Jake Virtanen | #18 | RW

[JV18]

5 hours ago, SwissCanucks said:

Pretty big legs for "Big Country" ! Can't wait to see him skate !

 

(Picture  taken from his Instagram account)

when I saw that I noticed they have him sitting next to hank which is good for him.  Also on his other side is Rodin.  maybe every prospect has a spot in the dressing room for camp, or he's penciled in already...

[mrtrip8]

On 30/05/2016 at 4:01 AM, StealthNuck said:

JAKE VIRTANEN RIGHT WING  - VAN   VIDEO › NUMBER: 18 HEIGHT: 6' 1" WEIGHT: 208 SHOOTS: RIGHT BORN: 17 AUG 1996  (AGE 19) BIRTHPLACE: NEW WESTMINSTER, BC, CANADA

DRAFTED: VAN / 2014 NHL ENTRY DRAFT ROUND: 1ST (6TH OVERALL) PROSPECT BIO

This is the kind of player every team dreams about. A fast power forward! He is going to show a lot more hits and be a lot braver if we have Gudbrandson, Tryamkin, and Pedan on the team. Dorset is great but can now hammer everyone and should have some size and strength to help him out. I see at least 15 goals this year, and within the next 2 years 30 plus. He will only get braver as he gets stronger. He will be a surprise to many this year. I see him flattening Lucic many times next season. This will take away McDavid's effectiveness. We have a diamond in the rough. 

 

Edited September 3, 2016 by mrtrip8
grammar

[canuckledraggin]

57 minutes ago, Nuckles80 said:

That golf picture sure seems to suggest he has been working hard, ponch is gone and dude looks like a UFC / MMA fighter

Ponch? The last few pages of this thread are hilarious. Someone says they saw him with a beer belly and rolls of flab under his shirt and now a few weeks later he's ripped and in deadly shape? He must have discovered the Ab-Cruncher (As seen on TV)

[Nuckles80]

2 minutes ago, canuckledraggin said:

Ponch? The last few pages of this thread are hilarious. Someone says they saw him with a beer belly and rolls of flab under his shirt and now a few weeks later he's ripped and in deadly shape? He must have discovered the Ab-Cruncher (As seen on TV)

He did have a bit of a belly last year man...and if you look at some of the pokemon pics he looks the same - could be angles but for certain last season he had a bit of baby fat on him....there's a reason the team was on him and they call him big country bro

 

It's not for his love of country music - its 'big country reeves' they are referring to, if you don't know that story look it up - he played for grizzlies and was majorly out of shape. Came to camp one year after a lockout 40-50lbs out of shape from eating big macs and not working out - no joke.

Edited September 3, 2016 by Nuckles80

[numb3r 16]

6 hours ago, Nuckles80 said:

Ok so I am relieved

 

Anyone concerned about Jake's pudge - check out his instagram and there's a pic of him and his boys playing golf at cultus lake. Its hard to see but pinch zoom it, he's in the middle in the blue at backwards hat.

 

He's looking ripped folks!!!! Like bodybuilder Jacked.....maybe its time to change his knickname from Bigcountry to Jacked!

 

 

WOW....kid if you committed like that, you won me over, keep it up!

looks like boeser in that pic lol

[Alflives]

4 minutes ago, numb3r 16 said:

looks like boeser in that pic lol

Hutton and Etem too.

[numb3r 16]

Just now, Alflives said:

Hutton and Etem too.

guy directly under jake looks like thatch.

[Nuckles80]

1 minute ago, numb3r 16 said:

guy directly under jake looks like thatch.

all the guys in the photo are tagged, its just his bro's not other players

[Alflives]

46 minutes ago, mrtrip8 said:

This is the kind of player every team dreams about. A fast power forward! He is going to show a lot more hits and be a lot braver if we have Gudbrandson, Tryamkin, and Pedan on the team. Dorset is great but can now hammer everyone and should have some size and strength to help him out. I see at least 15 goals this year, and within the next 2 years 30 plus. He will only get braver as he gets stronger. He will be a surprise to many this year. I see him flattening Lucic many times next season. This will take away McDavid's effectiveness. We have a diamond in the rough. 

 

We only saw the tip of the jakeberg for those 20 games after his return from the WJC, where he was noticeable every shift.  You say 15 goals this coming season; I say double that.  ALF HAS SPOKEN.

[numb3r 16]

Just now, Nuckles80 said:

all the guys in the photo are tagged, its just his bro's not other players

i know that, jus saying that he looks like thatch.

[canuckledraggin]

22 minutes ago, Nuckles80 said:

He did have a bit of a belly last year man...and if you look at some of the pokemon pics he looks the same - could be angles but for certain last season he had a bit of baby fat on him....there's a reason the team was on him and they call him big country bro

 

It's not for his love of country music - its 'big country reeves' they are referring to, if you don't know that story look it up - he played for grizzlies and was majorly out of shape. Came to camp one year after a lockout 40-50lbs out of shape from eating big macs and not working out - no joke.

I'm very aware of Big Country Reeves and his buckets of extra crispy. That was one of the worst contracts of all-time in any sport and it killed a franchise in Vancouver. Then Stu Jackson mysteriously got a job working for the NBA, because of his great work in Vancouver  I used to love going to Grizzly games. The tickets ranged from cheap to free.

 

The nickname for Jake comes from teammates who see him as a hick from Abbotsford with a love for country music. The last article on this page describes it. http://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/the-provies-the-origin-story-of-big-country-and-daniel-sedin-passes-on-an-empty-net

 

Everyone surrounding the team says he's been in the gym full-time for weeks now. I have a hard time believing he could be in poor shape. As long as he keeps working on his cardio he'll have a great camp.

[Alflives]

2 minutes ago, Nuckles80 said:

all the guys in the photo are tagged, its just his bro's not other players

What's "tagged"?  That one guy is Etem.

[Nuckles80]

8 minutes ago, Alflives said:

We only saw the tip of the jakeberg for those 20 games after his return from the WJC, where he was noticeable every shift.  You say 15 goals this coming season; I say double that.  ALF HAS SPOKEN.

Lol, love the enthusiasm but he's not getting 30. He'd have to be playing top 2 lines from the outset and getting alot of PP time. With Willie, EVEN if he tore it up in camp and was a standout, WD would start him at BEST on the 3rd line. If somehow he's fortunate enough to be slotted at 2RW at the start,  the minute he falters on the second Willie would drop him down for a long time. Willie doesn't show much patience with young players and has a view that they earn their way up to the top 2 lines 'over time'. Can't disagree with that strategy but he could do with a bit more patience. Ie if Bo wasn't playing PP time until Sutter went down, no way in hell Virt gets prime ice time next year.

So based on that 15-18 goals is my expectation and a good year if he sticks in the NHL vs being sent to Green for some 'seasoning and flava flave'

Edited September 3, 2016 by Nuckles80

[Nuckles80]

4 minutes ago, canuckledraggin said:

I'm very aware of Big Country Reeves and his buckets of extra crispy. That was one of the worst contracts of all-time in any sport and it killed a franchise in Vancouver. Then Stu Jackson mysteriously got a job working for the NBA, because of his great work in Vancouver  I used to love going to Grizzly games. The tickets ranged from cheap to free.

 

The nickname for Jake comes from teammates who see him as a hick from Abbotsford with a love for country music. The last article on this page describes it. http://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/the-provies-the-origin-story-of-big-country-and-daniel-sedin-passes-on-an-empty-net

 

Everyone surrounding the team says he's been in the gym full-time for weeks now. I have a hard time believing he could be in poor shape. As long as he keeps working on his cardio he'll have a great camp.

Well they aren't going to call him fat in the media....he was pudgy and big deal he's a big kid (and he wasn't "fat") just a bit soft around the middle for a pro athlete. Go look at the video of when they did the lip synch and he's wearing the grizzlies jersey - its pretty obvious he has to much weight in the middle. Also, its been stated that he needed to focus on his fitness by the team...it all adds up to the same issue...

Regardless, it appears as though he's been focused on addressing it!

Edited September 3, 2016 by Nuckles80

[Alflives]

6 minutes ago, canuckledraggin said:

I'm very aware of Big Country Reeves and his buckets of extra crispy. That was one of the worst contracts of all-time in any sport and it killed a franchise in Vancouver. Then Stu Jackson mysteriously got a job working for the NBA, because of his great work in Vancouver  I used to love going to Grizzly games. The tickets ranged from cheap to free.

 

The nickname for Jake comes from teammates who see him as a hick from Abbotsford with a love for country music. The last article on this page describes it. http://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/the-provies-the-origin-story-of-big-country-and-daniel-sedin-passes-on-an-empty-net

 

Everyone surrounding the team says he's been in the gym full-time for weeks now. I have a hard time believing he could be in poor shape. As long as he keeps working on his cardio he'll have a great camp.

If Abbotsford is the sticks, what hell is Prince George - off planet?

 

 

[Nuckles80]

37 minutes ago, Alflives said:

What's "tagged"?  That one guy is Etem.

Lol, that's not Etem. Tagged is basically posting the persons instagram name to their picture. if you click on the pic you'll see names appear.

Edited September 3, 2016 by Nuckles80

[Alflives]

1 hour ago, Nuckles80 said:

Lol, that's not Etem. Tagged is basically posting the persons instagram name to their picture. if you click on the pic you'll see names appear.

Hey, that's cool!  Thanks.  

[MJDDawg]

On August 31, 2016 at 0:49 AM, Harvey Spector said:

Did you guys actually watch the Sedins play at age 20?  It looked they were skating in quick sand. And they were pretty much knocked off the puck on every shift. And they were 2nd and 3rd overall picks. They were 3rd liners. Jake is MUCH bigger than both of them and skates like the wind. I wouldn't be surprised if he's shows up to camp at 225 pounds. He's gonna be a beast. Forget the cardio. It's not like he's gonna play 20 minutes a night. I don't recall him being winded or benched due to his conditioning. 

 

If he's on the third line I want him hitting everything in sight and going to the front of the net and getting dirty. That has to be his game. He has to turn into a power forward. That's what we need. Bertuzzi was 240 pounds. And could skate like the wind. These guys are a different breed then the Sedins who rely on their cardio due to their lack of quick feet.  I want Jake running everything in sight and I want him to develop his game on the third line with no pressure. 12 minutes a night of hard hitting, in your face, screening the goalie and chasing the loose pucks is what I wanna see. 

I don't disagree, but I thought one of his problems last season was running around trying hit everything to make an impression in that it put him out of position quite a bit. 

 

Here's hoping that he finds a nice balance this year.

[Nuckles80]

8 hours ago, MJDDawg said:

I don't disagree, but I thought one of his problems last season was running around trying hit everything to make an impression in that it put him out of position quite a bit. 

 

Here's hoping that he finds a nice balance this year.

His cardio was an issue, the ability to stay out for a proper shift and compete hard late in the shift were clear. He was smart in that he shortened his shifts often but there are a few issues with this

 

A. It places more stress on his teammates playing the same wing, they as a result get less 'rest time' so it has a domino effect. Yes he rests but others pick up the slack and tire out, shift time is a very very important aspect of managing your team 'in game' for that reason.

 

B. He has ALOT of raw talent. I don't think most objective hockey fans would disagree. Skates probably the fastest I've seen a Canuck (with the puck / puck speed) next to Bure (not saying he has that speed but fastest since) and Raymond but Raymond couldn't stay on his feet. He hits harder than any Canuck I have seen other than Cam Neely and Bert and I would argue he pretty much is on par with those two in his physical dominance and THAT is crazy. He has one hell of a shot when he gets himself into the right spots (something he's still feeling his way through at the NHL level I think), he is strong on the backcheck (I think he had some of the best takeaway stats on the team and his defensive 'advanced stats' were very good for  rookie (but could stand corrected there). So all of that is great but you therefore want that kid out there to be able to stay out if he has to for a 1-1:10 and still have his legs...or if he gets caught on a long shift not to be tired out to backcheck etc - that's why stamina matters.

 

Agree on the running around point, he needs to learn when to use his size to hit, when to use it to bull his way to the net and create space like Bert did. He's not a 3/4th liner and that's why many want him in Utica, to be playing  on the top line, get PP time to re-develop that offensive aspect of his game, that WD seems to try so hard to get rid of in offensive players!

Edited September 4, 2016 by Nuckles80

[Boudrias]

22 hours ago, aqua59 said:

Thing is that was then and Virtanen is now, a very different NHL. You come to camp out of shape a player is behind and rarely catches up.  

Virtanen will be just fine, he's been working hard all summer.

For sure it is a different NHL. My point was that Virtanen with a 10 pound gut can be quickly brought back into playing shape. By all appearances his gym effort is doing that. The emphasis on conditioning in the NHL today gives these players a much better understanding of what their limits are.