Player Discussion Jake Virtanen | Jake It Or Break It Edition

Status
Not open for further replies.

iFan

Registered User
May 5, 2013
8,758
2,777
Calgary
Sending Virtanen to the AHL seems like a step backwards for his development, he needs more ice time in the NHL, his play has been very good and much better than others on this team. Best thing for Virtanen is staying in the NHL and increasing his ice time.
 

scorvat53

Registered User
Jan 21, 2017
433
18
I'm really hoping they can find a guy that can spring Virtanen in the neutral zone. His first steps are average but once he gets going he can fly.

I think he's getting better every game, his puck management in his own zone and positioning has really impressed me after his brief stint last year.
 

Bougieman

Registered User
Nov 12, 2008
6,565
1,715
Vancouver
I think the most frustrating thing about Virtanen at this point is a look back at his 2014 draft class, and how all the players drafted around him are doing. Many of the players drafted far behind him are exceeding what he's been able to do with his ample opportunities.

In fact, looking at the top 15 picks, now that we're 3 years removed, it's telling to see that every single one of them have proven to be legit NHLers that will likely have long careers (barring injury) with the exception of Virtanen taken 6th, Heydn Fluery taken 7th by Carolina, and Nick Ritchie taken 10th by Anaheim. All the rest of them (and don't even get me started about Pasternak taken 25th by Boston) have stepped up. Just typical Canuck's luck that we ONCE AGAIN missed out.
 

krutovsdonut

eeyore
Sep 25, 2016
16,772
9,427
is there such a thing as a rich man's skille?

i think virtanen is going to click sometime this season and move to another level. what that level will be is a guess. i see it more likely being him finding a couple of things that work and make him much more effective in the role he is in now than becoming a top 6 player. top 6 might be in the future but i can't see it this year.

one other comment is that he has come along enough that i think he is enticing trade bait. he can be part of a package that will fetch something good and young right now. that would be tempting to me if i was the gm here looking at the log jam of development slots needed for next year. we can't cary too many guys who play 10 minutes. i'd make someone say "cam neely" three times a day to keep me sober. luckily our gm played here right after we traded cam neely so maybe he remembers.
 

cc

Registered User
Feb 28, 2002
9,571
1,449
I recall a story that the Canucks made Kesler watch videos of Sid and as a result, Kesler worked on his shot all summer shooting thousands of pucks. The only thing I've heard Jake work on in the summer is controlling his weight.
 

HSD19

Registered User
Feb 19, 2009
1,492
359
Jake isn't the issue he's actually playing well and showing flashes. Problem is the expectations and where he was picked. It was a really bad pick by Benning and because Ehlers and Nylander are doing what they are it makes Virtanen look bad. I think if Jake was picked in the second round or even late first round no one would complain.
 

Krnuckfan

Registered User
Oct 11, 2006
1,794
839
Nothing's changed with regards to virtanen. He can skate fast, shoot hard, but absolutely no brains.

The only time he generates a semblance of offence is when he's on the rush from the wing. Once the puck is already in the offensive zone he's beyond useless. Extremely weak on board battles given his size, makes poor passes, no idea where to position himself.

He's scoring 0.24 ppg right now compared to his rookie year when he scored...0.24ppg. some improvement...
 

cc

Registered User
Feb 28, 2002
9,571
1,449
Nothing's changed with regards to virtanen. He can skate fast, shoot hard, but absolutely no brains.

The only time he generates a semblance of offence is when he's on the rush from the wing. Once the puck is already in the offensive zone he's beyond useless. Extremely weak on board battles given his size, makes poor passes, no idea where to position himself.

He's scoring 0.24 ppg right now compared to his rookie year when he scored...0.24ppg. some improvement...

he'll probably never be a "smart" player but I think there is more potential there. The problem is he doesn't strike me as the most mature and disciplined player so I doubt he works as hard on his skills as he perhaps should. If he was as driven and motivated as Bo, I suspect you'd see a sharp rise in his production
 

Krnuckfan

Registered User
Oct 11, 2006
1,794
839
he'll probably never be a "smart" player but I think there is more potential there. The problem is he doesn't strike me as the most mature and disciplined player so I doubt he works as hard on his skills as he perhaps should. If he was as driven and motivated as Bo, I suspect you'd see a sharp rise in his production

The problem is Bo's big weakness was his lack of skating. Being a hard worker, he improved on that aspect tremendously. Jake's biggest weakness isn't something that can even be worked on.
 

cc

Registered User
Feb 28, 2002
9,571
1,449
The problem is Bo's big weakness was his lack of skating. Being a hard worker, he improved on that aspect tremendously. Jake's biggest weakness isn't something that can even be worked on.

He is already a great skater with a good release and he can release that shot in full stride. He just needs to work being a bit quicker/explosive and improve shot accuracy, he could end up being a Grabner type of player.

I'm hoping something will just switch on for him in the offeason
 

scorvat53

Registered User
Jan 21, 2017
433
18
He is already a great skater with a good release and he can release that shot in full stride. He just needs to work being a bit quicker/explosive and improve shot accuracy, he could end up being a Grabner type of player.

I'm hoping something will just switch on for him in the offeason

I'd agree I think Grabners a good comparison.

I think if Jake learns how to use his speed and get position on defenders coming down the wing he could become dangerous in transition.
 

me2

Go ahead foot
Jun 28, 2002
37,903
5,595
Make my day.
The problem is Bo's big weakness was his lack of skating. Being a hard worker, he improved on that aspect tremendously. Jake's biggest weakness isn't something that can even be worked on.

I think it can. Being dumb can't be changed but he can learn to be dumb in the right areas. I don't expect his vision to ever improve significantly but he should be taught to focus on making changes to his game that push him more towards centre ice ie focus on driving the net and taking a lot less weak shots from the sideboards. Moving him to the left wing might encourage him focus on centre ice and that would also help, I don't expect him to be smarter but rather the the flow of the game will push him inwards from there and carrying the puck on his right side from the left side of the ice should improve his awareness a little bit. A lot of the time he'll throw a pass through the centre ice and you think good vision to spot that, then you see him doing it 2 or 3 more times to nobody and realise he's just throwing blind passes to nobody and occasionally somebody just happens to be there.

I'd agree I think Grabners a good comparison.

Poor man's EKane.

I think he has enough potential to be a 20-20-40 guy.
 

Canucks1096

Registered User
Feb 13, 2016
5,608
1,667
Nothing's changed with regards to virtanen. He can skate fast, shoot hard, but absolutely no brains.

The only time he generates a semblance of offence is when he's on the rush from the wing. Once the puck is already in the offensive zone he's beyond useless. Extremely weak on board battles given his size, makes poor passes, no idea where to position himself.

He's scoring 0.24 ppg right now compared to his rookie year when he scored...0.24ppg. some improvement...

Agree 100% bang on your analysis on Virtanen.
 

PG Canuck

Registered User
Mar 29, 2010
62,739
23,887
Jake isn't the issue he's actually playing well and showing flashes. Problem is the expectations and where he was picked. It was a really bad pick by Benning and because Ehlers and Nylander are doing what they are it makes Virtanen look bad. I think if Jake was picked in the second round or even late first round no one would complain.

Yeah but it’s not how it went. Virtanen is so one dimensional it’s crazy. He said he’s going to crash the net more but old habits never die hard. Skating down the wing and firing a sharp angle shot or skating into the corner is nothing exciting and I’m amazed people are in awe of it. Or he makes a hit, or looks the slightest bit engaged. I guess expectations are really THAT low for him.

He has multiple chances tonight and flubbed passes on odd man chances. I think he hit the defender in the midsection trying to pass on a two on one.

He has a long, long way to go to convince me he will be a key cog to a team that looks to actually compete. Luckily for Virtanen, it looks like he'll have another 3-5 years to truly figure it out.
 

Catamarca Livin

Registered User
Jul 29, 2010
4,908
983
I think it can. Being dumb can't be changed but he can learn to be dumb in the right areas. I don't expect his vision to ever improve significantly but he should be taught to focus on making changes to his game that push him more towards centre ice ie focus on driving the net and taking a lot less weak shots from the sideboards. Moving him to the left wing might encourage him focus on centre ice and that would also help, I don't expect him to be smarter but rather the the flow of the game will push him inwards from there and carrying the puck on his right side from the left side of the ice should improve his awareness a little bit. A lot of the time he'll throw a pass through the centre ice and you think good vision to spot that, then you see him doing it 2 or 3 more times to nobody and realise he's just throwing blind passes to nobody and occasionally somebody just happens to be there.



Poor man's EKane.

I think he has enough potential to be a 20-20-40 guy.
You are evidence that you first lines may be true. I keep hoping that you will improve but it does seem unlikely.
 

F A N

Registered User
Aug 12, 2005
18,629
5,891
The problem is Bo's big weakness was his lack of skating. Being a hard worker, he improved on that aspect tremendously. Jake's biggest weakness isn't something that can even be worked on.

I think "his biggest weakness" can be improved on to a certain extent. He's a young player who has been able to rely on his physical gifts. To say that he can't watch a lot of game tapes and also improve with experience is silly. It's not like his game requires high level thinking. In fact, it's better that he doesn't think much.
 

lawrence

Registered User
May 19, 2012
15,883
6,620
had one hell of a game. He needs to continue to use Brocks stick. Can be one hell of a power foward if he can play like this even 35% of the time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Megaterio Llamas

Addison Rae

Registered User
Jun 2, 2009
58,532
10,753
Vancouver
I seriously don't understand the Jack Skille comparison, at all. There's a guy in the NHL that Jake Virtanen pretty much clones in terms of tools who's an insanely effective hockey player.

He'll never be as good as him, but a poor mans version who can drive the play as 20/20 middle 6 winger (in his prime) looks a whole lot better than the lost prospect from last year
 

jimmythescot

Registered User
Jul 28, 2009
5,239
99
Edinburgh, Scotland
I seriously don't understand the Jack Skille comparison, at all. There's a guy in the NHL that Jake Virtanen pretty much clones in terms of tools who's an insanely effective hockey player.

He'll never be as good as him, but a poor mans version who can drive the play as 20/20 middle 6 winger (in his prime) looks a whole lot better than the lost prospect from last year
Uh...Who?
 

Melvin

21/12/05
Sep 29, 2017
15,198
28,055
Montreal, QC
I seriously don't understand the Jack Skille comparison, at all. There's a guy in the NHL that Jake Virtanen pretty much clones in terms of tools who's an insanely effective hockey player.

He'll never be as good as him, but a poor mans version who can drive the play as 20/20 middle 6 winger (in his prime) looks a whole lot better than the lost prospect from last year

Jack skille was a hell of a prospect. People aren't comparing 21 year old Virtanen to 32 year old skille.
 

Boose Brudreau

Guddbranson is a paper tiger
Nov 27, 2006
2,680
282
Jack skille was a hell of a prospect. People aren't comparing 21 year old Virtanen to 32 year old skille.


I think that's what a lot of people are doing.....that and comparing him to a 26 year old Chris Kreider. People stating, on no uncertain terms that Jake Virtanen will never be as good a Kreider are clueless. Nobody knows how productive Virtanen will be in his prime, but he has all the tools necessary to play a PF roll in the top 6. Kreider did SFA in the 23 games he played for the Rangers when he was the same age as Jake is now....averaged half as many shots and less than half as many points per game. The idea that a poor mans Kreider is the most we could possibly hope for is asinine....IMO.

Here's another comparison for people to consider. Former Canuck. In the season he played as a 21 y/o, he average 1.45 shots/game (Virtanen is currently at 1.78) and .28 PPG (Virtanen is currently producing .28 PPG)

The Former canuck was also compared (unflatteringly) to players drafted after him.

Anyone care to hazard a guess who this player was?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->