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Jake Virtanen | #18 | RW


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2 minutes ago, N7Nucks said:

It was my understanding Dhaliwal was called out for "fake news" recently. And he was apart of that stupid Boeser rumor thing too right? At this point his word means less than Eklund's in my books. Don Taylor, as much as I like him, is another radio personality. I figured we'd learned our lesson and would take what radio folks say with a silo of salt.

 

I will say Jake needs to take hockey more seriously, but he scored 18 goals and averaged a point every other game in a 3rd line role. We aren't exactly swimming in bottom 6 scoring talent. Unless you want all your hopes and dreams laying on Gaudette to perform that bottom 6 scoring role solo. 

He got called out for "fake news" by a KHL team which doesn't mean a whole lot since that team IS having a covid-19 outbreak in their camp and so are a bunch of other KHL teams. As far as I am concerned, he's one of the better journalists despite a few shortcomings. I wouldn't compare him to Eklund.

Is Jake really worth the 3m or 4m he might get from arbitration? Scoring wise, yes but Canucks brass are going to walk in it and say his professional image isn't up to par.

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3 hours ago, Timbermen said:

Yep 20 goals and 40 points with 13:00 average icetime, 4th in hits, one of the best Takeaway/giveaway ratio's. No PP time, yep he's sure a bad player but he had more points than Sutter, Ericksson and McEwen/Ferland combined this season. The players he can't compete with all of the sudden. Green still has to prove he can win, didn't look like he had them ready last night, maybe he should focus on getting EVERYBODY ready, not just Jake.

18 goals, 36 points and 9 points on the powerplay while anchoring that 2nd PP unit, Jake's takeaway/giveaway ratio was at best...average, there are 8 forwards who have a better ratio than him.  https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/v/virtaja01.html  Sure was on pace for 20 goals and more than 40 points but im sorry unless he has actually done it, you can't actually use that argument that he may have gotten there statistically.  Its just like when everyone kept saying Baertschi was on pace for 50 + points if he stayed healthy the past few seasons.  But that is besides the point.

 

A stat line doesn't matter if he comes not ready to compete for a spot during camp for the post season.  

 

Considering the constant narrative surrounding him that he comes unprepared or his commitment level to the process of being a professional hockey player is lacking, it was up to him to silence this doubters and questions surrounding him.  He didn't do that.  His actions have consequences and he sits plain as simple.  

 

Don't you think its even more evident that Jake had a poor camp that Sutter, Ferland, MacEwen, Motte etc made the lineup before he did, despite he is the more superior player than them?  In a play in series where it could literally end within a weeks time, Green is going to put the players who are ready to go.  Jake simply wasn't ready to start camp and really didn't give anyone a reason why he should be back in.  

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MacIntyre on the Virtanen scratch.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/canucks-notebook-virtanens-omission-lineup-not-surprising/

 

Quote

EDMONTON – Things could be worse for Jake Virtanen. Had Travis Green been able to dress 14 forwards for the Vancouver Canucks’ only exhibition game ahead of the National Hockey League playoffs, Virtanen might have discovered he is 15th on the depth chart – behind even Loui Eriksson.

 

As it was, 13 forwards dressed ahead of Virtanen for the Canucks’ 4-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, and eight of them scored fewer than the 18 goals the 23-year-old managed this season despite modest ice time and little power-play duty.

 

General manager Jim Benning’s plea for people not to “read too much into it” was destroyed by coach Travis Green’s post-game answer to the question – the second one of his press conference – about why no Virtanen: “I just went with the lineup that I thought gave us the best chance to win. Plain and simple.”

 

So, tell us how you really feel, coach.

 

The furor over Virtanen’s omission isn’t surprising considering the winger’s numbers and the market’s history of reacting strongly to decisions at the bottom of the lineup. Aaron Rome over Keith Ballard!?

 

What is surprising is that Virtanen’s many advocates seemed to not have been paying attention to training camp when he was outplayed first by Zack MacEwen and then by Micheal Ferland, and so was punted out of the top four lines by Green. Nothing has changed since then except the Canucks’ shrinking window to get ready for Game 1 of their Stanley Cup qualifier against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday.

 

“People are looking at this like it’s a negative because Jake’s not playing and I look at it like it’s a strength,” Benning said Thursday as the Canucks took a day off in the bubble. “Other than Josh Leivo, our whole team is healthy now and it’s not easy to make the lineup. It’s hard. We have depth.

 

“Loui Eriksson’s not playing either, and he had a good camp and looked good in the scrimmages if you were watching. When it came time to making the lineup, (coaches) just felt those other guys had better camps than Jake did. It doesn’t mean he’s not a good player; he was on pace to score 20 goals this season. Who’s to say he’s not back in the lineup next game?”

 

Looking just at talent level, it would be absurd to argue that Virtanen is not one of the 12 best Canucks forwards. Green would argue that he’s building a team, not a rankings list, and there has to be the right fit for Virtanen.

 

With Ferland apparently recovered from the concussion-related issues that restricted him to four NHL periods since October, more physical than Virtanen, and more accomplished so far in his career, Green logically went with the better player from camp to partner Antoine Roussel and Adam Gaudette on the Canucks’ third line.

 

But why not play Virtanen on the fourth line?

 

The simple answer is because he doesn’t kill penalties. But is two or three minutes of nightly PK enough to justify keeping Brandon Sutter on the fourth line ahead of Virtanen? Green prefers to compartmentalize his special teams, but offensive forwards Bo Horvat and J.T. Miller can also kill penalties, and probably Antoine Roussel could, too, if asked.

 

Virtanen has shown at times he is a liability defensively, and isn’t nearly as physical as he could be. But he is a fast, powerful player who backs up defenders and needs little help scoring goals. A player like that should make the bottom of your lineup better, especially in a looming playoff series where one of the Wild’s biggest advantages is their superior forward depth.

 

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3 hours ago, NUCKER67 said:

Jake is (will be) a 20-25 goal scorer, who plays with speed and lays out punishing hits. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, he's a real nice asset to have. Maybe we Canucks fans have been a little spoiled with the Saint-like Sedin twins for all those years. Sharing their wealth, time, energy, their lives to helping others - all while breaking Canucks records. Legendary.

 

A lot of teams have guys like Jake though. Good players, but maybe like to party and have a good time. Patrick Kane was like this when he was young. Evander Kane was like this not long ago. What is it with the Kanes?

 

I guess as long as he shows up every game and gives his all, produces, then we can't really complain. Well, I suppose we could, but why? Jake will eventually grow out of that lifestyle (he needs a good woman IMO, not some dancer named Candi).

The Kanes are ABLE to party. It must run in the family. I think Evander Kane got a bum rap in Winnipeg, we all just saw last night how big A$*#oles the Jets can be.

He was holding a stack of cash like a phone in a photo in Vegas he posted. Big deal. Then he wore a track suit to a team meeting when they were told to wear suits. Sounds like they don't get his humour. Whats the big deal? Why would you be required to wear a suit at a team meeting? It's not wall street.  

He is a good player that scores lots and fights, he even fought Moonraker (Chara). Don't know what the issues with the Jets exactly were and we'll probably never know, just like with Green And Virtanen.

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30 minutes ago, CRAZY_4_NAZZY said:

18 goals, 36 points and 9 points on the powerplay while anchoring that 2nd PP unit, Jake's takeaway/giveaway ratio was at best...average, there are 8 forwards who have a better ratio than him.  https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/v/virtaja01.html  Sure was on pace for 20 goals and more than 40 points but im sorry unless he has actually done it, you can't actually use that argument that he may have gotten there statistically.  Its just like when everyone kept saying Baertschi was on pace for 50 + points if he stayed healthy the past few seasons.  But that is besides the point.

 

A stat line doesn't matter if he comes not ready to compete for a spot during camp for the post season.  

 

Considering the constant narrative surrounding him that he comes unprepared or his commitment level to the process of being a professional hockey player is lacking, it was up to him to silence this doubters and questions surrounding him.  He didn't do that.  His actions have consequences and he sits plain as simple.  

 

Don't you think its even more evident that Jake had a poor camp that Sutter, Ferland, MacEwen, Motte etc made the lineup before he did, despite he is the more superior player than them?  In a play in series where it could literally end within a weeks time, Green is going to put the players who are ready to go.  Jake simply wasn't ready to start camp and really didn't give anyone a reason why he should be back in.  

 

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27 minutes ago, Timbermen said:

 

Not sure comparing Virtanen and his place within his sport and Allen Iverson and his place within his sport is helping Jake at all.   One is an All Star and Legend in the game, the other...well, not so much, at least yet.  

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On 7/28/2020 at 12:36 PM, Moose Nuckle said:

Because there's a number of people who hate Jake with a passion and if you say otherwise you'll be ridiculed, harassed and insulted by the angry mob. 

 

No wonder they burned their own city down after 2011.

The problem many have with Jake stems from the year he entered the league--too young to go to the AHL.  So they have had to put up with him up here when time in Utica would have been developmentally helpful.

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13 hours ago, NaveJoseph said:

Very discouraging Jake was benched. Makes you wonder if some things happened behind the scenes you don't know about. 

Honestly though, Sutter doesn't look like himself. I would sit him and play Jake. That's not knowing what Green does.

Not a fan of Sutter's at all, I'd even put our 6 million dollar man ahead of him. Sutter has absolutely no chemistry with anybody in this team. At least Ericsson, other than killing penalties, can play up and down the lineup depending on the situation. LE has shown he can play with Beagle and if we are protecting the lead, Green can always trot out the "empty net" line, with him, Pearson and Horvat. Theres pairings on each line that play well together, Petey and JT, Bo and Pearson, Gauds and Rouss, Motte and Beags

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1 hour ago, kingofsurrey said:

Canucks gave up on Neely...

 

Really hoped we learned our lesson but apparently not...

 

Power forwards take time to develop.

 

#FreeJake 

Neely was traded after 3 seasons. Jake has had 6 seasons under his belt as a Canuck. At some point he's gotta learn but he hasnt

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4 hours ago, CRAZY_4_NAZZY said:

18 goals, 36 points and 9 points on the powerplay while anchoring that 2nd PP unit, Jake's takeaway/giveaway ratio was at best...average, there are 8 forwards who have a better ratio than him.  https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/v/virtaja01.html  Sure was on pace for 20 goals and more than 40 points but im sorry unless he has actually done it, you can't actually use that argument that he may have gotten there statistically.  Its just like when everyone kept saying Baertschi was on pace for 50 + points if he stayed healthy the past few seasons.  But that is besides the point.

 

A stat line doesn't matter if he comes not ready to compete for a spot during camp for the post season.  

 

Considering the constant narrative surrounding him that he comes unprepared or his commitment level to the process of being a professional hockey player is lacking, it was up to him to silence this doubters and questions surrounding him.  He didn't do that.  His actions have consequences and he sits plain as simple.  

 

Don't you think its even more evident that Jake had a poor camp that Sutter, Ferland, MacEwen, Motte etc made the lineup before he did, despite he is the more superior player than them?  In a play in series where it could literally end within a weeks time, Green is going to put the players who are ready to go.  Jake simply wasn't ready to start camp and really didn't give anyone a reason why he should be back in.  

The phrase I bolded over there and many agree, thats what Jake is missing. Whats so frustrating is thats something that he can control. You can't teach his size, his shot, his skating ability, but the one thing that pretty much every player is capable, he lacks. You put Jakes talent with Motte's motor, the guy would be a first liner, border line all-star

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5 hours ago, filthycanuck said:

The phrase I bolded over there and many agree, thats what Jake is missing. Whats so frustrating is thats something that he can control. You can't teach his size, his shot, his skating ability, but the one thing that pretty much every player is capable, he lacks. You put Jakes talent with Motte's motor, the guy would be a first liner, border line all-star

Is there another player on the Canucks who can spread the neutral zone like Jake's speed can? IMHO these playoffs are as important to his career as at any time he has played for the Canucks. He needs a new contract and the management has to know whether he can be motivated to excell in these conditions. Green is pushing the kid and hopefully he responds. Over the longer term Sutter and Ericksson do not replace Jake. MacEwan is a nice story but we have to see where that goes. I am confident that Jake will see TOI pretty soon.  

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I tend to think Green is just tired of being Virtanen's baby sitter and or conscience. He tells the team the plan the expectations and relies on their common sense to live an appropriate life and prepare. Then he has to tell Jake in small words all over again. He's not a child, he's one of the adults in the room but doesn't act that way. He may never get it

 

Alex Burrows summarized it when he said, “As for Jake, he’ll get it one day – hopefully sooner than later.” 

Edited by Fred65
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1 hour ago, Boudrias said:

MacEwan is a nice story but we have to see where that goes.

I'm more interested to see where the already more mature, committed, and professional 19 year old Podkolzin story goes.

 

His coach seems quite happy to play him and he had 2 goals in his scrimmage game a couple days ago.

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57 minutes ago, Moose Nuckle said:

I’m so glad we have all these insiders to tell us what’s really happening.

Ya, we all know that you are the real insider and that all the coaching staff are wrong and don’t actually know what is going on with their team when they make decisions like sitting Virtanen and playing fringe NHLers in front of him!

 

 

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17 hours ago, warrchief said:

Jake needs to grow up fast or else he's probably gone at least that's what Rick Dhaliwal and Don Taylor have been saying.

I can't stand Dhaliwal...I feel like his schtick is trying to be the new Don Cherry and he just comes off as belligerent to me.  It's not working.

 

I also realize they're glomming on to this because it's "a story" they can drag around like a kid with a dirty blanket.  I just wish they wouldn't.  We have enough controversy from outside sources and we don't need to fuel this beast.  Sure, it's a "talking point" but he's (didn't hear Taylor's take) making Jake out to be "done".  I hope Jake kills it and makes him eat his words and shuts him up like Burr did with McLean.  I actually had to shut him off the other day....it was too much.

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