Player Discussion Jake "Big Tuna" Virtanen | XVII Nikolaj Who...?

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VibinCanuck

No doubt about it, I am ready to get hurt again
Sep 13, 2014
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A third line career, considering he was a 6th overall pick and considering who we passed up on, is clearly a blown pick.

And nothing will change that, take that up on the people who drafted him.

Having a reasonable expectation for Jake is fine and hoping he makes the NHL is fine too.

I hope he figures it out, he has the talent to be good. I don't think he has the hockey sense to become great in the NHL sadly.
 

y2kcanucks

Le Sex God
Aug 3, 2006
71,229
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Holy crap.. Granlund is also a defensive beast with these metrics!

You agree?

With a GA/60 of 2.98, by far worst on the team? Absolutely not. Also, outside of the Sedins he took the fewest amount of defensive zone draws. But hey, feel free to ignore those key points. Who needs facts when we can make up our own narratives?
 

DL44

Status quo
Sep 26, 2006
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With a GA/60 of 2.98, by far worst on the team? Absolutely not. Also, outside of the Sedins he took the fewest amount of defensive zone draws. But hey, feel free to ignore those key points. Who needs facts when we can make up our own narratives?

I wasn't ignoring those key facts... I was looking at his "CA/60, his CARELTeam, his CF%RelTeam" like you specifically pointed to.... you know - the 'facts' behind your logic for why Gaunce was our best defensive forward. I just happened to notice Granlund is right there with him in every one of them.

Why you keep moving goalposts?


I think you need to ask yourself... how meaningful are cherrypicking those specific stats you did to make an argument for Gaunce, when someone as 'defensively sucky' as Granlund is right there with him. Try again.


This is at least a good lesson and great example for people on misusing and misinterpreting data/advanced stats.
 
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stampedingviking

Registered User
Jul 2, 2013
4,233
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Have you actually been reading these threads? I've seen numerous posts hoping Virtanen (and pretty much all our other prospects) fail, if it will rid us of Trevor and Jimbo. I've also seen plenty of posts that revel in the success of other picks because the guys they wanted are succeeding and the guy they always knew would fail is failing.
Now maybe it's all just internet hyperbole. Maybe I'm just conflating the opinions of one or two prolific posters with a more system-wide negativity towards the guy. Maybe I'm the one blowing things out of proportion, but it's definitely the impression I get when coming to these boards.

You're not the only one who thinks that.

Whether they will actually admit it is another thing, though.
 

me2

Go ahead foot
Jun 28, 2002
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I'd like to see some of the posts where people want Virtanen to fail as opposed to expecting him to fail. Those are two completely different things. I'd first like to see if any actually exists and the context of they do.
 

rune74

Registered User
Oct 10, 2008
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I'd like to see some of the posts where people want Virtanen to fail as opposed to expecting him to fail. Those are two completely different things. I'd first like to see if any actually exists and the context of they do.

Yes, I'm sure that those people would come right out and say it....it's more nuanced than that and you don't have to work hard to guess who.

Some posters just have to be right 100% of the time...
 

NoRaise4Brackett

But Brackett!!!
Mar 16, 2011
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I barely saw any of him in the AHL. I can't wait to see him at camp. I knew he was going to be a project at the time we drafted him, but was hoping he'd be able to develope in the NHL. Sadly it didn't happen, but I look at his last season like he was someone who had to completely change the way he plays and trains. In the NHL he floated too much, kind of shot from anywhere, and then showed up to the next camp in bad shape. I'm hoping he comes into camp in great shape and with a little more mature game, but I wouldn't be surprised if it took him another season or two, to really adapt to the pro game.

It does look as though he'll never have the highest hockey IQ, but the tools are still there and I think there is hope for him.
 

iceburg

Don't ask why
Aug 31, 2003
7,647
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I'd like to see some of the posts where people want Virtanen to fail as opposed to expecting him to fail. Those are two completely different things. I'd first like to see if any actually exists and the context of they do.

Maybe I'll regret weighing in...

You know that is an impossible thing to prove definitively. Nobody can be in someone else's head. The interpretation, I'm guessing, is based on the fact that some posters will emphasize every negative point and either ignore every positive point or spin it into something negative. It certainly comes off as disingenuous, at the very least. And, because these points are subjective, there really is no arguing it except to do the eye roll.
That said, the opposite is also true. In some cases every positive point is emphasize and every negative ignored.
 

Verviticus

Registered User
Jul 23, 2010
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Maybe I'll regret weighing in...

You know that is an impossible thing to prove definitively. Nobody can be in someone else's head.

actually, im in your head

giphy.gif
 

y2kcanucks

Le Sex God
Aug 3, 2006
71,229
10,319
Surrey, BC
I wasn't ignoring those key facts... I was looking at his "CA/60, his CARELTeam, his CF%RelTeam" like you specifically pointed to.... you know - the 'facts' behind your logic for why Gaunce was our best defensive forward. I just happened to notice Granlund is right there with him in every one of them.

Why you keep moving goalposts?


I think you need to ask yourself... how meaningful are cherrypicking those specific stats you did to make an argument for Gaunce, when someone as 'defensively sucky' as Granlund is right there with him. Try again.


This is at least a good lesson and great example for people on misusing and misinterpreting data/advanced stats.

I'm not moving the goal posts at all. You're the one who's ignoring the facts. You conveniently ignore the goal based metrics that I mention, as well as deployment. Deployment adds context to these numbers, and you're conveniently choosing to ignore that.
 

DL44

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I'm not moving the goal posts at all. You're the one who's ignoring the facts. You conveniently ignore the goal based metrics that I mention, as well as deployment. Deployment adds context to these numbers, and you're conveniently choosing to ignore that.

And you are ignoring how sheltered Gaunce was. Stop acting like he was used in a shut down role. It's ridiculous.
 

CloutierForVezina

Registered User
May 13, 2009
5,353
1,246
Edmonton, Alberta
I don't know a single person who wants Virtanen to fail, only people who believe that's what will happen. Big difference.

I want nothing more than to eat a truckload of crow on Virtanen. I want him to become the 30/30 speedy power forward that his optimistic pre draft scouting reports pegged as his ceiling.

I've been wrong on lots of prospects before and I'll be wrong on lots more in the future. It does my ego no harm by adding one more to the pile and if I'm going to be wrong, I might as well be wrong in a way that helps the team I like.
 

y2kcanucks

Le Sex God
Aug 3, 2006
71,229
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Surrey, BC
And you are ignoring how sheltered Gaunce was. Stop acting like he was used in a shut down role. It's ridiculous.

Gaunce was sheltered by playing with crappy linemates? Or was Gaunce sheltered by his 34.7% D-zone start (vs. 25.9% O-zone)?

Opposition CF% and Opposition CF/60 differences were negligible between the top and bottom on our team.

Was he facing the stiffest competition? No. But I wouldn't exactly say he was intentionally sheltered either. He was put on a 4th line role with crappy teammates, and he performed very well defensively relative to how poor his teammates were.
 

Robongo01

Registered User
May 13, 2013
853
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Vancouver
While it's nice to see Jake working his tail off in the gym, I wish he would find time for on ice skills training. He should have been doing a lot of both this summer IMO
 

Pavel96

Registered User
Apr 7, 2015
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Is there a difference (im asking) between wanting someone to fail and being amused/making jokes when they do? I think if it's someone like Hutton who seems happy go lucky and just a nice goofy guy you'd feel a little bad to hear if they failed. But when it's someone who gives people a different vibe or an image of someone who in public opinion may not be as worthy of success - and you see those people fail - I think there is a good majority that seem to revel in the failure. But I guess that's the risk of marketing yourself etc.
 

DL44

Status quo
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Gaunce was sheltered by playing with crappy linemates? Or was Gaunce sheltered by his 34.7% D-zone start (vs. 25.9% O-zone)?

Opposition CF% and Opposition CF/60 differences were negligible between the top and bottom on our team.

Was he facing the stiffest competition? No. But I wouldn't exactly say he was intentionally sheltered either. He was put on a 4th line role with crappy teammates, and he performed very well defensively relative to how poor his teammates were.

Enough to qualify him as the best defensive forward on the team last yr?
Get outta here.
 

m9

m9
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Jan 23, 2010
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Best defensive C, but sure. Considering how poor defensively our other C's were, why not?

Agreed that the other centers were poor defensively, but how often did Gaunce even play center last year?
 
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