Jake Virtanen | #18 | RW

[Amish Rake Fighter]

if jake plays in the NHL next year, what's his cap hit?

minimum $900K + bonuses to a maximum of $3 Million

I have no idea, capgeek used to tell me what to think about salaries, now I'm lost

[messier's_elbow]

I know he's not available for the AHL. He's simply not going to go straight from the WHL to the NHL. He hasn't shown the consistency and skill level to make that kind of jump.

I'd say that it'll be a good 2-4 years before we see him have a shot at the Canucks roster.

lol you don't make the NHL just because you're big, even under a size-driven GM like Benning.

I agree with you but jake staying in Calgary another year floating around the ice against boys isn't gojng to help his game much. He needs more structure and needs to work on his 2 way game ASAP . I just don't see it happening where he is right now . The AHL rules are a joke .

[The Lock]

Lol. Of course benning is going to pump his prospects. There is no way an 18 year old Virtanen makes the Canucks roster next year.

Those 2 worlds, "no way", tells me you like to put all your eggs in 1 basket.

Not smart dude, not smart.

[Drakrami]

funny how benning said with a good summer of conditioning virtanen could push for a spot next yr but i guess your a nhl gm and you know better lol

Oh god.

Benning said exactly this: I hope he can come in and compete for a spot in our lineup next year.

And it is a far cry from Benning saying Virtanen is NHL ready. Get your head straight lol.

[Ihatetomatoes]

Oh god.

Benning said exactly this: I hope he can come in and compete for a spot in our lineup next year.

And it is a far cry from Benning saying Virtanen is NHL ready. Get your head straight lol.

Thankyou. I never heard the quote myself so I just assumed guys were taking it out of context. This makes more sense.

Jake is an extremely raw talent, everything he has going for him is based on his physical abilities. To excel in the Nhl one needs to be able to play structured and be sounds defensively and back check hard. Jake needs to improve in all aspects of these and that doesn't happen in just a year.

[Erik Karlsson]

Thankyou. I never heard the quote myself so I just assumed guys were taking it out of context. This makes more sense.

Jake is an extremely raw talent, everything he has going for him is based on his physical abilities. To excel in the Nhl one needs to be able to play structured and be sounds defensively and back check hard. Jake needs to improve in all aspects of these and that doesn't happen in just a year.

The only problem is that he's not going to learn any of these things in jr unless he gets traded to a different team. Which is why I think Benning wants him to make the team next season so he can be coached and developed the right way.

Going to be an interesting training camp next season.

[Down by the River]

I'd rather see JV float for another year in the WHL and put up 50+50 than come to the Canucks and play limited minutes on the fourth line. Unlike Horvat, JV has yet to have the chance to be 'the guy' on his team. That will happen next year in Calgary. I think he needs a chance to light up the WHL so that he doesn't lose as much confidence playing on the fourth line. Gives him more of an opportunity to have faith/confidence in his skillset, which I think will make him less discouraged about a 4th line role.

[Seven pounds soft]

I'd rather see JV float for another year in the WHL and put up 50+50 than come to the Canucks and play limited minutes on the fourth line. Unlike Horvat, JV has yet to have the chance to be 'the guy' on his team. That will happen next year in Calgary. I think he needs a chance to light up the WHL so that he doesn't lose as much confidence playing on the fourth line. Gives him more of an opportunity to have faith/confidence in his skillset, which I think will make him less discouraged about a 4th line role.

Well said.

[Guest Dasein]

The only problem is that he's not going to learn any of these things in jr unless he gets traded to a different team. Which is why I think Benning wants him to make the team next season so he can be coached and developed the right way.

Going to be an interesting training camp next season.

The only problem with that is the NHL is not where you develop prospects who are not NHL-ready.

I wish he gets traded out of Calgary as well, but if he doesn't, he still have to go back if he's not ready.

Edited January 14, 2015 by Dasein

[TOMapleLaughs]

How about if he's ready, he's ready?

I'm sure Horvat could have done something in London and the WJC's too, but Benning/WD decided he was NHL ready. Pretty fair chance Virtanen gets a similar look if "Change is Coming."

[timberz21]

How about if he's ready, he's ready?

I'm sure Horvat could have done something in London and the WJC's too, but Benning/WD decided he was NHL ready. Pretty fair chance Virtanen gets a similar look if "Change is Coming."

If Virtanen plays 8min per game on the fourth line and is not loan to WJC next year, i'll be piss. It's ok for Horvat because his game is better suited for bottom 6 but not Virtanen.

For Virtanen next year it's top 6 or junior. Any bottom six minutes with the Canucks will be a waste, much more than Horvat, that I thought would've gotten more responsibility by now when the decision was made not to send him to WJC.

[avelanch]

If Virtanen plays 8min per game on the fourth line and is not loan to WJC next year, i'll be piss. It's ok for Horvat because his game is better suited for bottom 6 but not Virtanen.

For Virtanen next year it's top 6 or junior. Any bottom six minutes with the Canucks will be a waste, much more than Horvat, that I thought would've gotten more responsibility by now when the decision was made not to send him to WJC.

what if he plays on the 3rd with bo... would you really be piss?

[Guest Dasein]

2015 - 2016: Vrbata, Kassian (RFA), Vey (RFA), Burrows, Hansen, Jensen + potentially Dorsett (UFA)

4th line, let alone 3rd line hopes seem bleak in comparison to the gaping hole that Bo was staring into when he entered training camp this year

[aGENT]

If Virtanen plays 8min per game on the fourth line and is not loan to WJC next year, i'll be piss. It's ok for Horvat because his game is better suited for bottom 6 but not Virtanen.

For Virtanen next year it's top 6 or junior. Any bottom six minutes with the Canucks will be a waste, much more than Horvat, that I thought would've gotten more responsibility by now when the decision was made not to send him to WJC.

what if he plays on the 3rd with bo... would you really be piss?

Other than the obvious lack of experience, I think a Virtanen, Horvat, Kassian 3rd line would be fantastic if not next year than the year following IMO.

Three big bodies with good to great speed, Kassian can make the passes to Virt the shooter and Horvat goes to the net in the o-zone and deftly breaks up counterattacks in the D-zone.

[JeremyCuddles]

Lol. Of course benning is going to pump his prospects. There is no way an 18 year old Virtanen makes the Canucks roster next year.

Of course not, 19 year old Virtanen could crack the roster next year though.

[StarGirl]

Lol. Of course benning is going to pump his prospects. There is no way an 18 year old Virtanen makes the Canucks roster next year.

I thought he's going to turn 19 this August.

[Ihatetomatoes]

Of course not, 19 year old Virtanen could crack the roster next year though.

Ya your probably right, those extra two months will make all the difference.

[Canucks1219]

Here are some excerpts from this recent article:

http://selkirk.ca/news/selkirk-college-saints-defenceman-stefan-virtanen-shares-world-junior-moment

It’s a game that will take prominence in Canadian hockey lore and for Selkirk College Saints defenceman Stefan Virtanen, last week’s Canada-Russia World Junior Championship game had extra special significance.

Stefan’s brother Jake Virtanen was a key component of the world champion juniors that triumphed over the Russians 5-4 before a packed house at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto last Monday night. The power forward delivered a couple of big hits and provided grit that helped propel the Canadian squad to the top of the world.

“I wish I could have been there, but I watched every game religiously,” says Virtanen, who is four years older than his only sibling. “It was such a big moment for our family. I talked with my parents about it, you don’t think as a parent that one of your kids is going to play for his country in a sport when you sign them up when they are five years old. My brother has worked really hard over the past couple years and he made the most of his opportunity.”

The older Virtanen watched the game on television with several of his Selkirk Saints teammates at his house in Castlegar. As he did many times in the tournament, Jake made a statement early in the gold medal final when he leveled Russian forward Vladislav Kamenev at centre ice.

“I kind of laughed when that happened… that’s what happens when people try to hit him,” Stefan says of the thundering hit. “This was a big game, I knew he would have two or three big hits and that was one of them.”

The Virtanen brothers grew up in the Langley and Abbotsford. Though they played many sports, it was hockey that dominated the scene.

Following in his brother’s footsteps, Jake had standout skills from a young age. Making his way through minor hockey, Jake ended up as the first overall pick in the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft when he was chosen by the Calgary Hitmen.

“You just knew… he has a very natural talent,” Stefan says of his brother’s skills on the ice.

At the 2014 NHL Entry Draft at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Jake was chosen sixth overall by the Vancouver Canucks. Stefan and his parents were at the draft to help share in the special moment.

“Growing up in the greater Vancouver area, our favourite team was the Canucks,” says Stefan. “We’ve watched hundreds of Canucks games, so it’s a surreal feeling your little brother gets drafted by the team you have watched your whole life growing up.”

Though his commitment to his own career path prevented Stefan from joining his family in Toronto for the World Junior Championship, the two brothers were in daily contact throughout the tournament. They Skyped before games, talked after games and used various forms of social media to stay in constant contact.

Before the gold medal game against the Russians, Stefan offered simple advice to his little brother.

“I just told him to play the role the coach wants him to play and he will get his opportunity to get his ice time,” he says. “Before the gold medal game I just told him to be smart with the puck, do the simple things and try to stay calm.”

It worked as Jake made several key plays that helped Canada capture one of its most memorable international victories.

A record 7.1 million viewers took in the thrilling gold medal final on television, but few Canadians can claim similar feelings as the big brother sitting in Castlegar.

“When your little brother calls you ten minutes after getting off the ice in such a huge game, it’s pretty special that you are one of the first people he thinks of in that moment,” says Stefan.

And what did Jake Virtanen tell his big brother?

“He told me that he doesn’t think there will be anything else as cool as this,” says Stefan. “To win a game like that in front of the home fans in Canada, he said the feeling when you are standing there with the trophy and the gold medal, there’s 20,000 people singing O Canada… he said you get the chills.”

[Canucks1219]

According to some fans on Twitter, Virtanen isn't playing in the game tonight.

Well, that's not good...

[MoneypuckOverlord]

According to some fans on Twitter, Virtanen isn't playing in the game tonight.

Well, that's not good...

took a knee on knee the other day, never heard of any player who takes a knee on knee to come back quickly. he might be done for the season. What a waste of season. I hope i'm wrong, he's 18 years old already gone through a major shoulder surgery now a knee injury.