If you watch the 2014 draft again. They ranked the players out of 5 on their skating, shot and hockey IQ and a few more skillset as well. His hockey IQ was ranked 3 out of 5. It's one of the lowest out of all the 1st round picks He was also was of top goal scorer in the draft as well. So Yes without a high hockey IQ you can still score a lot of goals in Junior. You can get by in Junior if you have some skill and are faster and bigger than most of the player. Nhl is completely different animal.
Anytime Virtanen is facing higher level competition regardless if it is in the wjc/AHL/Nhl. He has failed to produce. Why did he failed to produce? A higher level of hockey you can't just get by with speed an size. You need to think the game at a higher level. That's why Virtanen in every level of hockey that higher than the chl failed to produce.
The Canucks did send Virtanen down to the AHL last season to work on his all around game. Reason for that is because he doesn't process the game well enough.
All the Virtanen fans only see his sexy skating. But for some reason a lot of you are not seeing all the mistakes he makes on the ice. Why does he makes so many mistakes because he doesn't process the game well enough.
A few example. Dallas game horrible pass that led to a shorthanded goal. Col game gives the puck a way at center ice and col scores the game winning goal.
Simple question. Do you see a lot of mistake Virtanen makes? Example like give aways, don't know where to go on the ice. Yes or No? You can't just see what you want to see.
All the mistakes he makes on the ice? Is that why Green played him more and more and gave him more responsibility as the season progressed? I will go with Green's deployment vs your armchair assesment thanks. Also, parsing out an error here or there is a ridiculous comment, all players make errors guy. Crosby made the error that led to the loss vs Washington-so what's your point, he sucks because he made some errors? The fact you use 2 data points is absurd, players make dozens of errors weekly. Some cost them, some don't and young players make more, and this leads to my next point.
Did you ever stop to think, maybe the coaches could care less about his offense right now? that they, much like they do with most young guys who aren't ready for the defensive responsibilities of the pro game, want these young players to focus on their own end?
Did you not notice the same treatment with Bo? with Baer? even with Boeser? How long till Boeser got pp time? How long till Bo got pp time? 1.5 seasons? why? Because the coaches know these kids can score, but they are trying to drill into them, the defensive side of the game. Until they prove they 'get it', they don't give them much offensive leeway.
Once they've proven 'they're getting it', they loosen the reigns a bit, give more ice, let them start getting more offenive ice, pp time etc. This is call DEVELOPMENT 101.
If you also didn't notice, Jake knew his way to stay in the NHL was to do as the coaches said. If you actually watched him, for all of last year, and most of this, he didn't take any offesive chances, he played overly cautious for A REASON. He's trying to do what the coaches told him to a "T". And guess what? When he finally did, what did Green do? Gave him more ice? see how that feedback loop works for development? Its part of earning ice and rewarding.
You people say the kid has no hockey IQ because he's not scoring, but ignore how he was being used, what was expected of him by the coaching staff (defense first) and then say his last 20 games where he showed the coaches he was getting it, and thus was rewarded with ice, and then started showing flashes of his skill, somehow don't indicate he has skill and hockey IQ. All it tells me is there is a large contingent of Jake haters that don't understand how the developement of a young player works, even though its going on right in front of them.
It amazes me that something so simple is missed by you. Or maybe some of you just want him to fail because in some sick way that makes you feel good.
