Jake Virtanen | #18 | RW

[dpn1]

3 hours ago, Rob_Zepp said:

   You ever skated with NHL players?   These "little guys" are tough as nails men who I doubt very much are as fragile as you seem to think.   There is very little "soft" about someone who has made the NHL.

You are definitly right about the toughness of the smaller players.  I don't think you would last very long if you skated around with your tail between your legs.  I still have memories of the Oilers teams over the last 5 or 10 years having their younger and smaller guys get kicked around but add the size they have now and guys think twice about going after McDavid.  I never played hockey past college but It always amazes me when I see them live and the speed at which the game is played.  I still think they need to get bigger though.  I agree they are not fragile but they are on the smaller side. 

[dpn1]

I don't understand why he isn't listed as a left winger when so many here seem to believe he plays better on his off wing.  I am pretty sure he only played on the left in the WHL. Is it just because he is right handed or are they seeing something we don't.  I may be wrong but are left wingers harder to come by?  Is it like trying to find that hard to come by right handed d-man?

[Rob_Zepp]

10 hours ago, dpn1 said:

You are definitly right about the toughness of the smaller players.  I don't think you would last very long if you skated around with your tail between your legs.  I still have memories of the Oilers teams over the last 5 or 10 years having their younger and smaller guys get kicked around but add the size they have now and guys think twice about going after McDavid.  I never played hockey past college but It always amazes me when I see them live and the speed at which the game is played.  I still think they need to get bigger though.  I agree they are not fragile but they are on the smaller side. 

Oilers problem the past decade or so wasn't toughness, it was ubiquitous skill up front and very confusing strategy in their own end as they kept putting out non-aligned d-pairings and goalies that appeared unsure what style to adapt to.   However, I will agree that that game has gotten uber fast and I also concede that intimidation still plays a role in the game and if you are less likely to get something in return, you are more likely to give it out.   I don't think that means you need to have lots of size per se but having attitude and team toughness in general isn't a horrible idea - you certainly don't want to be known as a team where you can take liberties with your own better players.

[aGENT]

15 hours ago, komodo0921 said:

I don't believe we've seen the best of Jake Virtanen yet and it would be a very foolish move to give up on him. He and Gadjovich are two players, I believe, are going to make impacts in the NHL, pun is definitely intended.

Agreed. Hopefully we can add Kane to that mix next summer as well. 

 

Kane, Virtanen and Gadjovich sprinkled throughout the lineup and I doubt we'll have too many people complaining about a 'soft' lineup

Edited July 19, 2017 by J.R.

[Toews]

3 hours ago, Rob_Zepp said:

Oilers problem the past decade or so wasn't toughness, it was ubiquitous skill up front and very confusing strategy in their own end as they kept putting out non-aligned d-pairings and goalies that appeared unsure what style to adapt to.   However, I will agree that that game has gotten uber fast and I also concede that intimidation still plays a role in the game and if you are less likely to get something in return, you are more likely to give it out.   I don't think that means you need to have lots of size per se but having attitude and team toughness in general isn't a horrible idea - you certainly don't want to be known as a team where you can take liberties with your own better players.

I agree with you here. You need a tough guy to push back when your best players are getting mugged. Crosby got mugged all playoffs which prompted the Reaves move and they paid a hefty price to acquire him.

 

Like Reaves that player should have the ability to play though, he can't just be a bruiser because then he is a liability every time he is on the ice.

Edited July 19, 2017 by Toews

[Nucker 67]

Dahlen - Pettersson - Virtanen

 

Could be a good line down the road. Jake could create space, protect the Swedes, he's got the wheels to keep up, and may get a lot of points.

 

 

[ashlynnbrookefan]

6 hours ago, J.R. said:

Agreed. Hopefully we can add Kane to that mix next summer as well. 

 

Kane, Virtanen and Gadjovich sprinkled throughout the lineup and I doubt we'll have too many people complaining about a 'soft' lineup

I agree that adding Kane to the other 2 we have in the system would bring an abundance of physical presence, but who really cares about that? Don Cherry does for sure, and some hockey fans with an old and out of date perspective of the game for sure. But in reality, who cares if your team is soft, hard or whatever term you want to label them. The game is about winning, I don't care if we are winning with a team full of literal midgets, and I mean no disrespect in using that term. And I have no issue with your post, I respect your thought process on it! I just feel like some fans grasp at straws with Jake. Like, sure he doesn't produce but at least he's not a sissy!! I don't care how tough you are, I want good hockey players. Also in no way am I saying you do this with Jake, just thought your post was the perfect place to butt in. 

[aGENT]

21 minutes ago, ashlynnbrookefan said:

I agree that adding Kane to the other 2 we have in the system would bring an abundance of physical presence, but who really cares about that? Don Cherry does for sure, and some hockey fans with an old and out of date perspective of the game for sure. But in reality, who cares if your team is soft, hard or whatever term you want to label them. The game is about winning, I don't care if we are winning with a team full of literal midgets, and I mean no disrespect in using that term. And I have no issue with your post, I respect your thought process on it! I just feel like some fans grasp at straws with Jake. Like, sure he doesn't produce but at least he's not a sissy!! I don't care how tough you are, I want good hockey players. Also in no way am I saying you do this with Jake, just thought your post was the perfect place to butt in. 

 

Kane isn't without skill FWIW.

 

Neither is Virtanen for that matter, even if he hasn't shown it particularly well yet at the pro level (and I do feel very much he's a complimentary player, not as much a play driver).

 

Based on adding Kane and what we have now something like:

 

Kane, Pettersson, Boeser

Dahlen/Goldobin, Horvat, Virtanen

Gadjovich, Gaudette, Lind/Lockwood

McEwan, Gaunce, Molino

 

...would be a great mix of size, speed and skill, scoring and 2 way ability. Now clearly things between now and 3+ years when that lineup might be remotely possible will change but that hardly looks as dire as some would have you believe and has plenty of 'good hockey players'

 

And it's only bound to get better than that as we add more and the cream rises.

Edited July 20, 2017 by J.R.

[ashlynnbrookefan]

22 minutes ago, J.R. said:

 

Kane isn't without skill FWIW.

 

Neither is Virtanen for that matter, even if he hasn't shown it particularly well yet at the pro level (and I do feel very much he's a complimentary player, not as much a play driver).

 

Based on adding Kane and what we have now something like:

 

Kane, Pettersson, Boeser

Dahlen/Goldobin, Horvat, Virtanen

Gadjovich, Gaudette, Lind/Lockwood

McEwan, Gaunce, Molino

 

...would be a great mix of size, speed and skill, scoring and 2 way ability. Now clearly things between now and 3+ years when that lineup might be remotely possible will change but that hardly looks as dire as some would have you believe and has plenty of 'good hockey players'

 

And it's only bound to get better than that as we add more and the cream rises.

I just think the whole toughness thing is overrated. Kane isn't just physical but also skilled, I agree with that completely. If you could have him or Kucherov or another pure offensive guy that's more on the softer side generally, on the same contact, I'm always going with the more offensively dynamic player. I love our prospect cupboard now too but you can't pencil all those guys in like they'll all be NHLers, some guys aren't gonna develop like hoped and others will beat expectations. The future sure looks bright though 

[aGENT]

30 minutes ago, ashlynnbrookefan said:

I love our prospect cupboard now too but you can't pencil all those guys in like they'll all be NHLers, some guys aren't gonna develop like hoped and others will beat expectations. The future sure looks bright though 

 

1 hour ago, J.R. said:

Now clearly things between now and 3+ years when that lineup might be remotely possible will change but that hardly looks as dire as some would have you believe and has plenty of 'good hockey players' .

 

[Rob_Zepp]

On 7/9/2017 at 11:48 AM, Honky Cat said:

That shoulder is his achilles heel,....Theres been several times I've seen him grimacing on the bench favouring his shoulder (and these are from fairly 'innocent' checks)..I've often wondered if his fear of re-injuring his shoulder has changed his game?

 

 

Yup, shoulder looks like a problem here for sure.    His huge gut is obvious too (from another post, not yours).

 

 

[Honky Cat]

1 hour ago, Rob_Zepp said:

Yup, shoulder looks like a problem here for sure.    His huge gut is obvious too (from another post, not yours).

 

 

While these instagrams and gym selfies are impressive..until we actually see him on the ice..they don't constitute very much....Three or four years ago Zack Kassian had a very impressive off season workout video..and appearing leaner than the previous season...I was definitely under the impression that Zack was going to kill it at training camp,it didn't happen..very much the reverse.

[Rob_Zepp]

13 minutes ago, Honky Cat said:

While these instagrams and gym selfies are impressive..until we actually see him on the ice..they don't constitute very much....Three or four years ago Zack Kassian had a very impressive off season workout video..and appearing leaner than the previous season...I was definitely under the impression that Zack was going to kill it at training camp,it didn't happen..very much the reverse.

Are you implying Jake Virtanen has some off ice issues similar to the ones that Zack Kassian had?   That is a pretty serious allegation - at least a credible source or you may want to consider an edit.

[Honky Cat]

5 minutes ago, Rob_Zepp said:

Are you implying Jake Virtanen has some off ice issues similar to the ones that Zack Kassian had?   That is a pretty serious allegation - at least a credible source or you may want to consider an edit.

How did you deduce that from what I wrote..?..Get a grip.....try reading my post again......All it says is don't read into read into players off season instagrams,selfies,videos etc as to their fitness level..

 

 

[Rob_Zepp]

2 minutes ago, Honky Cat said:

How did you deduce that from what I wrote..?..Get a grip.....try reading my post again......All it says is don't read into read into players off season instagrams,selfies,videos etc as to their fitness level..

 

 

You chose a player with severe off ice issues as your comparison.  My question to you was legitimate.   Given all sorts of people are making erroneous claims about him not being fit etc etc. those sorts of videos are relevant.   You ever tried rope?  That is mucho hard to do - no possible way with a wonky shoulder let alone I doubt many people behind a keyboard for a living could do more than one or two reps.

 

Anyway, I took your interesting choice of player the way I believe you intended it.   I base my belief on your past postings in general.   Convince me I am wrong moving forward by your future posting content.

[EdgarM]

51 minutes ago, Honky Cat said:

How did you deduce that from what I wrote..?..Get a grip.....try reading my post again......All it says is don't read into read into players off season instagrams,selfies,videos etc as to their fitness level..

 

 

He has a tendancy to do this on occasion. I wouldn't worry about it. Your all good. I know what you meant.

[Rob_Zepp]

18 minutes ago, EdgarM said:

He has a tendancy to do this on occasion. I wouldn't worry about it. Your all good. I know what you meant.

[Honky Cat]

1 hour ago, Rob_Zepp said:

You chose a player with severe off ice issues as your comparison.  My question to you was legitimate.   Given all sorts of people are making erroneous claims about him not being fit etc etc. those sorts of videos are relevant.   You ever tried rope?  That is mucho hard to do - no possible way with a wonky shoulder let alone I doubt many people behind a keyboard for a living could do more than one or two reps.

 

Anyway, I took your interesting choice of player the way I believe you intended it.   I base my belief on your past postings in general.   Convince me I am wrong moving forward by your future posting content.

You're an absolute nutter....It didn't have to be Zack Kassian to make the comparison..it could have been Marcus Granlund..?...Every time a poster brings up Kassian as comparison,are you going to get all righteous and accuse them of serious allegations..?..

[Rob_Zepp]

1 minute ago, Honky Cat said:

You're an absolute nutter....It didn't have to be Zack Kassian to make the comparison..it could have been Marcus Granlund..?...Every time a poster brings up Kassian as comparison,are you going to get all righteous and accuse them of serious allegations..?..

Granlund would have been fine.    And, no, hardly for anyone else just for some posters who like to post in certain manners.   You are more than welcome to ignore.   That function works just fine.    

 

If you were seriously not piling on JV then it is at odds with other posts you have made about the player.   Fair enough - perhaps you have become fairer in your assessment.

[EdgarM]

7 minutes ago, Honky Cat said:

You're an absolute nutter....It didn't have to be Zack Kassian to make the comparison..it could have been Marcus Granlund..?...Every time a poster brings up Kassian as comparison,are you going to get all righteous and accuse them of serious allegations..?..

That's putting it lightly.  Reminds me of this guy:

Edited July 24, 2017 by EdgarM
grammar