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This is a shift-by-shift video documenting the performance of 20-year-old Jake Virtanen of the Vancouver Canucks in October 2016, the first month of his sophomore NHL season. Virtanen was selected 6th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft, and was regarded as a speedy, powerful, aggressive, goal-scoring power forward who possessed a complete arsenal of excellent physical tools, including a powerful, accurate shot, impressive straight-line speed, and a sturdy, heavy body that could deliver seismic bodychecks. Scouts emphasized his high offensive upside, his proficiency as a goal-scorer at every level he had played at up to that point, and his physical maturity. Hence, he was the first overall pick in the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft and subsequently scored 45 goals in the 2013-14 WHL season with the Calgary Hitmen.
The game featured in the footage was played on October 23, 2016 against the Anaheim Ducks. He wears #18 in this footage.
Throughout his first two years in the NHL, criticism has been placed on his struggle to adjust to the NHL level. For a player who has always played a very aggressive, confident offensive game, Virtanen has looked extremely tentative, afraid to make mistakes and uncertain of how to use his talents -- size, speed, and a powerful shot -- in the NHL.
Unfortunately, as a result of his disengaged, lackluster, uninspired play on the ice, Virtanen has been limited to an average of 10 minutes of ice time per game, and has at times been a healthy scratch under Canucks coach Willie Desjardins. Against Toronto on November 5, 2016, he was relegated to the fourth line and replaced by Derek Dorsett on the Horvat-Baertschi line; he was scratched for two consecutive games after that. The Canucks' management seems to have no idea of how to manage this player, as instead of playing at a level where he can develop his offensive game, learn at a more gradual pace, as well as receive lots of ice time to experiment and gain confidence, he is being benched. He is effectively in Desjardins' proverbial "dog house," and thus he is rotting away.
This video illustrates the exact game that VIrtanen has played all season so far. Even during his rookie season, he was a healthy scratch quite frequently; for a brief time during the 2015-16 season, he improved his rate of production, but that was short-lived, as he is once again playing very tentatively.
It is quite clear that Virtanen was rushed into the NHL. His development after the 2014 NHL Draft began poorly, as he returned to the WHL for his 19-year-old season after suffering a left-shoulder injury; the following season, he was in the NHL despite not being ready; this season, his ice time has decreased and he has played very little, under-performing the expectations of the Canucks' management group that he would score 15 goals this season,. He would be better suited in Utica refining his game and adapting his skills more gradually for the NHL. As of now, the game is too quick for him to be effective.
He possesses the tools to be a very effective NHL player, but he lacks a sense of comfort to play at that level right now. His development will stagnate if he does not refine his skills and develop strategies as well as positive tendencies to be an effective scorer in the NHL. This comes from ice time and the mentorship of the Canucks' AHL coaching staff. He needs to learn strategies, adopt new on-ice techniques to enhance and diversify his play, have ample opportunity to practice and execute plays with the puck in-game, gain confidence creating offense, and become accustomed to processing situations more quickly in order to dictate the pace of the game and feel that he is in control.
This can not be accomplished when one is primarily concerned with just keeping their head above water and trying to survive, which is what he is centered on right now. It is impossible to learn in his current circumstance.
One of the greatest criticisms of his game is that he generates no offense. He has 7 goals, 7 assists in 65 career NHL games, and just one assist all season so far.
He will never learn how to generate offense if he continues to play as he has this season. This is the reason he has become a healthy scratch.
http://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/canucks-game-day-virtanen-larsen-sit-stecher-adds-grit-grabner-a-big-hit
He can't play an offensive game if there are trust issues with the coach and he receives very little ice time. One mistake, and he's sitting; no mistakes at this stage of his development, and he plays a passive, ineffective game. If he can't take risks, no offense comes from him.Canucks Game Day: Virtanen, Larsen sit; Stecher adds grit; Grabner a big hit
Ben Kuzma
Published:
November 8, 2016
Updated:
November 8, 2016 11:44 AM PST
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VIRTANEN SITS FOR SECOND STRAIGHT GAME
It has come to this with Jake Virtanen.
Willie Desjardins wants to see more consistency in the second-year winger and Virtanen wants the opportunity to prove he can be that guy who can skate, shoot, hit and play a responsible two-way game.
After Virtanen sat Monday in a 4-2 loss to the New York Islanders, there was some thought that a lineup change in Manhattan would include him.
Apparently not.
“I definitely wanted to play tonight — it’s tough to sit out,” said Virtanen. “It would nice to play and show him (Desjardins) what I can do, but we’ve lost nine straight and Willie believes the guys playing are going to help us win. And he’s got to go with his gut feeling. I’ve got to show each and every shift that I can go out there and be physical throughout the whole game.”
The Canucks could assign Virtanen to the AHL’s Utica Comets for ample playing and instructional time, but the sixth overall pick in the 2014 draft believes he’s not only better off in the NHL, he can contribute in the bigs.
“I know I can play at this level,” added Virtanen. “I’ve just got to show it and when I do get the opportunity I will go and show him (Desjardins).”
The Canucks coach sang a familiar refrain when asked about Virtanen’s shortcomings. He has logged 11:13, 8:33 and 7:13 in his last three outings and it’s obvious that Desjardins has a trust issue with a player he needs in his mix, but who hasn’t earned it, and seldom sees the ice in the third period.
“It’s not that I don’t think Jake is a good player and a spot you look for him is top nine or top six, but he’s not consistent enough and until he gives you that, he can’t play. Somewhere down the line, we have to get to that spot because he does stuff that’s unique, that makes him a very good player for the organization.
“But right now, I’ve got to get him to play the way I want. I don’t know about the part where he hasn’t had a chance. For us, it’s how can we get him to go where we need him to go to? Because we need him to get there.
...
The Canucks should have sent him down, but they haven't.
This line from Willie Desjardins defies logic: “It’s not that I don’t think Jake is a good player and a spot you look for him is top nine or top six, but he’s not consistent enough and until he gives you that, he can’t play. Somewhere down the line, we have to get to that spot because he does stuff that’s unique, that makes him a very good player for the organization."
How can he learn to be consistent when he's not allowed to play due to his inconsistency?
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