Jake Virtanen | #18 | RW

[JustABandwagoner]

1 minute ago, Hutton Wink said:

No you're not.

ayy its you again! :3 

[Crabcakes]

2 hours ago, J.R. said:

All the hard work he's done this year has started to show results in the last month'ish +/-. It's not 'ONE game'. 

If this is the corner he's turning finally, and I hope it is, I think it would be to his advantage long term to dominate for a number of months and get some swagger back in his game.  Bring him up after Christmas.

[numb3r 16]

18 minutes ago, Crabcakes said:

Bring him up after Christmas.

Only if he's proved that he can be more than effective at the pro level 

[Crabcakes]

2 minutes ago, numb3r 16 said:

Only if he's proved that he can be more than effective at the pro level 

That's kinda what I said 

[Nigerian]

Any video on his goals? 

[Bruce Boudreau]

14 hours ago, DownUndaCanuck said:

This is getting more and more obvious every time he picks a new player. We desperately need a playmaker though, in particular at center. Goldobin and Dahlen have a lot of skill but hopefully they're the shooters and we nab ourselves a nice top-6 playmaking center. Hirschier would fit the bill to a tee.

I honestly think they have no shot at the big 3 centers Patrick,Hischier,and Vallardi with their lottery luck.

 

However the next best 3 are looking like potential 2nd line centers who can be playmakers.

 

Botchford said the priority last year was d and this year is center for Benning because they have enough wingers now.

 

They need that guy to support Horvat.

 

I would be happy with any of Mittelstadt,Necas,Glass, Pettersson, or Poehling

[elvis15]

15 hours ago, J-23 said:

There is no guarantee that they would've produced those numbers if they were on the Canucks. If they played on this team they would've got the same minutes and treatment as Jake. They would've played low minutes on the 4th line. We need to get over not drafting any of those players. I'm happy we drafted Virtanen, this team needs some toughness. Fan base needs to stop crying over not drafting Ehlers, Nylander, Tkachuk and praising these players and trash talking players like Juolevi and Virtanen in every possible way they can. Nylander plays with Matthews, on the 1st line he's obviously going to be putting up big numbers and Ehlers is playing with Wheeler and Sceifele also on the 1st line. If Jake was in there spots he would be getting the big minutest and he would be putting up great numbers as well. Let's be happy Jake is starting to get his confidence back playing in Utica. 

No, but they certainly wouldn't have been in the same situation as Virtanen here. Nylander could have done the same trajectory as he had with the Leafs, playing overseas and then moving to the AHL and being a top offensive player with the Comets. Ehlers wasn't my pick but certainly his size would have kept him out of our lineup longer (we aren't as big as the Jets to protect a smaller player like him) so he would have continued his development and likely been fine. But, we had Virtanen in a situation we weren't happy with in Calgary and brought him into the NHL because he was physically able to before we could bring him into the AHL.

 

As much as people say we need to get over it, those same people also need to recognize the circumstances for each player and how there was far more at play than just drafting the big, strong, home town kid. Trashing Juolevi I don't get (he's performing similarly to how we'd expect) but I do understand the concern over Virtanen. He's really struggled at times offensively even if he's generally doing well in other areas, but we can't afford to have wasted a 6th overall pick in a major way like that. We've got the big, strong, home town kid now, and he's showing some good signs, but it doesn't change what could have been.

 

And no, it's been said already, but Nylander doesn't get all his time with Matthews. They haven't scored most of their points when playing on the same line. But even if you want to use that argument, why not put Nylander in that situation here, playing with Horvat? Baertschi's been good - and he and Horvat have scored a majority of their points together this year, but add a playmaker with elite skill like Nylander and that makes Horvat even more dangerous. Imagine what Nylander could have already been doing for our PP. You certainly can't put Virtanen in those situations and say he'd be doing even a reasonable percentage of what Nylander (or Ehlers) are doing.

 

And I guess that's it, that the Virtanen supporters (or even just those that don't want to hear about the other players anymore) can make all the claims they want that it was just that he was drafted and developed by the Canucks that's put Virtanen where he is now, but the reality is a far different truth.

 

I'm really glad Virtanen has been a better professional this year and has even found some offensive success. I'd be even more glad if we had someone doing all that, but even better.

 

11 hours ago, bohoforpresident said:

One day Jake is going to run those daisy pickers Nylanders and ehlers through the boards. No problem with the pick at 6. Jake's goals since he went pro have been few and far between but when you look at the goals he has scored, it's obvious why he was picked.

The kid just needs to find his consistency. If he can score even twenty goals a season and staple those thin bearded eurotrash players Nylander and Ehlers to the glass everytime we play them...I'm more than happy. 

...

Sure, in the 10% of the time where they might be on the ice together, he'll get prime opportunity to plaster a smaller, more agile player with enough regularity that it'll offset the difference in their level of play. Sure.

 

Virtanen is plenty consistent right now: consistent at playing a solid game and rarely producing offence. As I've already said, I'm glad we're seeing some evidence of it again, but it's been so little at the AHL level the problem is about as far away from an issue with consistency as it could possibly be.

 

4 hours ago, Byrix said:

If the AHL option was available to Virtanen last year, we all wouldn't be having this conversation.

That's wishful thinking that that's the only thing holding Virtanen back.

 

I'm not going to spout off about Nylander, Ehlers, etc. since we all know how they're doing, but I'm not going to ignore it when people slough it off as "meh, he's doing better and if the situations were reversed..." like it's that simple.

Edited April 2, 2017 by elvis15

[Angry Goose]

17 hours ago, Chip Kelly said:

Big Jake can really fire the biscuit.

 

Benning places a premium on guys who are good 1 shot scorers. Boeser,Virtanen,McCann,Goldobin, Dahlen

 

 

One thing I liked about BOS when JB was there was that they had a bunch of guys that would just ri the puck at the net coming down the wing and crash the net.  Makes it tough on the D

[Bruce Boudreau]

1 minute ago, SILLY GOOSE said:

One thing I liked about BOS when JB was there was that they had a bunch of guys that would just ri the puck at the net coming down the wing and crash the net.  Makes it tough on the D

Boucher is another if they can keep him. Wicked quick release. You need that quick release to be a potential goal scorer.

 

With all the shot blocking it's more important than ever to not only have a heavy shot but to be able to get it off and through on net before it's blocked or tipped out of play.

[Nuxfanabroad]

5 hours ago, Tiger-Hearted said:

I bet anyone that if Jake develops into a power forward version of Alex Burrows, fans, including critics, will L♡VE him. Remember that Burr paid his dues in both the ECHL and the AHL before he was offered an NHL contract. I'm with N4ZZY on keeping Jake in the AHL for at least another season. He needs to continue to his overall growth as a hockey player and get more hungrier to crack the big show. 

 

Yes, Jake shouldn't have been taken at 6th overall but Boeser was taken at 23rd overall in his draft year so things kind of got evened out here. And what IF Nylander were taken instead of Jake and he struggles? What if he became a second coming of Jordan Schroeder, who played a similar offensive style?? It does help that he plays in Matthews' shadow.

 

Jake's two-goal game, including the game winner, should be celebrated. Hopefully, he finishes the season on a strong note and that the Comets qualify for the postseason. That would be a great test for him.

 

Time to stop playing the Canucks Fan Victim Card on what we got and should've got. 

Ohhhh...Scratch my back with a hacksaw!

Hallejujah Brother!

[elvis15]

37 minutes ago, Nigerian said:

Any video on his goals? 

Yup, back a few pages.

[J-23]

5 hours ago, Tiger-Hearted said:

I bet anyone that if Jake develops into a power forward version of Alex Burrows, fans, including critics, will L♡VE him. Remember that Burr paid his dues in both the ECHL and the AHL before he was offered an NHL contract. I'm with N4ZZY on keeping Jake in the AHL for at least another season. He needs to continue to his overall growth as a hockey player and get more hungrier to crack the big show. 

 

Yes, Jake shouldn't have been taken at 6th overall but Boeser was taken at 23rd overall in his draft year so things kind of got evened out here. And what IF Nylander were taken instead of Jake and he struggles? What if he became a second coming of Jordan Schroeder, who played a similar offensive style?? It does help that he plays in Matthews' shadow.

 

Jake's two-goal game, including the game winner, should be celebrated. Hopefully, he finishes the season on a strong note and that the Comets qualify for the postseason. That would be a great test for him.

 

Time to stop playing the Canucks Fan Victim Card on what we got and should've got. 

Excellent Post!

[Byrix]

2 hours ago, elvis15 said:

That's wishful thinking that that's the only thing holding Virtanen back.

 

I'm not going to spout off about Nylander, Ehlers, etc. since we all know how they're doing, but I'm not going to ignore it when people slough it off as "meh, he's doing better and if the situations were reversed..." like it's that simple.

I don't see Toronto fans crying about "Boohoo~ we should have drafted Ehlers! He has more points than Nylander."

8 teams passed on Nylander. 9passed on Ehlers. They were passed on because of their size.

With this arguement, don't just cry about the 6th pick and Virtanen because the only player "better" compared to those 2 in the 2014 draft is Leon Draisaitl.

You should help Pathers cry about Eklab, help Sabers cry about Reinhart, help Flames  cry about Bennett, help Islanders cry about Dal Colle and help Hurricanes about Fleury.

These players all scores less than Ehlers and Nylander, thus they are all "busts."

[guntrix]

7 hours ago, Tiger-Hearted said:

And what IF Nylander were taken instead of Jake and he struggles? What if he became a second coming of Jordan Schroeder, who played a similar offensive style?? It does help that he plays in Matthews' shadow.

It's troubling people still feel the need to take away a player's merit to make Jake look better. 

[guntrix]

.

Edited April 3, 2017 by guntrix

[ReggieBush]

Patience is a virtue

[stonecoldstevebernier]

If anyone's interested in seeing a couple of different angles for Jake's two goals from yesterday, the Comets have a highlight video up now. Goals are at the 1:46 and 2:52 marks.
 

 

[Gaudette Celly]

Great sauce by Valk, and nobody's catching Jake in open ice.

[khay]

26 minutes ago, Hutton Wink said:

Great sauce by Valk, and nobody's catching Jake in open ice.

Connor McDavid?

 

I guess McDavid is a much better skater than JV overall, I mean who else since Bure could shift directions at full speed? But open ice, maybe you are right. Even McDavid may not be able to catch Virtanen.

[flickyoursedin]

Again both goals have him on the left side not the right! Jake is a left winger folks it's giving him more net to shoot at and he's actually producing. Hopefully Green has him playing left wing!