Player Discussion: Jake Virtanen | XIV

[AwesomeInTheory]

Crawford is long gone. Team and personnel still suck. Benning still at helm.

2 + 2 = ??????????? Gee, this is a stumper. Can I phone a friend?

Also, I thought that the plan for Gillis' draft was leaked and they were looking at Ehlers, but Benning overrode the decision because of the owners stated desire for a "BC Boy"...which also explains him being rushed to the NHL and why there was a great reluctance to drop him to the minors this season.

E: Most people from what I recall point to the 2013 draft as "Crawford's" draft. 2014 has Benning's fingerprints all over it and is a decidedly stark contrast to Gillis'/Crawford's drafting.

McCann and Forsling are the only two that really stand out as 'old regime' type picks. Everything else, from picking a kid committed to Boston, a Russian and some hulking overaged slug indicated Benning's influence.

Particularly Stewart, I recall reading some fluff piece where Benning was super excited to have drafted him and folks were going 'WTF' over what they surmised was a nothing player.

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

This kid will be gone by summer if management is replaced.

 

[WhiteCurse]

This kid will be gone by summer if management is replaced.

Not likely

 

[hookshott]

Not likely

"Not likely" what....the kid will be gone or management will be replaced? I tend to think both will happen....but either way I believe Jake will be gone.

 

[clay]

This kid will be gone by summer if management is replaced.

Not worth trading him at this point. His value wouldn't be any higher than a third round pick.

 

[Love]

"Not likely" what....the kid will be gone or management will be replaced? I tend to think both will happen....but either way I believe Jake will be gone.

JV had no value so I don't think it's very likely that he's traded.

 

[ChilliBilly]

JV had no value so I don't think it's very likely that he's traded.

He's 20 yrs old and we are short of forward prospects. Give him some time. At least 2 more years. And you don't trade prospects like him for scraps . .. those are the ones that can really come back to bite you in the ass.

 

[racerjoe]

I thought 2014 was Crawfords draft? That is what the narrative appears to be here.

The theory is that Benning and Co wanted Jake, this was evident by rumors, saying so, and rumors saying Gillis wanted Ehlers, or Nylander, while Crawford and Gilman liked the other. There was also rumors Gillis liked Larkin.

What you are referring to was Benning saying he was mainly hands off, which is looking at the draft as a hole, and you can see how it probably went down where he gave each department a pick, including our Russian Scouts.

 

[y2kcanucks]

"Not likely" what....the kid will be gone or management will be replaced? I tend to think both will happen....but either way I believe Jake will be gone.

If management is replaced I would expect Jake wouldn't be gone, unless we're stuck with idiot management again. You don't trade a prospect like Virtanen at his absolute lowest value when you really don't have to. Why would they move him? Unless another team is offering an intriguing prospect in return, it would make no sense. And you're not going to get offered an intriguing prospect after what Virtanen has done to-date.

 

[VanJack]

It's almost a no-win with Virtanen...if the Canucks keep him, he morphs into the second coming of Brad Isbister or Victor Oreskovich...if they trade him, he'll be closer to Cam Neely.

 

[n00bxQb]

I thought Jake had a ceiling of prime David Booth, who was a pretty good player. People said "lmao David Booth, no thanks", but I think at this point we'll be extremely lucky if we get anything close to that.

Booth pre-decapitation by Mike Richards was a good player. I also thought the same thing (north-south winger with a good shot, but lacking in some other parts of his game) when we drafted Jake.

Nylander had the best mean ranking amongst the major scouting reports of those who were available at the time, so I was kind of hoping for him, but I honestly didn't know a lot about him at the time of the draft aside from Naslund singing his praises.

 

[n00bxQb]

Crawford is long gone. Team and personnel still suck. Benning still at helm.

2 + 2 = ??????????? Gee, this is a stumper. Can I phone a friend?

Also, I thought that the plan for Gillis' draft was leaked and they were looking at Ehlers, but Benning overrode the decision because of the owners stated desire for a "BC Boy"...which also explains him being rushed to the NHL and why there was a great reluctance to drop him to the minors this season.

E: Most people from what I recall point to the 2013 draft as "Crawford's" draft. 2014 has Benning's fingerprints all over it and is a decidedly stark contrast to Gillis'/Crawford's drafting.

McCann and Forsling are the only two that really stand out as 'old regime' type picks. Everything else, from picking a kid committed to Boston, a Russian and some hulking overaged slug indicated Benning's influence.

Particularly Stewart, I recall reading some fluff piece where Benning was super excited to have drafted him and folks were going 'WTF' over what they surmised was a nothing player.

Stewart was just ... he's so bad ...

I know it's only a 7th round pick, but to pick him ... and then sign him pretty much immediately ... and then try to convert him to forward ...

 

[PM]

Hated the JV pick but at this point you have to keep him and just hope for the best (while complaining of course). I'd give him a full year in the AHL next year unless he goes on a crazy second half tear this year. We aren't getting value for him in a trade so we just gotta hope a few years in upstate New York knocks some sense into him. We need a Cal O'Reilly type AHL vet to play between JV and Boeser next year (yes I think Boeser should play some time in the AHL).

edit: I guess Utica isn't really upstate but my point stands

 

[Mad Brills*]

Yup. Try hard as hell to do well with him and turn him into hansen 2.0

Selling him for 40 cents on the dollar is a bad look.

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

Stewart was just ... he's so bad ...

I know it's only a 7th round pick, but to pick him ... and then sign him pretty much immediately ... and then try to convert him to forward ...

Is Stewart getting playing time for the Aces this year? I mean, that was such an awful draft pick, whatever Benning was on that day I sure don't want any of it. And then to actually sign him? Moronic.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Is Stewart getting playing time for the Aces this year? I mean, that was such an awful draft pick, whatever Benning was on that day I sure don't want any of it. And then to actually sign him? Moronic.

27 games, 1 goal, 1 assist, + 5 and 53 PIMs.

I couldn't give you the foggiest clue of how he's actually played. But any time he's been seen in action in junior or with the Comets briefly, the reviews have been...less than stellar.

That wasn't a particularly great pick. Although full kudos to Stewart in persevering through everything he's dealt with. The Kyle Pettit pick was a head-scratcher as well. A very odd final two picks in an otherwise solid (1st round who-should-have-been-taken arguments aside) 2014 draft.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Hated the JV pick but at this point you have to keep him and just hope for the best (while complaining of course). I'd give him a full year in the AHL next year unless he goes on a crazy second half tear this year. We aren't getting value for him in a trade so we just gotta hope a few years in upstate New York knocks some sense into him. We need a Cal O'Reilly type AHL vet to play between JV and Boeser next year (yes I think Boeser should play some time in the AHL).

edit: I guess Utica isn't really upstate but my point stands

Utica is central New York.

 

[PM]

Utica is central New York.

Yeah brain fart that I realized as I hit send. How far upstate do you have to be to be considered upstate? Utica is further north than Buffalo if you look at a map.

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

I sort of assumed it was upstate as well.

I guess we should ask a Utican. If there's one here, that is.

 

[go comets]

I sort of assumed it was upstate as well.

I guess we should ask a Utican. If there's one here, that is.

To people in nyc , Hudson is upstate. And while we are central NY, to people from out of state I do tell them I am from upstate NY.

 

[701]

Yeah brain fart that I realized as I hit send. How far upstate do you have to be to be considered upstate? Utica is further north than Buffalo if you look at a map.

When I lived in Greenwich Village, almost everything north of Yonkers was called upstate.
But I doubt the rest of the state sees it quite that way.

 

[VanCity15]

At first, I was very happy about the drafting of Virtanen. A big and strong power forward who can skate, hit and has a laser of a shot. As a bonus, he's a local kid. Could the ghost of Cam Neely finally be put to rest in the near future?? Best of all, he wanted to be drafted by his home province team.

Granted, Virtanen should have gone back to the WHL for another season last year and be given a chance to dominate after recovering from shoulder surgery the year before. However, I noticed something troubling about him at last season's Meet the Players event. He didn't smile and appeared that he wanted nothing to do with fans. Just signed autographs reluctantly.

Then, at the start of the off-season, Virtanen talked about training hard throughout the summer. Was it just ALL talk? How could he be out of shape or not in good enough shape? And this is a BC boy with NHL size and speed with a cannon shot who always dreamed of playing for the Canucks. And after a 3-4 game hot streak with Utica, Virtanen has gone cold again.

With his new moody and pouty attitude and the so-called lack of commitment to his game, this is downright scary. Something is VERY wrong in Jake's world and Linden and Benning darn well better address it because coaching can only do so much.

 

[TheWanderer]

At first, I was very happy about the drafting of Virtanen. A big and strong power forward who can skate, hit and has a laser of a shot. As a bonus, he's a local kid. Could the ghost of Cam Neely finally be put to rest in the near future?? Best of all, he wanted to be drafted by his home province team.

Granted, Virtanen should have gone back to the WHL for another season last year and be given a chance to dominate after recovering from shoulder surgery the year before. However, I noticed something troubling about him at last season's Meet the Players event. He didn't smile and appeared that he wanted nothing to do with fans. Just signed autographs reluctantly.

Then, at the start of the off-season, Virtanen talked about training hard throughout the summer. Was it just ALL talk? How could he be out of shape or not in good enough shape? And this is a BC boy with NHL size and speed with a cannon shot who always dreamed of playing for the Canucks. And after a 3-4 game hot streak with Utica, Virtanen has gone cold again.

With his new moody and pouty attitude and the so-called lack of commitment to his game, this is downright scary. Something is VERY wrong in Jake's world and Linden and Benning darn well better address it because coaching can only do so much.

It's called growing up. He had to move out of mommy's house and live life on his own. It's too hard.......

He's got to pull his head from his rear. He doesn't skate like he could, which leads to not hitting like he could, and he doesn't shoot like he could. These are all things we drafted him for. He doesn't do anything well now.

Either Willie sent him the wrong (my way or the highway) message or he's just being an entitled little baby. Either way, it's on his shoulders to get back to what made him worthy of a 6th overall pick.

 

[GetFocht]

Saw Virtanen at seven oaks mall in Abbotsford over the holidays, have to say, he does look out of shape and a bit chunky.

Regardless, picks don't always pan out, even in the top 10. Essentially, there's a mental aspect to development, some players take on the challenge and react positively like Horvat, some just don't commit enough and become fodders like Skille.

Bo Horvat is a beauty, never seen a prospect since Sedins that is so committed to improving himself year
after year. He wasn't the most skilled or flashiest upon being drafted but had the mental makeup to work on his weaknesses. He's going to be a 1C and I don't think we are close to see the best Horvat can offer.

 

[go comets]

He is 20 years old.... Get a grip... Just leave him in Utica and see how it goes.. but it would be nice if they gave him an AHL level teammates.....