Player Discussion Jake Virtanen (MOD WARNING POST 755)

[F A N]

Ew. Please don't put the words "defend" and "Benning" next to each other

Sorry but I still don't know what you're trying to say here. I've never seen such neutral comments

Try experiencing the world more. Read more books.

If Benning wasn't sold on him then he should of been moved at some point, not signed to too much money ahead of guys like Toffoli, Stecher etc right after he just said how unimpressed he was with him.. All your argument is doing is pointing out more managerial incompetence.

You're conflating things. Not being sold on him doesn't mean that he didn't still believe he had upside or at least be able to contribute to the team. You should read over the Virtanen threads here. It encompasses a lot of views that helps illustrates why Virtanen was re-signed but only for 2 years.

I've been saying the exact same things for 7 years, I haven't flip flopped on Jake once. He's not an NHL player. He's actually gone on similar streaks like this before so taking that bet wouldn't be very outlandish at all, really. He's a horrible, low IQ player who can grab points using physical gifts if all the stars align and if he can get on a lucky-run. He's a 10 goals 10 assists guy at best who makes bonehead plays more often than good ones, doesn't kill penalties, takes bad penalties, isn't good defensively and kills the cycle in the offensive zone every time.

You weren't here for the past 7 years so no idea what you have been saying but I have no reason to doubt your hatred towards Virtanen.

Virtanen has been an NHL player who provided good value in his last contract. Again, just because he sucks this season and most of us wish Benning traded him in the offseason doesn't mean that he didn't provide value for what the Canucks paid him the past two seasons. Jake did show progression up to the play-in/playoffs. Again, read the thread. Almost all of us wanted Jake to succeed but frustrated that he's not putting in the effort and performance.

 

[Zippgunn]

I don't think a lot of people cared because we signed Malhotra. He actually went to the Jets after playing in San Jose.

That's right and he also did a quick stint in the KHL with Khimik. Wasn't a great fit either place .

 

[Hit the post]

Where does Jake rank on your list of most disappointing players in franchise history?

Jake Virtanen never had the makings of a varsity athlete.

TheOtherGM

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

How did master drafter Elmer screw up this pick so badly? I thought his drafting was supposed to be considered good? It's not even a hindsight issue; if you average the draft rankings below, he would have been slated to go around 10th overall - and this doesn't even factor in Button's list in having him in the 2nd round.

2014 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings

At least Jimbo was smart enough to know Virtanen wouldn't amount to much and didn't extend him to a stupid contract or anything.

 

[M2Beezy]

How did master drafter Elmer screw up this pick so badly? I thought his drafting was supposed to be considered good? It's not even a hindsight issue; if you average the draft rankings below, he would have been slated to go around 10th overall - and this doesn't even factor in Button's list in having him in the 2nd round.

2014 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings

At least Jimbo was smart enough to know Virtanen wouldn't amount to much and didn't extend him to a stupid contract or anything.

Theres still time for that Frankie, maybe this time next year

 

[RobertKron]

What? That's not how I remembered it. When we acquired him he had excellent hands but was Well Fat and soft defensively. Then he got himself into shape and morphed into a very good 3rd line C. My memory of his last season here was that he would win the faceoff in the defensive zone and the puck would consistently be moved up the ice. He was excellent including the playoffs. I think if his stats were tracked he would be an analytics darling. In hindsight, we should have re-signed him to play on our 4th line.

He was perceived as small and slow but really he had excellent hands and whenever he got the puck he was able to move the puck up the ice. I think many of us wanted him back but of course most of us thought Malhotra would be an upgrade.

Wellwood was a slow skater but a fast player.

Edit:
Also, I loved Wellwood, but he was also a weirdo who didn't seem to know how - or care enough - to pretend to really, really care about winning games or the cup or whatever. I remember during the saga where he got waived and then brought back due to injuries, there was a comment that came out of it where he basically said he wasn't worried because he could just go lead any league in Europe in scoring. Dude didn't have that born drive to win - which is fine because there are a ton of players who are punching the clock - but he also didn't seem to even try to fake it, which tends to drive coaches up the wall. I don't think he'd be a player who would ever find himself in the good graces of a coach on a cup contender.

One of my favourite things was when they'd do the "game is on the line, let's zoom in and pan down the bench" shot and you'd see all these guys with their game faces on, intently fidgeting with their equipment, or shouting down the bench, or whatever else, and then there'd just be Kyle Wellwood just kind of dopily looking around as if he'd walked in off the street and was hoping security wouldn't notice him, which was even funnier because he was built like a regular kid on a bench full of pro athletes. Top 10 Canuck of all time. All of this was made even stranger and better by how Don Cherry, of all people, absolutely f***ing loved him.

 

[Hit the post]

Wellwood was a slow skater but a fast player.

Edit:
Also, I loved Wellwood, but he was also a weirdo who didn't seem to know how - or care enough - to pretend to really, really care about winning games or the cup or whatever. I remember during the saga where he got waived and then brought back due to injuries, there was a comment that came out of it where he basically said he wasn't worried because he could just go lead any league in Europe in scoring. Dude didn't have that born drive to win - which is fine because there are a ton of players who are punching the clock - but he also didn't seem to even try to fake it, which tends to drive coaches up the wall. I don't think he'd be a player who would ever find himself in the good graces of a coach on a cup contender.

One of my favourite things was when they'd do the "game is on the line, let's zoom in and pan down the bench" shot and you'd see all these guys with their game faces on, intently fidgeting with their equipment, or shouting down the bench, or whatever else, and then there'd just be Kyle Wellwood just kind of dopily looking around as if he'd walked in off the street and was hoping security wouldn't notice him, which was even funnier because he was built like a regular kid on a bench full of pro athletes. Top 10 Canuck of all time. All of this was made even stranger and better by how Don Cherry, of all people, absolutely f***ing loved him.

Ease up bro. Wellwood was like a man possessed on the ice!

 

[mathonwy]

Ease up bro. Wellwood was like a man possessed on the ice!

Wow.

I miss having a real coach.

 

[TheOtherGM]

Jake Virtanen never had the makings of a varsity athlete.

TheOtherGM

Maybe small hands are part of Jake's problem too.

 

[F A N]

Wellwood was a slow skater but a fast player.

Edit:
Also, I loved Wellwood, but he was also a weirdo who didn't seem to know how - or care enough - to pretend to really, really care about winning games or the cup or whatever. I remember during the saga where he got waived and then brought back due to injuries, there was a comment that came out of it where he basically said he wasn't worried because he could just go lead any league in Europe in scoring. Dude didn't have that born drive to win - which is fine because there are a ton of players who are punching the clock - but he also didn't seem to even try to fake it, which tends to drive coaches up the wall. I don't think he'd be a player who would ever find himself in the good graces of a coach on a cup contender.

One of my favourite things was when they'd do the "game is on the line, let's zoom in and pan down the bench" shot and you'd see all these guys with their game faces on, intently fidgeting with their equipment, or shouting down the bench, or whatever else, and then there'd just be Kyle Wellwood just kind of dopily looking around as if he'd walked in off the street and was hoping security wouldn't notice him, which was even funnier because he was built like a regular kid on a bench full of pro athletes. Top 10 Canuck of all time. All of this was made even stranger and better by how Don Cherry, of all people, absolutely f***ing loved him.

Despite all of that, the last we saw of him he was a warrior come playoff time. Like you said he played fast and I just remember him consistently moving the puck up ice whenever the puck landed on his stick (in the playoffs especially when the Canucks were shaky).

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Despite all of that, the last we saw of him he was a warrior come playoff time. Like you said he played fast and I just remember him consistently moving the puck up ice whenever the puck landed on his stick (in the playoffs especially when the Canucks were shaky).

I will never for the life of me understand why the Canucks shifted away from a skilled top 9. Wellwood was the perfect 3C on an offensive line that could maintain puck possession in the offensive zone. In the 09 playoffs, the team rolled the following lines. Watching Tampa, and you see a comparison of how effective 3 scoring lines can be.
Sedin-Sedin-Burrows
Sundin-Kesler-Demitra
Raymond-Wellwood-Bernier/Pyatt
Rypien-Johnson-Hordichuk

Going back to Virtanen. What a wasted career. Wish the organization would have cut ties with him sooner. He's not a top 6 player, not a consistent offensive threat, not an energy player, not a defensive specialist, not a PKer. You see periods where he gets it, but then goes back into the motions and does his own thing on the ice.

 

[Hit the post]

Maybe small hands are part of Jake's problem too.

Is somebody speaking?

 

[F A N]

I will never for the life of me understand why the Canucks shifted away from a skilled top 9. Wellwood was the perfect 3C on an offensive line that could maintain puck possession in the offensive zone. In the 09 playoffs, the team rolled the following lines. Watching Tampa, and you see a comparison of how effective 3 scoring lines can be.

Different era. I also wouldn't call Tampa's 3rd line as a skilled line. It was very much a Cup winner's energy line: that line was fast, hardworking, won their puck battles, and scored some big goals.

Going back to Virtanen. What a wasted career. Wish the organization would have cut ties with him sooner. He's not a top 6 player, not a consistent offensive threat, not an energy player, not a defensive specialist, not a PKer. You see periods where he gets it, but then goes back into the motions and does his own thing on the ice.

Ya. I don't get it. Where was the guy who came to his first training camp hitting everything that moved? It's like he's just happy living the NHL lifestyle. I think he has given up.

 

[rypper]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Virtanen's one shot is to be moved somewhere far away from Vancouver (And Calgary for that matter.) Somewhere were he doesn't have friends around, family close by etc, where he just has to put his head down and work. Even then I'm not sure I like his chances.

 

[Bougieman]

Wellwood is one of my personal favourite Canucks from the last 20 years. The day they let him go I was legit bummed all day. My first post on this board was about him. He didn't have the top scoring stats on the team, but he was a unique personality, knew his role and filled it, undebatably made the team better, and one of those guys that made Vancouver hockey fun to watch. "Magic Mittens".

Virtanen on the other hand is a source of constant frustration/exasperation, and more often than not makes the team worse for his presence. I have hoped for the best for this guy for so many years, and have always been rewarded for my attention with an effort that doesn't match the skill level of the top league in the world. Embarrassing.

 

[Breakers]

I can't believe it took him this long to reach 100 points

really is wild
I swear I thought he would have reached this milestone awhile ago

 

[PM]

I will never for the life of me understand why the Canucks shifted away from a skilled top 9. Wellwood was the perfect 3C on an offensive line that could maintain puck possession in the offensive zone. In the 09 playoffs, the team rolled the following lines. Watching Tampa, and you see a comparison of how effective 3 scoring lines can be.
Sedin-Sedin-Burrows
Sundin-Kesler-Demitra
Raymond-Wellwood-Bernier/Pyatt
Rypien-Johnson-Hordichuk

Going back to Virtanen. What a wasted career. Wish the organization would have cut ties with him sooner. He's not a top 6 player, not a consistent offensive threat, not an energy player, not a defensive specialist, not a PKer. You see periods where he gets it, but then goes back into the motions and does his own thing on the ice.

That’s easy to say now but the Malhotra Hansen Torres line was an absolute force and easily an upgrade over the Wellwood centred line. I’d kill to have that line in their prime again. Although with hitting neutered Torres wouldn’t really work. But you could swap him with Higgins who also worked great in that line after being acquired.

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

Really wish we had dealt him for Bennett.

 

[rypper]

Really wish we had dealt him for Bennett.

Man, great username.

 

[IslandBeast]

I can't believe it took him this long to reach 100 points

really is wild
I swear I thought he would have reached this milestone awhile ago

why though? why would you think that

 

[Breakers]

why though? why would you think that

I just remember Nick Ritchie celebrating it a couple seasons ago with Anaheim

I just thought he was further along in his scoring

 

[604]

Would love the see Virtanen with a different coach.

It might be Jake but it wouldn't hurt to wait and see with a new coach. It's not like Jake is highly overpaid cap wise or relied on for basically anything.

Is there a younger Larry Robinson or Jacques Lamaire around?

 

[StreetHawk]

Would love the see Virtanen with a different coach.

It might be Jake but it wouldn't hurt to wait and see with a new coach. It's not like Jake is highly overpaid cap wise or relied on for basically anything.

Is there a younger Larry Robinson or Jacques Lamaire around?

I think the Canucks expose him in the ED and they take their chances of him getting claimed or not. Clearly has not worked out for him this season. Between extending him and going after a proven high end goalie in Holtby vs a Nilsson type for $2 mill less, that is the amount that would have enabled them to keep TT.

At some point, they have to accept that Jake won't ever be what they hoped he would be for them. Maybe he turns it around somewhere else. Unless you are trading him for a conditional draft pick, which isn't likely given his actual salary number, just have to accept that you won't benefit if he turns it around elsewhere. Then it would be best to trade him to the East and not worry about him even if he turns it around, unlike the MON/PHI deal with Leclair.

 

[4Twenty]

Jake is a waste of other worldly skating power.

If Nick Ritchie could skate like that he’d be a $7m/yr player.

Jake is the dumbest nhl first rounder I’ve ever seen (hockey wise).

I’d have traded Jake for Sam Bennett every year but I was absolutely attacked for suggesting Bennett was better in the past here.

 

[IslandBeast]

Jake is a waste of other worldly skating power.

If Nick Ritchie could skate like that he’d be a $7m/yr player.

Jake is the dumbest nhl first rounder I’ve ever seen (hockey wise).

I’d have traded Jake for Sam Bennett every year but I was absolutely attacked for suggesting Bennett was better in the past here.

Attacked here for suggesting that? I would of had your back bro