Player Discussion Jake Virtanen | Jake It Or Break It Edition

[Cupless44]

Just leave Jake on a line with Leipsic Horvat and just play them the rest of the year.

I agree

 

[Canucks1096]

There is nw way he played 1/4th the year with the sedins....can you prove that? I would be totally surprised if that was the case.

Jake Virtanen - Full Stats, Line Combos and Game Logs

Go down to linemates usage. 43.9% with the Sedins

 

[rune74]

Jake Virtanen - Full Stats, Line Combos and Game Logs

Go down to linemates usage. 43.9% with the Sedins

I stand corrected.

I don't think he mixes well with them as he is literally slowed down by them now. However, that's where he got most of his points.

He has very little ice time for most of the year and his stats say he used that actually well.

 

[Addison Rae]

I stand corrected.

I don't think he mixes well with them as he is literally slowed down by them now. However, that's where he got most of his points.

He has very little ice time for most of the year and his stats say he used that actually well.

Don’t say this a lot but I agree with you here. Stylistically they’re awful fits for each other, and I do believe Virtanen has been good this year, relatively speaking.

Obviously needs more consistency but I have no doubts that he will be a good middle 6 winger.

 

[rune74]

Interesting article, cool to hear the perspective of Green:

Canucks' Jake Virtanen making strides in contentious development - Sportsnet.ca

 

[Kickpuncher]

Interesting article, cool to hear the perspective of Green:

Canucks' Jake Virtanen making strides in contentious development - Sportsnet.ca

Interesting read. It seems to be working for Jake.

Sounds like Green is trying a similar approach with Hutton, but Hutton is maybe reacting a bit differently.

 

[rune74]

Interesting read. It seems to be working for Jake.

Sounds like Green is trying a similar approach with Hutton, but Hutton is maybe reacting a bit differently.

Understandably, Hutton isn't as young as Jake...may figure he knows it all already.

 

[iceburg]

Interesting article, cool to hear the perspective of Green:

Canucks' Jake Virtanen making strides in contentious development - Sportsnet.ca

Good read. Some encouraging signs from JV...
Best quote:
“I’m trying to build that confidence now that I can bring it into next year. I’d love it if Greener could tell these young guys coming in: ‘Watch Jake, watch how hard he works.’” JV

 

[Pip]

Interesting read. It seems to be working for Jake.

Sounds like Green is trying a similar approach with Hutton, but Hutton is maybe reacting a bit differently.

Some players and coaches just don’t mix. I think a lot of Hutton, but I don’t think he’ll ever realize his potential under Green.

 

[racerjoe]

From last nights Provies

Some media are out there wondering why I like JV18.
Because he’s fast, big, and has a skill set with untapped potential and he’s one of the few current Canucks who actually has any upside.
(BTW, if you think he’s a bust you should be on the front lines looking for changes to the front office, because that was 100% a Benning pick and it would be a massive miss considering the game changers who were available).

 

[Hollywood Burrows]

From last nights Provies

Botch has been caping for Virtanen all season and it reads really insincere to me. I feel like he does it so that he can't be accused of going 100% negative on the org and the roster.

But I agree completely with the second part

 

[Melvin]

Jake has had an excellent season and it's weird that the FO has taken to basically ignoring him instead of propping him up as one of the year's bright spots.

 

[Canucks1096]

Jake has had an excellent season and it's weird that the FO has taken to basically ignoring him instead of propping him up as one of the year's bright spots.

How is 18 points from a 6th overall pick a good season? I don't think 18 points is even good 3rd line numbers. He is making more things happen with his speed but he is making lot of mistakes out there as well. Most of time his end to end rushes dont lead to anything. It's Virtanen sexy skating that tricking some of you guys into thinking he had a good season. Don't be fool by it.

 

[Melvin]

How is 18 points from a 6th overall pick a good season? I don't think 18 points is even good 3rd line numbers. He is making more things happen with his speed but he is making lot of mistakes out there as well. Most of time his end to end rushes dont lead to anything. It's Virtanen sexy skating that tricking some of you guys into thinking he had a good season. Don't be fool by it.

18 points with no power play time, getting 10 minutes a game playing with AHL garbage, is excellent. Relatively speaking, anyway. I had the lowest of possible expectations for Jake this season.

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

He's slowly improving.

Should peak around 26-28. He has the tools to get 40 points in this league on a consistent basis. Just needs to get it together.

 

[arttk]

18 points with no power play time, getting 10 minutes a game playing with AHL garbage, is excellent. Relatively speaking, anyway. I had the lowest of possible expectations for Jake this season.

Well at least there is progression, if there is no progression then we will have issues.

Hoping he doesn’t regress next season.

 

[iceburg]

How is 18 points from a 6th overall pick a good season? I don't think 18 points is even good 3rd line numbers. He is making more things happen with his speed but he is making lot of mistakes out there as well. Most of time his end to end rushes dont lead to anything. It's Virtanen sexy skating that tricking some of you guys into thinking he had a good season. Don't be fool by it.

An update is warranted I guess...

• leads all forwards in hits with 138. Next closest has 64.
• 7th in goals for among forwards (20+ games) per sixty minutes at even strength.
• 6th fewest goals against among forwards per sixty minutes at even strength.
• FF% rel is 3rd among forwards (20+ games). Only the Sedin's are better and JV has 55% dZS vs 27% for the Sedin's.
• He leads the team in takeaways – around 65% more than the next closest.

Only Nick Dowd has fewer minutes per game among forwards (by 2 seconds)
Virtually zero powerplay time.

Does JV still have room for a lot of growth? Sure. But to characterize his season based on 18 points is unfair.

 

[opendoor]

Last season Virtanen didn't even look like a good AHLer. The fact that he has managed to put up a 20+ ES point pace and decent possession stats while playing very few minutes with junk players, having a 44% OZone start %, and having to suffer the last few years through the team's Accelerated Development Plan™ has to be seen as a pretty big step in the right direction. I was skeptical that he'd even last the year in the NHL.

I mean, it doesn't take away from what a terrible pick it was or what an absolutely abysmal job of development he's gone though, but that's on management, not Virtanen. If he continues to improve year after year he could be a decent middle 6 winger.

 

[Canucks1096]

An update is warranted I guess...

• leads all forwards in hits with 138. Next closest has 64.
• 7th in goals for among forwards (20+ games) per sixty minutes at even strength.
• 6th fewest goals against among forwards per sixty minutes at even strength.
• FF% rel is 3rd among forwards (20+ games). Only the Sedin's are better and JV has 55% dZS vs 27% for the Sedin's.
• He leads the team in takeaways – around 65% more than the next closest.

Only Nick Dowd has fewer minutes per game among forwards (by 2 seconds)
Virtually zero powerplay time.

Does JV still have room for a lot of growth? Sure. But to characterize his season based on 18 points is unfair.

Fair enough but he does have 5th worst plus/minus for forwards and also 2nd most giveaways. Considering the facts he only plays 11 mins a game. That proves he still has issue processing the game and making right plays. This is due his low hockey IQ.

Sure overall he has improve but it's not by much.

 

[Zippgunn]

18 points with no power play time, getting 10 minutes a game playing with AHL garbage, is excellent. Relatively speaking, anyway. I had the lowest of possible expectations for Jake this season.

I was unaware that the Sedins are "AHL garbage". And last night was a good example of why he doesn't play much on the PP or did you miss his brain dead giveaway that led to the SHG? I too didn't expect miracles out of the guy but he has not even done what I was hoping despite ridiculous coddling. Anybody else would have been sent packing to Utica months ago...

 

[Snatcher Demko]

This has to be considered a successful year for Jake considering that last year he really looked like he could be a bust. He was a virtual non-factor in the AHL. If he keeps improving at this pace he'll be a very important part of this team within a couple of years.

 

[timw33]

He's slowly improving.

Should peak around 26-28. He has the tools to get 40 points in this league on a consistent basis. Just needs to get it together.

Just need to point out that him peaking around 26-28 is pretty useless for us. At that point he's a UFA (or in his UFA years) and we'll be paying a premium for him instead of getting surplus value from his cheap ELC and second contract, which is an incredibly important part of building an efficient NHL contender.

 

[m9]

Two goals recently where Virtanen has done great work on a screen in front that the Canucks have scored on. No points on either play for him, but nice to saw him contribute even if it hasn't led to points for him.

 

[supercanuck]

There have been multiple mentions that Virtanen should be playing the opposite wing as he did in junior. How would that hypothetically affect his game?

I wonder why that hasn't been tried yet especially since he was successful with it previously.

 

[DownGoesMcDavid]

Virtanen is such a beast. He has all the tools ! His lower body strength is unreal and the power he generates will become unbelievably tough for defenders to handle.

When this guy matures his game....watch out !!

Please please dont trade him. He will be a beast for us ..especially in a 7 game series where he can pound Dmen and put the fear of god in their eyes when he dumps the puck in their corner and goes full steam ahead.

He is also the only player we have that realiatically backs up defenders w. His speed. The way he made Miller fall tnt was pure speed. We dont have that in anyone else.