Jake Virtanen | #18 | RW

[Phat Fingers]

2 hours ago, Butters Stoch said:

Kyle Connor DOMINATED the NCAA  last year and started the season in the NHL this yr, then played himself down the the AHL. I'm sure he'll be great player one day but it'll take a bit of time. 

 

Boeser is on the right track and has a shot at the Calder but let's not get carried away here and get disappointed when he can't make an instant impact. 

Connor is underbaked, he needed more time in the NCAA before jumping to the NHL.  He is a small player that would have to play lights out every night to be effective in the NHL. Fitness, size and stamina makes a big big difference. 

 

He racked up alot of points in the one of the easier NCAA conferences and has to be one of these rare players that can make a team as a top six out of the gate or be a career AHLer.  The main reason the smaller players tend to make it is when the team that drafts them is in a rebuild.  Connor has to beat out players like Petan and Elhers to take a spot for a smaller dynamic player. 

 

In another year or two or two he might start making noise. Either way the CDC would have declared him a bust already. 

 

EW

[MJDDawg]

9 hours ago, Alflives said:

Boeser is going to score 30+ next season, and be over 50 points.  

I don't get you sometimes.

 

How the heck do you go from a statement by Button about being a top prospect to Calder and 30 goals in his first pro season? 

 

Stop raising expectations on a kid yet to play a minute in the NHL. It's poster's like you that will be back here in a year expressing your disappointment at him not meeting YOUR expectations or at management and the coach for not developing him properly. 

 

 

Edited February 1, 2017 by MJDDawg

[Derp...]

Button said he thinks Jake is a year and an half behind his normal development due to being rushed into the NHL last year. That means the rest of this year and next year need to be used to make that time up before he will need waivers to develop further. I'm confident he can get to where he needs to be by age 22 to be an every day NHLer. Just depends on how much he can develop offensively to be a big part of our first playoff runs or not. 

 

One encouraging thing I have seen lately from Jake is that he's not afraid to try things and make some mistakes in the NHL. He's pushing himself to see what is possible at that level. Can I take on 2 guys at once, how do I get to the net from here, and so fourth. Basically learning what he can do with his game to be affective, and yes sometimes he loses the puck and it's a bad turnover, but the encouraging thing is he's working on developing his offensive game. The goal will be in the next few months to see more plays that result in chances, and not making the same mistakes repeatedly.

 

That was a big issue with Subban at the end of last year and start of this year. Making the same mistakes, He's working those out of his game now.

 

Gaunce is a perfect example of a guy who learned how to play the right way in the AHL. He's able to perform his role with the Canucks very well. He has more to give offensively, but isn't being asked to do this right now. I wouldn't mind having Jake take a similar path. At worst you end up with a high end puck possession player on your 4th line on a deep team. At best you get a beastly 2 way forward in your middle 6. <-- and that's just the first couple years in the NHL. Once they hit 25 they can be even better.

Edited February 1, 2017 by Derp...

[Blömqvist]

22 hours ago, Derp... said:

"A big-bodied power winger with the ability to physically dominate, making him a prominent forechecking presence every night. Possesses good hands that can be used to make crisp passes or to let loose accurate, NHL-level shots; paired with his strength and skating ability, his skill set allows him to contribute offensively, as well as create space for teammates."

 

"A prototypical power forward with an impressive blend of size, skill and strength. He skates well for a big player and has agile feet. He bulls his way around the ice and has an impressive, erratic shot."

 

"He is an excellent skater with a combination of quickness and agility topped of with great top-end speed. He still lacks consistency and either the will or vision to share the puck more instead of attempting to finish every play himself. He has a very dangerous shot as well as very good playmaking-ability. Thanks to his size, strength and brilliant puckhandling he can power through the defence on his way to the net."

 

"A power forward with good size and strength. He is a very good skater, who uses strong strides to gain decent top-speed. Stands strong on his skates and is hard to knock of the puck. A good forechecker, who will battle along the boards and in front of the net for loose pucks. Reads the play well and has the abilities to intercept passes. Owns a hard shot and has very good scoring touch."

 

Who do these sound similar too? Just saying that the tools Jake has are similar to a lot of other prospects. Some of which have very strange development paths. I wouldn't suggest that we undervalue his game, or overvalue it. It's probable he can become a good forechecking middle 6 winger with second unit PP time. I would love to see him learn how to PK well as his speed and size would be a big plus on the PK.

 

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=205155

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=99036

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=10866

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=17679

 

 

SIDE NOTE: Would anyone be that mad if Jake ended up fitting this description, regardless of production?

 

"A hard-nosed buzzsaw type winger with excellent mobility and a high-end release on his shot. In all three zones, he is assertive, with and without the puck. Whenever he is on the ice, he is either battling for puck possession or creating a buzz offensively. He is an undeniably good finisher, but could stand to be a bit quicker with his passes. Defensively his two-way game shines as he reads the opposition ahead of the play and positions himself well to get in passing and shooting lanes. He proactively transitions to offence quickly and uses his speed to give himself time and space. Exceptional decision making stands out as a big part of what makes him successful in many roles. He is a complete and versatile winger that has the proven capacity to be a positive difference-maker in all three zones."

 

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=2368

I agree. If Jake can turn out to be a 30 goal, 50 point player who plays similar to Hansen but hits with the force of an 18-wheeler then we'll have one heck of a player.

 

Jake's game isn't about playmaking and being creative with his passes -- his game is about using his speed and body to apply pressure to the puck carrier to cause turnovers and then using his speed to create separation and his shot to create chances off rebounds or scoring when he gets into an open area or in front of the net. He just needs to put everything together consistently.

[numb3r 16]

8 hours ago, HomeBrew said:

if Boeser had a Henrik in his prime feeding him passes all season long, but we don't have a play maker currently to do that these days.

damn, I guess we should've kept Linden Vey. 

[Alflives]

2 minutes ago, numb3r 16 said:

damn, I guess we should've kept Linden Vey. 

Ha Ha!  Vey did have excellent hands though.  

Just heard JB on the radio say that the biggest reason Jake was sent down was to improve his off ice habits.  Then he mentioned Jake dropped weight from 228 to 215.  It's clear Jake's biggest issue is diet and commitment to fitness.  Will Jake ever be willing to make the off ice sacrifices needed to be a pro?

[guntrix]

Really hope Boeser and Juolevi aren't slotted into fringe roles on the main team next season just so fans can watch them play at GM place. With our prospect cupboard being so bare, we can't afford to stunt their development. They should be in the AHL for at least a season imo.

[PhillipBlunt]

On ‎1‎/‎25‎/‎2017 at 6:25 PM, StealthNuck said:

Please use this thread to talk about the player, not each other. No more fly-by trolling, low-effort posts and personal attacks.

What's a low effort post?

[messier's_elbow]

1 hour ago, guntrix said:

Really hope Boeser and Juolevi aren't slotted into fringe roles on the main team next season just so fans can watch them play at GM place. With our prospect cupboard being so bare, we can't afford to stunt their development. They should be in the AHL for at least a season imo.

Boeser definitely AHL next year. Give him time to develop before throwing him into the fire. Juolevi is too young he will probably be back in junior unless he gains 10 pounds of muscle. It would be sweet to have a first line with Jake and Brock together next season in in AHL between Gaudette. 

[MeanSeanBean]

11 minutes ago, PhillipBlunt said:

What's a low effort post?

This

[PhillipBlunt]

3 minutes ago, shayster007 said:

This

Fair enough. A one word post is pretty low effort, shayster. Really disappointed in you.

[Alflives]

7 minutes ago, PhillipBlunt said:

Fair enough. A one word post is pretty low effort, shayster. Really disappointed in you.

ditto

[Tre Mac]

3 hours ago, Alflives said:

ditto

concurred.

[elvis15]

Instead of definitely this or definitely that, how about we see how a player ends this season and then starts in training camp before we make assumptions. That goes for Boeser, Virtanen, or anyone of our other prospects. A lot of time can pass between now and then.

[MilesFromHome]

18 hours ago, Alflives said:

Ha Ha!  Vey did have excellent hands though.  

Just heard JB on the radio say that the biggest reason Jake was sent down was to improve his off ice habits.  Then he mentioned Jake dropped weight from 228 to 215.  It's clear Jake's biggest issue is diet and commitment to fitness.  Will Jake ever be willing to make the off ice sacrifices needed to be a pro?

Might be good to get Jake away from the big city, where he likely spent a lot of time with his home town friends which probably lead to poor diet. "Hey Jake, the guys are going to the lake, wanna come?" Beer, burgers and being a 'local legend' could likely lead to bad decisions. 

 

Now with the team in Utica, he can focus on his conditioning and play. Just watch out for the off season...

[MJDDawg]

6 hours ago, elvis15 said:

Instead of definitely this or definitely that, how about we see how a player ends this season and then starts in training camp before we make assumptions. That goes for Boeser, Virtanen, or anyone of our other prospects. A lot of time can pass between now and then.

Yup. Should pin this. 

 

But then, where will we get our info telling us what our lineup will be in two years?

 

We need to know that now!!!!!!! 

 

 

Edited February 2, 2017 by MJDDawg

[Alflives]

5 hours ago, MilesFromHome said:

Might be good to get Jake away from the big city, where he likely spent a lot of time with his home town friends which probably lead to poor diet. "Hey Jake, the guys are going to the lake, wanna come?" Beer, burgers and being a 'local legend' could likely lead to bad decisions. 

 

Now with the team in Utica, he can focus on his conditioning and play. Just watch out for the off season...

Maybe before we draft a guy we should be interviewing his closest friends too?  I think if the Canucks did their due diligence they might have realized the crowd Jake spends his time with was a negative?

[MeanSeanBean]

On 2/1/2017 at 8:31 AM, guntrix said:

Really hope Boeser and Juolevi aren't slotted into fringe roles on the main team next season just so fans can watch them play at GM place. With our prospect cupboard being so bare, we can't afford to stunt their development. They should be in the AHL for at least a season imo.

I couldn't see Juolevi being ready for the big show. Another year in juniors will likely be best for his development followed by 1-3 years in the AHL would be my presumption. Boeser on the other hand could be ready to slot into the canucks next year. I think management has learned their lesson and will only allow player to stay in the bigs if it's earned. If he earns it, good for him, bring it on. If he doesn't I would love to see him paired with Virtanen running the first line in Utica (assuming Virt also gets his game settled and is on the first line).

 

Also 2010 called, They want their arena back.

[jobird]

7 hours ago, MilesFromHome said:

Might be good to get Jake away from the big city, where he likely spent a lot of time with his home town friends which probably lead to poor diet. "Hey Jake, the guys are going to the lake, wanna come?" Beer, burgers and being a 'local legend' could likely lead to bad decisions. 

 

Now with the team in Utica, he can focus on his conditioning and play. Just watch out for the off season...

Bit of a boozer with buddies.  Hopefully that's the off ice issue he's done with.

Edited February 2, 2017 by jobird

[aGENT]

1 hour ago, shayster007 said:

I couldn't see Juolevi being ready for the big show. Another year in juniors will likely be best for his development followed by 1-3 years in the AHL would be my presumption. Boeser on the other hand could be ready to slot into the canucks next year. I think management has learned their lesson and will only allow player to stay in the bigs if it's earned. If he earns it, good for him, bring it on. If he doesn't I would love to see him paired with Virtanen running the first line in Utica (assuming Virt also gets his game settled and is on the first line).

 

Also 2010 called, They want their arena back.

 

I'd personally be pretty surprised if Boesser's not on the Canucks next year. Though I doubt it will be hopping right in to a 1st line role like I'm sure some assume. Seems to be too driven and too damn skilled to not make the club in a middle 6 role though.

 

But as @elvis15 points out, a lot can happen between now and next Sept.