Jake Virtanen | #18 | RW

[DeNiro]

I would say Jake should go back to junior, but based on what I saw on the Hitmen last season he's not going to learn the defensive side of the game there.

Despite getting the rookie treatment, I still think he's better off with the big club. He'll learn more in the NHL than he would going back to junior.

Edited October 25, 2015 by DeNiro

[RakuRaku]

Looking more and more likely Virtanen is set up to fail his 9-game trial and WD gets his wish to be reunited with his lover boy Vey.... very sad if true...  we would rather see Virtanen's speed and big hits.... poor kid never had a fair chance to shine since preseason. 

[MeanSeanBean]

Looking more and more likely Virtanen is set up to fail his 9-game trial and WD gets his wish to be reunited with his lover boy Vey.... very sad if true...  we would rather see Virtanen's speed and big hits.... poor kid never had a fair chance to shine since preseason. 

He has had the same chance as every rookie under WD. Horvat excelled,  McCann is excelling,  and Virt just hasn't yet. 

[DeNiro]

He has had the same chance as every rookie under WD. Horvat excelled,  McCann is excelling,  and Virt just hasn't yet. 

Horvat excelled early because of his faceoff ability. McCann is excelling because he can play a 200 foot game.

Virtanen is not a 200 foot player or a shutdown center. He's an offensive player playing a grinders role on the 4th line. He's not gonna shine in that role. No player shines with 5 minutes a game unless they're a goon that drops the mitts.

[The-Gooch]

I would say Jake should go back to junior, but based on what I saw on the Hitmen last season he's not going to learn the defensive side of the game there.

Despite getting the rookie treatment, I still think he's better off with the big club. He'll learn more in the NHL than he would going back to junior.

If he does get sent down I really hope he gets moved to a new team

[desiboynux4lifee*******]

Other then that LA game I haven't seen any top 6 material in Jake Virtanen. I think the fans who were whining about Ehlers might actually be right; well atleast for now they look like they are right. The problems with Jake, is I get he plays limited minutes, but he doesn't seem like a special player like we thought he would be. He hasn't shown his speed to me yet, he just goes in the corners and shoots the puck on net, he never makes decent passes, I noticed last night he can't crash the net, he was easily boxed out and thrown to the side of the net.I think he needs to develop his Hockey IQ more, were the hell is Virtanen's patent wrist shot, I haven't seen it once, he is suppose to have a similar release to Mccann; That's what made him stand out at the draft, but haven't seen it yet.  So far Ehlers looks like the real deal compared to Virtanen and it stings.

Edited October 25, 2015 by desiboynux4lifee*******

[Me_]

I agree with you but he also won't develop with 5 minutes and 38 seconds of ice time. I mean, I understand the coach's perspective but... rolling 3 lines is costing us 3rd periods. Also, you gotta have a little more trust in the young guns. Virtanen is in a tough spot for sure!

What worked for the Canucks during pre-season, despite lesser competition, was rolling four lines, with no discrepancy between rookie and vet. An excitement was always in the air; will McCann make some sick moves? Will Howe, I mean Hutton have a Howe-like game? Will Virtanen dish out some bone crushing highlight reel hits? Will Horvat score again?

It started well. Prust fight one, early in the game: game won. Prust fight two early in the game: game won. Prust fights later in the game: not the best results. Prust doesn't fight, games are lost.

Then Desjardins started to shorten his bench and the kids, Hutton excluded, started to drop out. Kids' minutes started to drop down, losses are starting to pile up.

A transition team that has five rookies on its roster better play their rookies. That's en entire regulation unit that is limited in time, thereby taxing all other players. It's kind of like having five injuried player sidelined. It taxes the rest of the team.

Furthermore, for a coach that coached rookie after rookie after rookie, Desjardins would be better served playing the rookies currently on the Canucks roster, for after all, is it not for a youth transition the Canucks chose him in the first place?

Edited October 25, 2015 by Me_

[Derp...]

The good news is we could be playing a lot worse. Normally CDC is about benching people who aren't looking good. Literally everyone has played well at times. I would love to see Virtanen getting 10-12 mins a game, but he won't until after christmas probably.

[Nave]

Virtanen has actually played an efficient game. That many hits in so few minutes is not easy. 

[logic]

Other then that LA game I haven't seen any top 6 material in Jake Virtanen. I think the fans who were whining about Ehlers might actually be right; well atleast for now they look like they are right. The problems with Jake, is I get he plays limited minutes, but he doesn't seem like a special player like we thought he would be. He hasn't shown his speed to me yet, he just goes in the corners and shoots the puck on net, he never makes decent passes, I noticed last night he can't crash the net, he was easily boxed out and thrown to the side of the net.I think he needs to develop his Hockey IQ more, were the hell is Virtanen's patent wrist shot, I haven't seen it once, he is suppose to have a similar release to Mccann; That's what made him stand out at the draft, but haven't seen it yet.  So far Ehlers looks like the real deal compared to Virtanen and it stings.

Desi the thing that really pisses me off about your posts is that you're only vocal about the negative things. I never see you say anything positive about this team, why are you even a fan?

[Me_]

Desi the thing that really pisses me off about your posts is that you're only vocal about the negative things. I never see you say anything positive about this team, why are you even a fan?

Just another jaded Canadian citizen living in isolation on the other side of the mountains in the rain under dark clouds.

Edited October 25, 2015 by Me_

[WeneedLumme]

Virtanen has actually played an efficient game. That many hits in so few minutes is not easy. 

Yeah, no kidding. In the Detroit game he had 2 shots, 2 hits, 1 blocked shot, 1 takeaway, and went 1 for 1 in the face off circle. Seems to me that's pretty productive for 5 1/2 minutes of ice time.

I only really noticed him twice. Once was when he was by himself in the ozone and he went into the corner, took the puck away from a couple of defending players and forced his way out to get a shot on goal.

The other time was when a Detroit player threw a body check on him and bounced off and hit the ice as if he was trying to check Superman. Virt looks up like "Did I miss something? What was that thud noise?"

It's true that he was invisible for most of the game, but I think that was because he was stapled to the bench for 58 minutes of it. It's much harder to see the players when they are on the bench than when they are on the ice.

Edited October 25, 2015 by WeneedLumme
punctuation

[Edlerberry]

We've drafted Horvat, Virtanen and Boeser lately with our first round picks - 3 almost identical players.

this... this isn't real.

 

it can't be.

 

[Darkstar]

Hate to say "I told you so" but Ehlers is hovering around a point per game at the NHL level and for all of you who thought he was tiny and weak, he's playing pretty sound defensively and his speed is really keeping him afloat. He's playing strikingly similarly to Kane, and quite frankly I'd rather a Pat Kane on my team over a Dustin Penner type guy who we seem to have in Virtanen.

Then again, I didn't really want Ehlers, just wanted to let people know that we blew a high pick in Virtanen. Also nice to point out that Nylander is over a point per game in the AHL. Sure, Ehlers and Nylander are far more offensively talented than Virtanen and will break into the NHL quicker, but Virtanen needs to lift his offensive game because we can't have just wasted a 6th overall pick on a one or two time 20 goal scorer. This kid belongs in junior for at least another year, and then should have to prove himself PROPERLY the way Gaunce and Shinkaruk are trying, because he's quite simply not skilled enough to break into the NHL the way Ehlers, McDavid and co. are.

Virtanen is getting the royal treatment when he doesn't deserve it and quite frankly has done nothing to warrant an NHL stint. He had a decent preseason (IMO worse than Gaunce and Shinkaruk) and is only getting his 9 NHL games because we wasted a high pick on him.

This is the second draft in a row that the Canucks have let up a highly skilled offensive player. We picked Horvat over Domi and Virtanen over Nylander/Ehlers, and now look what's happening: the Canucks kids can't score up front and they may be big, strong and can throw hits, but Domi and Ehlers are scoring at a rediculous point-per-game pace in the NHL.

It's one thing to have size and hit in the playoffs, but that's absolutely no good if you don't have offensive talent in today's NHL. Unfortunately, we don't have a skilled offensive force in our prospect pool apart from maybe McCann and Baertschi, and the latter is being benched constantly. You pick high offensive talents with those top-10 picks, not grinders. Not saying Horvat was a bad pick, but two grinders who can't score in a row is frustrating considering the elite talent we could and should have added to our prospect pools that is already flush with powerforwards.

 

The thing is, size is definitely important in this league, but it's not the be-all, end-all to win the Stanley Cup. I think the organization and the fans are still rattled by the loss to the Bruins in 2011, to the point where this obsession over physical toughness, size, and two-way play has blinded them to the reality of the NHL.

The Chicago Blackhawks are a prime example of having a variety of different types of players that lead to overall success of the team. They are one of the smallest and softest teams in the league on paper, and yet they still get it done because of pure skill and mental toughness. There's a reason as to why they're the most successful team in the league in the past 5 years.

It is fair to say that you need solid two-way centres to win in this league, such as Toews, Bergeron, Kopitar, etc. The Canucks have done a good job in getting those types of players (ie: Horvat). But the problem is that they now have so many similar types of players, and they're missing skilled players up front and on the back end. Baertschi is a major question mark, and Shinkaruk has had a solid start in the AHL but has been on and off the past couple of years.

Ehlers was the right pick at the time. Picking Virtanen over him was like if Chicago picked JVR over Patrick Kane, simply based on physical tools over skill. You need skilled guys to win this league, and the Canucks should've picked Ehlers, but at the end of the day, what's done is done. 

Virtanen should be sent back to junior to work on his offensive game. He still hasn't really set himself apart in the Dub, and my biggest worry is that he'll never be anything more than a 3rd liner in this league. He's got the potential to be a solid top-six power-forward, but he won't get the playing time and ability here to do so. His development may actually be stunted if he's stuck in a role playing 5 minutes a game. Give him the full nine games, and then send him back to junior. 

[87Crosby]

this... this isn't real.

 

it can't be.

 

Yeah a Sniper, Power Forward and a 2 Way Centre. Look like triplets to me too.

P.S. Where's the facepalm emoticon!!!!

[Gstank29]

Yeah a Sniper, Power Forward and a 2 Way Centre. Look like triplets to me too.

Hidden Content

But But he knew Ehlers was better than Virtanen, he knows what he's talking about

[DownUndaCanuck]

Yeah a Sniper, Power Forward and a 2 Way Centre. Look like triplets to me too.

Hidden Content

Horvat - 2 way defensive center who's a goal scorer first, passer second. Big and strong powerforward.

Virtanen - 1 way offensive winger who's a goal scorer first, great skater and hitter. I'd consider him a powerforward.

Boeser - 1 way offensive winger who's a natural goal scorer and great skater. Doesn't hit as much but is another north-south winger.

 

Virtanen and Boeser in particular are very similar north-south, fast skating goal scoring wingers, but Horvat really is a powerforward as well.

Where's the playmaking ability going to come from from those 3? Where's the elite, talented passer with great hockey IQ? Sure, Horvat has some nice hands but his playmaking ability is far from first-line center material in the NHL. We needed a smaller, far more skilled player who can pass the puck and make plays - not just skate fast and score goals.

Having a Nylander or Ehlers alongside Horvat and Boeser would have been the perfect mix. Instead I think Benning is hoping that Baertschi will be that playmaking top-6 forward and it's not working out too well yet. Hopefully McCann can be that guy because he's the only one in the young organization to show some sick passing so far.

[Junkyard Dog]

His physical side of the game is great but we have guys who hit as well as do other stuff.

Virtanen needs to show that there is more than just a physical side to his game.

McCann has shown that he is smart and all 3 zones, has good puck skills and can get his shot off in good areas. I am not surprised he is getting more ice time than Virtanen

 

 

Edited October 25, 2015 by Junkyard Dog

[Me_]

Horvat - 2 way defensive center who's a goal scorer first, passer second. Big and strong powerforward.

Virtanen - 1 way offensive winger who's a goal scorer first, great skater and hitter. I'd consider him a powerforward.

Boeser - 1 way offensive winger who's a natural goal scorer and great skater. Doesn't hit as much but is another north-south winger.

 

Virtanen and Boeser in particular are very similar north-south, fast skating goal scoring wingers, but Horvat really is a powerforward as well.

Where's the playmaking ability going to come from from those 3? Where's the elite, talented passer with great hockey IQ? Sure, Horvat has some nice hands but his playmaking ability is far from first-line center material in the NHL. We needed a smaller, far more skilled player who can pass the puck and make plays - not just skate fast and score goals.

Having a Nylander or Ehlers alongside Horvat and Boeser would have been the perfect mix. Instead I think Benning is hoping that Baertschi will be that playmaking top-6 forward and it's not working out too well yet. Hopefully McCann can be that guy because he's the only one in the young organization to show some sick passing so far.

The Canucks don't own Nylander or Ehlers' rights.

So...........

Vey? (lol) He's definitely smaller...

Edited October 25, 2015 by Me_

[Gstank29]

Horvat - 2 way defensive center who's a goal scorer first, passer second. Big and strong powerforward.

Virtanen - 1 way offensive winger who's a goal scorer first, great skater and hitter. I'd consider him a powerforward.

Boeser - 1 way offensive winger who's a natural goal scorer and great skater. Doesn't hit as much but is another north-south winger.

 

Virtanen and Boeser in particular are very similar north-south, fast skating goal scoring wingers, but Horvat really is a powerforward as well.

Where's the playmaking ability going to come from from those 3? Where's the elite, talented passer with great hockey IQ? Sure, Horvat has some nice hands but his playmaking ability is far from first-line center material in the NHL. We needed a smaller, far more skilled player who can pass the puck and make plays - not just skate fast and score goals.

Having a Nylander or Ehlers alongside Horvat and Boeser would have been the perfect mix. Instead I think Benning is hoping that Baertschi will be that playmaking top-6 forward and it's not working out too well yet. Hopefully McCann can be that guy because he's the only one in the young organization to show some sick passing so far.

Boeser isn't fast, Horvat isn't a shot first type of player.