Jake Virtanen | #18 | RW

[TGokou]

So by the sounds of it worst case scenario are 2 recent top 10 draft picks become the Torres-Malhotra line 2.0

Hahaha....exactly

[Canucks1219]

http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=724605

"He’s an exceptional skater. What Vancouver got is a player that if he continues to work and continues to develop, he will play in your Top 6, no doubt about it. He has the offensive abilities, offensive instincts, he can shoot the puck and he can score. But he is also a player that can play on the third line and be a real tough player to play against. If for whatever reason his scoring doesn’t come about at the NHL level, he still has a big part of the game where he can be effective. I just see him as a can’t-miss prospect that will play at the NHL level for sure."

[DeNiro]

Power forward is a loose-goose term applied to players who play like Virtanen and Bertuzzi, and as far as I know, nobody uses the term hybrid power forward, so i'm going to be very glad when he turns into an all-star power forward.

Not really. The term powerforward includes physical intimidation and the ability to fight.

Bertuzzi and Virtanen will differ in that regard IMO. I see Virtanen as more of a speedy sniper. I doubt he'll intimidate guys like 245 lb Bertuzzi used to.

And yes, hybrid powerforward is a term. It refers to the new age powerforwards who play a certain style. You don;t see players go around manhandling other players like the traditional powerforwards did.

Edited July 29, 2014 by DeNiro

[BanTSN]

Not really. The term powerforward includes physical intimidation and the ability to fight.

Bertuzzi and Virtanen will differ in that regard IMO. I see Virtanen as more of a speedy sniper. I doubt he'll intimidate guys like 245 lb Bertuzzi used to.

And yes, hybrid powerforward is a term. It refers to the new age powerforwards who play a certain style. You don;t see players go around manhandling other players like the traditional powerforwards did.

Since Virtanen physically intimidates his peers and has fought more often this past season than Bertuzzi in any, the definition applies.

Bertuzzi was one thing, but prototypical pf Cam Neely didn't even weigh all that much. Neither did a lot of the 'traditional' power forwards you're referring to.

Jake Virtanen will be an all-star power forward. Totally reachable goal. Time to start supporting this kid like we had blindly supported all our lesser prospects of the past.

Edited July 29, 2014 by BanTSN

[DeNiro]

Jake Virtanen will be an all-star power forward. Totally reachable goal. Time to start supporting this kid like we had blindly supported all our lesser prospects of the past.

It's not about not supporting him, it's about not putting unrealistic expectations on the kid. Knocking around 16 and 17 year olds in junior is one thing, I don't expect him to do that at the NHL level on a regular basis.

He's a pure goal scorer that plays with an edge. That's a great thing to have. He doesn't have to be the next Cam Neely or Owen Nolan to be a good player.

[tebeaune]

I am hoping he is more like Corey Perry. He has the same demeanor off the ice (soft spoken and unassuming) and on the ice (edgy with skill). If he can establish himself early as someone who won't be pushed around he won't have to fight all comers especially as he gains respect.

I love Perry's game. I'm not suggesting Jake will be as good as Perry. But I see some similarities. They can be a bit unpredictable and back it up. That intimidates people. I can only hope.

[N4ZZY]

The best comparison for Virtanen is still Torres. Pretty much the exact same player at the time of their draft.

http://www.nytimes.c...big-trades.html

Torres, according to the Central Scouting report, is ''a shifty skater with very good agility and balance.''

It continued: ''Excellent straight-away speed. A very strong puckhandler who excels in one-on-one situations. A tireless skater with outstanding endurance and high energy. Has a hard, accurate shot with a quick release. Very dangerous around the net. Very effective at forcing turnovers. A focused player who plays a disciplined game.''

Virtanen had 45 goals and 71 points in 71 games in his 2nd year in the WHL

Torres had 35 goals and 62 points in 62 games in his 2nd year in the OHL

Torres went 5th overall, Virtanen went 6th overall.

Virtanen is 6'1, 210 lbs at the time of the draft. Torres was 6'0, 200 lbs at the time of the draft.

Both players have/had great tools, but no toolbox. Virtanen will still likely become a better player than Torres, but he'll likely fit the mold of a good 2nd/3rd line winger. Don't be disappointed if he ends up there.

Oooh. I don't know about the comparison to Raffi Torres. Torres is good, but was probably picked too high. I'm thinking that Virtanen will probably have a higher offensive ceiling. Was Torres projected to be a top six player? Or was it more a third line guy when he was drafted? Virtanen is projected to be a top six player, no? Minimum that I'm looking in terms of offensive (goal) output from Virtanen, is 30 goals. Maximum, probably around 40 goals. Anything less than that, and I'd be disappointed.

[N4ZZY]

I am hoping he is more like Corey Perry. He has the same demeanor off the ice (soft spoken and unassuming) and on the ice (edgy with skill). If he can establish himself early as someone who won't be pushed around he won't have to fight all comers especially as he gains respect.

I love Perry's game. I'm not suggesting Jake will be as good as Perry. But I see some similarities. They can be a bit unpredictable and back it up. That intimidates people. I can only hope.

If Virtanen ends up being a similar player to Perry. That would be amazing.

[Gaudette Celly]

I don't think he is nearly as tough as Nolan, but he seems willing to drop the gloves:

Virtanen was 16 here, his opponent 19 going on 20 and a guy who had 18 fighting majors. Looks able to hold his own.

Bowen's comments seem spot-on. He matured early, has always had the skill. When we played sports as kids, we all remember there was always the one kid who was far better than everyone else. Often he would just do things himself, because nobody else could keep up with him. That's a bit of what I think happened with Virtanen last year, yet it doesn't go to his head. He also exudes a quiet confidence. He knows he's good, but he's not showy or flashy, and he's not afraid of anything or anyone. Very cool, and impressive for such a young kid, and really -- if not for the injury he seriously would make a case at camp to make the team. Might be a blessing, because one more year of junior still might be best for him.

Besides taking on a fighter three years older, that fight clip is another thing that hasn't been talked about enough imo -- his balance. It's one thing to crash into guys and deliver big hits, but he does so without taking himself out of the play, and even when he's the one with the puck. Many guys in scraps throw the big hooks and put themselves on the ice. Looks like Jake was even holding this other guy up when he was losing balance from all his wild swings.

[asian player]

Looked up all the guys he ran over in his highlight package and they weren't small, they were all big fellas

[MJDDawg]

Bowen's comments seem spot-on. He matured early, has always had the skill. When we played sports as kids, we all remember there was always the one kid who was far better than everyone else. Often he would just do things himself, because nobody else could keep up with him. That's a bit of what I think happened with Virtanen last year, yet it doesn't go to his head. He also exudes a quiet confidence. He knows he's good, but he's not showy or flashy, and he's not afraid of anything or anyone. Very cool, and impressive for such a young kid, and really -- if not for the injury he seriously would make a case at camp to make the team. Might be a blessing, because one more year of junior still might be best for him.

Besides taking on a fighter three years older, that fight clip is another thing that hasn't been talked about enough imo -- his balance. It's one thing to crash into guys and deliver big hits, but he does so without taking himself out of the play, and even when he's the one with the puck. Many guys in scraps throw the big hooks and put themselves on the ice. Looks like Jake was even holding this other guy up when he was losing balance from all his wild swings.

Good analysis. I hadn't seen him in any scraps and was unsure about how "tough" he actually was, but seeing this video gets me even more excited about this kid. Especially given the age difference and his having no hesitation going after a true fighter. He could become pretty scary when he puts on a few more pounds of muscle.

And agreed about the quiet confidence. That pre-game video of him at the top prospects game this year showed he has a bunch of it.

Looking forward to seeing him in a Canucks uni for years to come.

[Derp...]

I hope he only fights other star players in the NHL and doesn't fall into the trap of fighting guys who are much less valuable to their team than he is. That's the only thing I worry about with having the physical edge. Don't take yourself out of the game for the wrong reasons.

[avelanch]

Don't worry about it. The Canucks picked the right guy and everyone knows it. (But may not admit it.)

well, everyone who's Main board isn't CT anyway...

[avelanch]

Not really. The term powerforward includes physical intimidation and the ability to fight.

Bertuzzi and Virtanen will differ in that regard IMO. I see Virtanen as more of a speedy sniper. I doubt he'll intimidate guys like 245 lb Bertuzzi used to.

And yes, hybrid powerforward is a term. It refers to the new age powerforwards who play a certain style. You don;t see players go around manhandling other players like the traditional powerforwards did.

mainly because everyone is bigger on the whole, so someone who used to be able to manhandle smaller weaker opponents no longer can do so, and would need to be way bigger nowadays.

[Off_The_Schneid!]

I've never seen the kid play but I trust the organization with this pick. I've heard that he played with bad line mates and that he played on the second line. Couple of questions to those who watched him:

Was he on the second line?

If he was so talented why not the 1st?

1st or 2nd pp unit?

He wasn't the leading scorer on his team, who was? And which team drafted him?

[avelanch]

Brady Brassart and Greg Chase both had 85 points (both had 35 goals and 50 assists) Chase was drafted by Edmonton in the 7th round of the 2013 draft, Brassart was not drafted. Both are older than Virtanen (20 and 19 respectively, vs Virtanen's 17).

Virtanen was not on the top line because the coach wanted to spread the wealth to try to not load all his eggs in one basket, there was such little talent on the hitmen though, it's kinda depressing to look at the stats, at least it would be if you were a fan of them .

[Gyllenhaal]

I've never seen the kid play but I trust the organization with this pick. I've heard that he played with bad line mates and that he played on the second line. Couple of questions to those who watched him:

Was he on the second line?

If he was so talented why not the 1st?

1st or 2nd pp unit?

He wasn't the leading scorer on his team, who was? And which team drafted him?

Yes, he was on the second line.

Hitmen's first line was Brassart - Chase - Tambellini (I think). I'm guessing Virtanen was on the 2nd line just to spread the scoring around. "Don't put all your eggs in the same basket"

He was on the 2nd pp unit, had a little time on the 1st as well.

Hitmen's leading scorers were Brady Brassart(Minnesota) and Greg Chase(Edmonton) with 85 points each.

The Hitmen are losing most of there top players, so next season Virtanen will be playing on the top line with Greg Chase. Hitmen will basically suck next year so Virtanen is going to be leaned on heavily to score lots of goals. I would expect him to score more than the 45 he had last season.

[Rex425]

I'm thankful that we aren't running this organization.

[Off_The_Schneid!]

Thanks for the info, it says a lot for a player to score as many goals as he did playing on a second line with bad players.

To me it shows his individual skill and talent. A wingers point total is usually in direct relation with his center icemans. The fact that he scored as many goals as he did without a skilled center setting him up intrigues me. It shows that he has the individual skills that you can't teach. Imagine if he was on a first line with a top center setting him up.

[Rex425]

Yes, he was on the second line.

Hitmen's first line was Brassart - Chase - Tambellini (I think). I'm guessing Virtanen was on the 2nd line just to spread the scoring around. "Don't put all your eggs in the same basket"

He was on the 2nd pp unit, had a little time on the 1st as well.

Hitmen's leading scorers were Brady Brassart(Minnesota) and Greg Chase(Edmonton) with 85 points each.

The Hitmen are losing most of there top players, so next season Virtanen will be playing on the top line with Greg Chase. Hitmen will basically suck next year so Virtanen is going to be leaned on heavily to score lots of goals. I would expect him to score more than the 45 he had last season.

I hope he scores 50 goals and 30-40 assists.