Can't overstate enough that the Canucks are playing a system under Green that just seems to suit Virtanen.....also important to stress just how important that season under Green in Utica has been to his development...even when he wasn't scoring, he was learning the pro game....Green seems to know exactly what he's capable of, and expects it from him night after night....when Virtanen doesn't 'bring it', Green just reduces his ice=time.
People still compare him to Jannick Hansen and Jack Skille, but his ceiling is far higher than that imo. I keep thinking 'Shane Doan', another WHL power forward who didn't crack 10 goals his first three seasons in the NHL. I think that might be a more appropriate comparison.
I'm seeing a 20-25 goal scorer at his peak (25-30 ) that brings a sustainable physical game but prone to boneheaded mistakes from time to time. Honestly not that much less than I would expect from a 6th OA. Very happy to see his recent development.
What has he shown for you to think he will become a 25 to 30 goal scorer?
Poorly worded by me. I think his peak will be 25-30 years old when he really figures out how to slow the game down, use his size and speed. We've seen other power forwards struggle when they get into the league and peak a little later. Kesler comes to mind...I remember well that we thought of him as a 10-15 goal scorer due to lack of hockey IQ, I remember when he first decided to start cutting to the net and buying himself more space. A lot of it reminds me of Virtanen (let me add I don't believe his ceiling is close to Kesler's, but the comparison still stands)
But still 15-25 goals and 40-50 points is a conservative guess at his peak IMO. I mean he's on pace for 10 goals with crap linemates and fairly low ice time. He just retooled his game down in the AHL and is starting to figure it out at the NHL pace. He's shown nothing but improvement this year. I don't blame fans for wanting to damper their expectations with our crap history, but I do think he's found a situation he can succeed in under Green.
Imagine if we had a real defense and spent more time in the O-zone, and he could develop his net crashing game rather than having to rush the puck up the ice every time. I think patience is our best asset at this point with JV. I also think a lot of the reason we're hard on him is because of who we passed up to take him, which in my humble opinion is utterly irrelevant to the discussion of his development as a player.
Virtanen has 9 points in 33 games. 2016 season he had 13 points in 55 games. So is pace about 14 points in the same amount of games. So not sure how he is improving. 4 or 5 of his points came with the Sedins. So top players and non top players his production is not much of a difference. When Virtanen played with the Sedins he was over 60% offensive zone starts and didn't do much with it.
Kesler was able 30 goals as a 20 year in the minors. So he did show potential to put the puck in net. Virtanen hasn't.
I think Virtanen going forward will play better with non top 6 guys. Because doesn't have much hockey sense read off of his linemates and doesnt know where to go on ice. With non top 6 guys Virtanen can carry the puck and bring it to the net and keep the game more simple. The Shaeks was probably his best game and played with Dowd and Gaunce I think
I remember watching that game and being utterly amazed how Willie D broke that line up the next game. Your whole career as a coach you just pray you hit a combo that can catch lightning in a bottle, this guy finds one and goes: "Ehhhhh...we'll see somewhere down the line." Still can't believe he did that to this day.For some reason I was watching highlights of the "10 point game" for the Jake/Bo/Sven line. Obviously it was just a preseason game against the Oilers in 2015, but made some confident, clean passes and went to the net. Also that same preseason he laid the big hit on McDavid. He just seems like a different player now.
Maybe recheck his 2016-17 Utica stats. He aint gonna help emthinking optimistically about this player....I think he might be able to help Utica in the future
Are we pretending his good games this year didnt happen now?
He'll string em together eventually.
Ok lets face it, Virtanen is a bust.
Still find it weird that he from seemingly loving the physical game to almost being afraid of it. It’s not like he was one of those typical jr players who weighed 190 pounds is too small to do the same to NHL’ers.Some Great things... he'll be a beast in couple yrs.
His next team will reap the benefits.
Still find it weird that he from seemingly loving the physical game to almost being afraid of it. It’s not like he was one of those typical jr players who weighed 190 pounds is too small to do the same to NHL’ers.
Then I don’t think he’s going to be a beast in this league. A significant part of what made him an exciting prospect was that he’d be feared on the forecheck, like Evander Kane is.Rotator cuffs don't care how big the rest of your body is.
But coaches like guys where “they know what they’re getting”... even if it’s not good and doesn’t contribute to victory.A perennial bottom 5 team should still not be sitting 21 year old Virtanen over a useless group of veteran forwards who score a 5 on 5 goal every blue moon.