Jake Virtanen | #18 | RW

[Warhippy]

Courtesy of CanaFan on hfboards.

And as a 17 year old put up those numbers. Impressive without question

[Guest Dasein]

Courtesy of CanaFan on hfboards.

Interesting that people have said Jared was used in a defensive role (to explain his lack of production this year compared to the expectations scouts had) but he has barely any PK time but a lot of PP time. Still, he didn't exactly receive a ton of total ice time so perhaps he'll take a bigger role next year.

[Warhippy]

Interesting that people have said Jared was used in a defensive role (to explain his lack of production this year compared to the expectations scouts had) but he has barely any PK time but a lot of PP time. Still, he didn't exactly receive a ton of total ice time so perhaps he'll take a bigger role next year.

I didn't even look at McCann there, but to look at both of our picks this year, see their total ice time and see those point totals in comparisons to the perceived higher offensive potential picks, knowing their ice time and relative age...

Looks pretty frigging good for the future

[Fred65]

Funny ranking by Hockey Futures for Virtanen has him Realistic Probability rating as a "D" which equates to

D – Unlikely to reach potential, could drop 3 ratings – a player who has a chance to reach his potential but is unlikely to do so. The potential rating is multiplied by 70 percent for depth chart purposes, indicating that the player's potential is extremely fluid.

[NEON.KNEE]

Funny ranking by Hockey Futures for Virtanen has him Realistic Probability rating as a "D" which equates to

That is just ridiculous... WHat did they give Reinhart? IMO Reinhart is more likely to be a mediocre, but dependable NHL'er than Virtanen, who IMO has top line winger potential.

[TheSnipeshow91]

Courtesy of CanaFan on hfboards.

Did some math, and found out, if Virtanen had the same amount of minutes per game as Reinhart, he'd have 105 points. Without even looking Virtanen would still have a disadvantage in powerplay minutes.I know they are just numbers but you gotta be pretty stoked about these

numbers.

[Canucks1219]

Interesting that people have said Jared was used in a defensive role (to explain his lack of production this year compared to the expectations scouts had) but he has barely any PK time but a lot of PP time. Still, he didn't exactly receive a ton of total ice time so perhaps he'll take a bigger role next year.

I went back and looked at that CanucksArmy article interviewing Kyle Dubas (re: McCann) and pulled some quotes related to defense in some way.

Jared was deployed in the role of a top line centre. His offensive zone start rate was the 4th lowest on our team at 56% offensive zone starts (behind just Jean Dupuy, Patrick Watling and Tyler Gaudet). He played versus the oppositions 1st or 2nd line. Tyler Gaudet was voted the best defensive centre in the league in the OHL Coaches vote so at home Sheldon would often deploy Gaudet versus the opposition’s best line, and on the road that duty would fall on Jared as coaches tried to free their best players from playing versus Gaudet, who was a 20 year old. Jared, as just a 17 year did an excellent job in that regard, as his possession numbers illustrate.

Jared saw duty on the PP and PK both and was our best faceoff man, as well. On the PP Jared was used on his off wing to take advantage of his elite shot.

During the season, it appeared to me that Jared so concerned about defence and being above the puck that he was extremely conservative with his jumping high into the rush. That was something that Sheldon and Jared spent a lot of time on and I know that Sheldon has spent a lot of the off-season watching to figure out how Jared’s offensive dominance could become more consistent.

..

The other thing that hinders Jared (and all of our centres production) is the system we deploy in the defensive zone. The centres must come very low (to the goalie) to provide the D a controlled option low in the zone. He cannot cheat ever or leave the zone, thus you will never see him slide behind the opposition D for easy chances and often has the puck with 5 members of the opposition in front of him versus 2 or 3 if he got the breakout pass from the winger off the wall as many others do.

http://canucksarmy.com/2014/7/7/get-to-know-a-prospect-jared-mccann-not-jared-mccan-t

EDIT: Doesn't change the fact that his PP-time-to-PK-time ratio is lopsided-- though it seems that McCann is thinking defense-first.

Edited August 20, 2014 by Canucks1219

[Rex425]

Did some math, and found out, if Virtanen had the same amount of minutes per game as Reinhart, he'd have 105 points. Without even looking Virtanen would still have a disadvantage in powerplay minutes.I know they are just numbers but you gotta be pretty stoked about these

numbers.

Then he'd be considered a steal.

[terrible.dee]

Funny ranking by Hockey Futures for Virtanen has him Realistic Probability rating as a "D" which equates to

It's the power forward thing,

There's a long history of guys who were bigger and stronger then their competition, tearing it up in junior, and flopping in the NHL when they no longer have that advantage.

Also lack of assists and not being deployed in all situations is a red flag for some scouts.

[Rollieo Del Fuego]

Did some math, and found out, if Virtanen had the same amount of minutes per game as Reinhart, he'd have 105 points. Without even looking Virtanen would still have a disadvantage in powerplay minutes.I know they are just numbers but you gotta be pretty stoked about these

numbers.

Both Jake and Jared were point a game players while playing 8 to 10 minutes less per game than Reinhart and Ehlers, etc.

Next year they should take a jump in points and minutes.

[Gstank29]

so is there any chance Virtanen is ready for training camp?

[Knucklehd]

so is there any chance Virtanen is ready for training camp?

Highly unlikely, he may skate some drills but that's about it.

[wshdrvvn]

so is there any chance Virtanen is ready for training camp?

that would mean he came back from his surgery more than a month early. i don't think that's what they will want to do with him.

[canuckledraggin]

There is one thing that Jake has that other power forwards lack though and that is speed. He was my 1st choice in the draft for that very reason in addition to his ability to put the puck in the net and his age, I think he was a great pick at #6. When young players make the jump to the next level the thing that they all say is that the game is played at a step faster than they are used to. Jake will have that advantage over the others that were selected in his draft class. The exceptions being players like Ehlers who have the speed but lack the size to make the jump right away.

The knock on players like Horvat and Gaunce that have all the tools to be NHL regulars is their speed. I think Jake has 2 more years of Junior then makes it very difficult for coaching and management to keep him out of the Canucks lineup.

I think it was lucky that he was not able to participate in the combine, or he might have been chosen before 6th.

[Rollieo Del Fuego]

He just turned 18 two days ago. The youngest of our rookies, he would have very little chance of making it this year anyway.

[Off_The_Schneid!]

There is one thing that Jake has that other power forwards lack though and that is speed. He was my 1st choice in the draft for that very reason in addition to his ability to put the puck in the net and his age, I think he was a great pick at #6. When young players make the jump to the next level the thing that they all say is that the game is played at a step faster than they are used to. Jake will have that advantage over the others that were selected in his draft class. The exceptions being players like Ehlers who have the speed but lack the size to make the jump right away.

The knock on players like Horvat and Gaunce that have all the tools to be NHL regulars is their speed. I think Jake has 2 more years of Junior then makes it very difficult for coaching and management to keep him out of the Canucks lineup.

I think it was lucky that he was not able to participate in the combine, or he might have been chosen before 6th.

Agreed, he has all the things you can't teach. Wasn't he the fastest player in the draft? Pretty crazy for a kid that size

[yogolol]

Courtesy of CanaFan on hfboards.

These numbers have been proven to be inaccurate, the system the guy used to figure out the time has been debunked. I mean it's kinda obvious those aren't realistic numbers, Ehlers and others averaging over 7 minutes of PP time a game? Players like Ovechkin who literally stay out for the whole PP don't come close to those numbers. Also as others have noticed MCcan should have much more PK time, there is no way virtanen had more PK time than Mccan did.

[Pimp C]

These numbers have been proven to be inaccurate, the system the guy used to figure out the time has been debunked. I mean it's kinda obvious those aren't realistic numbers, Ehlers and others averaging over 7 minutes of PP time a game? Players like Ovechkin who literally stay out for the whole PP don't come close to those numbers. Also as others have noticed MCcan should have much more PK time, there is no way virtanen had more PK time than Mccan did.

Are you sure of this?

[TheSnipeshow91]

Then he'd be considered a steal.

There's a reason why he was drafted 6th overall

[JeremyCuddles]

He just turned 18 two days ago. The youngest of our rookies, he would have very little chance of making it this year anyway.

That's pretty much well known. I think most of us just want to see him at camp. I'll be happy to see him at the WJC though.