCE. Many might argue not but who was backing up Bert and Nazzy on their terrible defensive coverages. It was no different with Burrows backing the Twins. Again, if the Twins were the reason Burrows was a 1st liner then one might question why the Canucks have searched for a winger for them for 18 years. Should we list all those who failed?

Mark Letestu is the centerman on the Oilers 1st PP unit. Your point?

 

Morrison is exactly what Burrows was - a player who played on a first line to complement two superstars. Neither were the catalysts for their lines and would not be on any top line in the NHL. This is the point I'm trying to make with Virtanen, that we drafted him to be the type of player that can be relied on providing offense and being the driving force on a top six NHL line.

 

 

 

 

 

[Gaudette Celly]

1 hour ago, J.R. said:

Like a dog with a bone HW 

So tasty and like an everlasting gobstopper, it'll last forever.  Can't wait till Juolevi comes in and bests Tanev's career high 20 points in his first season

[aGENT]

Just now, Hutton Wink said:

So tasty and like an everlasting gobstopper, it'll last forever.  Can't wait till Juolevi comes in and bests Tanev's career high 20 points in his first season

It's bound to happen. I was just trying to temper the expectations of people who seemed to think OJ was going to come in and start putting up 50+ point seasons. That's not his game. I think he'll become a solidf +/- 35'ish point guy who gets a lot of 'third assists'.

[Gaudette Celly]

Just now, J.R. said:

It's bound to happen. I was just trying to temper the expectations of people who seemed to think OJ was going to come in and start putting up 50+ point seasons. That's not his game. I think he'll become a solidf +/- 35'ish point guy who gets a lot of 'third assists'.

Ah good, then you're prepared to have that pony ridden like a rented mule when the time comes.  Hee-yaw!

[lethal_spaghetti]

49 minutes ago, Hutton Wink said:

Ah good, then you're prepared to have that pony ridden like a rented mule when the time comes.  Hee-yaw!

ala Vlasic?

[SynysterGates]

9 hours ago, Hypocritical Cranium said:

Is it true Jake is playing roller hockey right now? He could use some time with Gary Roberts. If Travis is the coach Jake will at least know what is expected of him. His condition coming into camp this year will tell a lot about what he thinks of his hockey career. I have a Virtanen jersey but it is mighty dusty. 

Quite possibly. He was playing Roller hockey in Langley last year, and has for years.

[Horvats_Big_Head]

I said I would not post in this thread until after the season so here it goes.

 

I'm encouraged by Jake's progression over the last third of the season. It seems that something is starting to click for him mentally, which is a sign he is more mature. However, this does not change my opinion about whether we drafted the correct player with the 6th overall pick. Nonetheless, this is the player we have so hopefully he can turn into a solid complimentary piece going forward.

 

Could he make it out of camp next year? Maybe. Travis Green will definitely give him a long look. Hopefully he doesn't get so god damn fat this summer...

[Toews]

9 hours ago, Horvats_Big_Head said:

I said I would not post in this thread until after the season so here it goes.

 

I'm encouraged by Jake's progression over the last third of the season. It seems that something is starting to click for him mentally, which is a sign he is more mature. However, this does not change my opinion about whether we drafted the correct player with the 6th overall pick. Nonetheless, this is the player we have so hopefully he can turn into a solid complimentary piece going forward.

 

Could he make it out of camp next year? Maybe. Travis Green will definitely give him a long look. Hopefully he doesn't get so god damn fat this summer...

I think people need to let go of the the fact that he was drafted 6th and who was still on the board when he was taken. He is not going to live up to that and you are setting yourself up for disappointment if you have those expectations. Overall his season in the AHL has some positives but is still a bit of a disappointment. I can't remember the last time a top 10 pick averaged less than .30 ppg in the AHL in their D+3 season. I am hoping that had more to do with the lack of skill on the roster and I hope JB takes steps to correct that offseason. They need to look at all alternatives to improve the farm club. I would not be opposed to picking up a few free agents from Europe who had big seasons like Mark Arcobello or Brandon Kozun to provide the team with some high end (AHL) skill.

 

I have always believed that players improve more by playing beside good players. If nothing else it helps your confidence to pot a goal every now and then or even pick up an assist. I am not going to compare my playing days to professional hockey but I personally always gained a bit of confidence after a potting a goal or helping set up a teammate even if the goal was just a tap in or the assist rather unspectacular. So lets give the kid some good linemates, inflating his stats won't make him a better player but I still think it will help his confidence to have his name show up more on the stat sheet.

 

I don't know if he can ever generate offense on his own. The only time he looks really dangerous is when he can get a bit of a step on the defender but even then most of the time the defender can recover sufficiently enough to keep him on the outside. Even if you have a shot like Laine/Ovechkin you aren't going to have much success beating NHL goalies with shots from the outside. Goalies now days are skilled enough to easily parry away shots that they can see. His cycle game is still not quite up to mark, he needs to get much better at board battles if he expects a call up any time soon.

 

If you are having trouble scoring, then you have to muck it up and play a style of game that helps facilitate your linemates. You have to become a beast of a forechecker, he has shown the ability to do that in the past when he used to use his skill and size to get the jump on defenders to make them rush their passes or force a turnover. There is value in a player that can forecheck and dig the puck out to a more skilled linemate. Crosby with Kunitz, Datsyuk with Abdelkader, McDavid with Maroon, Matthews with Hyman. NHL coaches see value in playing a guy that is good at simply working the boards and playing hard to get the puck out to a far more skilled linemate. Gone are the days where there used to be loaded top 6, now days skilled players like to have the puck on their stick more often than not and its often more effective to spread your talent anyway. When Babcock was asked why Hyman continues to play with Matthews, he answered that there was only so much of the puck to go around and Hyman is one of the best players in the NHL at being effective without the puck.

 

That's what I hope Jake can turn into for us, an exceptional forechecker than can help facilitate the next star (Svechnikov? One can dream) that the Canucks draft.

[aGENT]

8 minutes ago, Toews said:

If you are having trouble scoring, then you have to muck it up and play a style of game that helps facilitate your linemates. You have to become a beast of a forechecker, he has shown the ability to do that in the past when he used to use his skill and size to get the jump on defenders to make them rush their passes or force a turnover. There is value in a player that can forecheck and dig the puck out to a more skilled linemate. Crosby with Kunitz, Datsyuk with Abdelkader, McDavid with Maroon, Matthews with Hyman. NHL coaches see value in playing a guy that is good at simply working the boards and playing hard to get the puck out to a far more skilled linemate. Gone are the days where there used to be loaded top 6, now days skilled players like to have the puck on their stick more often than not and its often more effective to spread your talent anyway. When Babcock was asked why Hyman continues to play with Matthews, he answered that there was only so much of the puck to go around and Hyman is one of the best players in the NHL at being effective without the puck.

 

That's what I hope Jake can turn into for us, an exceptional forechecker than can help facilitate the next star (Svechnikov? One can dream) that the Canucks draft.

 

And that seems to be what Green was working with him on (well and fitness etc).

[Where'd Luongo?]

35 minutes ago, Toews said:

I think people need to let go of the the fact that he was drafted 6th and who was still on the board when he was taken. He is not going to live up to that and you are setting yourself up for disappointment if you have those expectations. Overall his season in the AHL has some positives but is still a bit of a disappointment. I can't remember the last time a top 10 pick averaged less than .30 ppg in the AHL in their D+3 season. I am hoping that had more to do with the lack of skill on the roster and I hope JB takes steps to correct that offseason. They need to look at all alternatives to improve the farm club. I would not be opposed to picking up a few free agents from Europe who had big seasons like Mark Arcobello or Brandon Kozun to provide the team with some high end (AHL) skill.

 

I have always believed that players improve more by playing beside good players. If nothing else it helps your confidence to pot a goal every now and then or even pick up an assist. I am not going to compare my playing days to professional hockey but I personally always gained a bit of confidence after a potting a goal or helping set up a teammate even if the goal was just a tap in or the assist rather unspectacular. So lets give the kid some good linemates, inflating his stats won't make him a better player but I still think it will help his confidence to have his name show up more on the stat sheet.

 

I don't know if he can ever generate offense on his own. The only time he looks really dangerous is when he can get a bit of a step on the defender but even then most of the time the defender can recover sufficiently enough to keep him on the outside. Even if you have a shot like Laine/Ovechkin you aren't going to have much success beating NHL goalies with shots from the outside. Goalies now days are skilled enough to easily parry away shots that they can see. His cycle game is still not quite up to mark, he needs to get much better at board battles if he expects a call up any time soon.

 

If you are having trouble scoring, then you have to muck it up and play a style of game that helps facilitate your linemates. You have to become a beast of a forechecker, he has shown the ability to do that in the past when he used to use his skill and size to get the jump on defenders to make them rush their passes or force a turnover. There is value in a player that can forecheck and dig the puck out to a more skilled linemate. Crosby with Kunitz, Datsyuk with Abdelkader, McDavid with Maroon, Matthews with Hyman. NHL coaches see value in playing a guy that is good at simply working the boards and playing hard to get the puck out to a far more skilled linemate. Gone are the days where there used to be loaded top 6, now days skilled players like to have the puck on their stick more often than not and its often more effective to spread your talent anyway. When Babcock was asked why Hyman continues to play with Matthews, he answered that there was only so much of the puck to go around and Hyman is one of the best players in the NHL at being effective without the puck.

 

That's what I hope Jake can turn into for us, an exceptional forechecker than can help facilitate the next star (Svechnikov? One can dream) that the Canucks draft.

I'm guessing if Virtanen - Valk - Goldobin was lined up on the first line all season that Virt would have had plenty of points. I wouldn't worry yet, this season was used to teach him a valuable lesson.

[dpn1]

Totally off topic but I love RL tag on Where'd Luongo? Post.

[Rollieo Del Fuego]

53 minutes ago, Where'd Luongo? said:

I'm guessing if Virtanen - Valk - Goldobin was lined up on the first line all season that Virt would have had plenty of points. I wouldn't worry yet, this season was used to teach him a valuable lesson.

I'm guessing your right.

[R35Godz1lla]

57 minutes ago, Where'd Luongo? said:

I'm guessing if Virtanen - Valk - Goldobin was lined up on the first line all season that Virt would have had plenty of points. I wouldn't worry yet, this season was used to teach him a valuable lesson.

Green himself said Virtanen's game was deconstructed so that they could rebuild (  ) his game into one that would bring him success.

A process like that is going to take its tole on a player offensively as he had to relearn his timing and his positioning and completely change the way the thinks the game.

 

It's all for his betterment but it means this years offensive totals are a wash in the grand scheme of things.

[Borvat]

4 hours ago, R35Godz1lla said:

Green himself said Virtanen's game was deconstructed so that they could rebuild (  ) his game into one that would bring him success.

A process like that is going to take its tole on a player offensively as he had to relearn his timing and his positioning and completely change the way the thinks the game.

 

It's all for his betterment but it means this years offensive totals are a wash in the grand scheme of things.

I totally get that.  Virtanen needed to be re-set so to speak. He lost a couple of development years.  I am hoping he takes off from here.  The package is there.  

[SamJamIam]

4 hours ago, R35Godz1lla said:

Green himself said Virtanen's game was deconstructed so that they could rebuild (  ) his game into one that would bring him success.

A process like that is going to take its tole on a player offensively as he had to relearn his timing and his positioning and completely change the way the thinks the game.

 

It's all for his betterment but it means this years offensive totals are a wash in the grand scheme of things.

The beauties of playing for the Calgary Sh*tmen

[aGENT]

4 hours ago, R35Godz1lla said:

Green himself said Virtanen's game was deconstructed so that they could rebuild (  ) his game into one that would bring him success.

A process like that is going to take its tole on a player offensively as he had to relearn his timing and his positioning and completely change the way the thinks the game.

 

It's all for his betterment but it means this years offensive totals are a wash in the grand scheme of things.

That and he didn't exactly have a ton of skilled players to play with. Virt's always going to be a complimentary guy...pretty hard to produce as that type of player without some skill guys around.

 

All this on top of basically tearing him down to build him back up  and people are shocked at a statistically underwhelming year....

[Smashian Kassian]

On 4/20/2017 at 9:25 PM, J.R. said:

Is that what passes for trendy hangouts in Abby? 

 

Explains a lot...

 

 

Townhall too. LOL 

Edited April 28, 2017 by Smashian Kassian

[DeNiro]

11 hours ago, R35Godz1lla said:

Green himself said Virtanen's game was deconstructed so that they could rebuild (  ) his game into one that would bring him success.

A process like that is going to take its tole on a player offensively as he had to relearn his timing and his positioning and completely change the way the thinks the game.

 

It's all for his betterment but it means this years offensive totals are a wash in the grand scheme of things.

Green knows all about reinventing a players game, he had to do it himself.

 

He's the right guy to speak to Virtanen about making the next level, we'll see how well Jake responds to his advice. I just hope he doesn't revert into a 4th line grinder, because there's more to his game than that. His speed and shot alone make him a offensive threat, The only thing for him is being engaged (physically) and being on the right side of the puck.