Canucks select Jake Virtanen at #6

Welcome to the main forum of our site. Anything and everything to do with the Vancouver Canucks is dicussed and debated here.

Moderator: Referees

User avatar
Strangelove
Moderator & MVP
Moderator & MVP
Posts: 42928
Joined: Sat Dec 18, 2004 12:13 pm
Location: Lake Vostok

Re: Canucks select Jake Virtanen at #6

Post by Strangelove »

Todd Bersnoozi wrote:Beta, what do u think? Jake "the Snake" Virtanen!!!! :lol:
Todd, what is it with you and your gayass nicknames. :hmmm:
____
Try to focus on someday.
Betamax
CC Hall of Fan Member
Posts: 1353
Joined: Sat Apr 12, 2014 1:45 pm
Location: @betamax1080p

Re: Canucks select Jake Virtanen at #6

Post by Betamax »

Betamax wrote:
Todd Bersnoozi wrote:
Betamax wrote:The more I learn about him, the more bullish I am on the pick. He seems comparable to The Real Deal Kane, maybe with not as much offensive upside but lower maintenance.
Beta, what do u think? Jake "the Snake" Virtanen!!!! :lol:
Well, all I can say is that Virtanen doesn't end up having to deal with the same personal issues that Mr. Roberts had to face. :mex:
So scouting reports have compared him to Iggy and Betamax has suggested he may be a comparable player to The Real Deal Kane ...... so, uh, what about Jake "White Chocolate" Virtanen? :hmmm:
User avatar
Chef Boi RD
MVP
MVP
Posts: 28935
Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2004 6:36 pm
Location: Vancouver

Re: Canucks select Jake Virtanen at #6

Post by Chef Boi RD »

When you mix Black and White isn't it brown the colour you get?
“Tyler Myers is my guy... I was taking to Scotty Bowman last night and he was bringing up his name, and saying he’s a big guy and big guy need big minutes to play, he is playing great for ya… and I agree with him… He’s been exceptional” - Bruce Boudreau
User avatar
SKYO
MVP
MVP
Posts: 14992
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2011 10:34 pm

Re: Canucks select Jake Virtanen at #6

Post by SKYO »

from hf, should be a good season for Jake this upcoming season.
Hipfan
Longtime Calgary Hitmen fan here...

Jake is an amazing talent and you can tell that even at 17 that he can dominate at the junior level. However, this past year for him was a real catch-22: He didn't play 1st line time with the Calgary Hitmen, as the team constantly went with the older veterans for the PP, the last few minutes, and for the majority of the ice time. The other side of the coin is that while he was getting less ice time and playing with 2nd/3rd line players, he consistently got into a "puck hog" mentality as the guys with him were not at the same offensive level.

Maybe both a cause and effect of his ice time was that Jake, while looking spectacular sometimes, can come off appearing as an immature and selfish player who doesn't utilize his teammates. I, for one, think that's something that Jake can work on and am not shocked that a 17 year-old can sometimes act "immature": that leadership, puck-dishing ability, and character can come this year, and I totally expect him (when he returns from injury) to be playing 1st-line minutes along with Greg Chase, someone who can keep up with Virtanen.

This upcoming 2014-15 season will be the bellwether season for Jake Virtanen: a solid point total, a bunch of games where he will wear a letter for the team, and much much MUCH more ice-time will let us know if he's closer to becoming a player like Rick Nash or Raffi Torres. I think Jake has all the potential to be closer to the player Rick Nash is, it's all in how much he wants to work on it.
Can the Canucks just win a Cup within the next 5 years.
User avatar
Todd Bersnoozi
CC Legend
Posts: 3724
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 4:14 pm

Re: Canucks select Jake Virtanen at #6

Post by Todd Bersnoozi »

Betamax wrote:Well, all I can say is that Virtanen doesn't end up having to deal with the same personal issues that Mr. Roberts had to face. :mex:
What happened to Jake Roberts? Drugs or something?
User avatar
JelloPuddingPop
MVP
MVP
Posts: 1137
Joined: Sun Jul 10, 2011 3:53 pm

Re: Canucks select Jake Virtanen at #6

Post by JelloPuddingPop »

The Subway Super Series is upon us again - one of the few chances we get to see the younger prospects in our system play. The WHL roster was released today for the Nov 10th game. Looks like Virtanen will be healthy enough to play in it, hopefully he will get a couple of games under his belt prior.

Jake Virtanen
olpaddy
CC 1st Team All-Star
Posts: 645
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 2:15 pm

Re: Canucks select Jake Virtanen at #6

Post by olpaddy »

http://youtu.be/uyZVwKVlH90
His shoulder looks fine...
User avatar
Blob Mckenzie
MVP
MVP
Posts: 31125
Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2004 12:34 pm
Location: Oakalla

Re: Canucks select Jake Virtanen at #6

Post by Blob Mckenzie »

If Virtanen can't play d like cement hands Hansen he will be buried on the 4th line . Hansen should be lining up on the first line by then .
“I don’t care what you and some other poster were talking about”
User avatar
ClamRussel
CC Legend
Posts: 3992
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 10:50 am
Location: New South Wales, Australia

Re: Canucks select Jake Virtanen at #6

Post by ClamRussel »

Saw Virtanen play yesterday. The first thing that jumps out is the guy is a wrecking ball out there. Every time he hits he seems to destroy the guy, big players too. Almost every hit put a guy on his ass looking winded. He doesn't look speedy but he is deceptively fast. We all know about his shot. Looks like he's trying to round out his game w/ more playmaking this year.

One thing that's a (minor) concern is discipline. The guy plays on the edge which is good. He's tough but is more valuable to his team on the ice. He got suckered into a needless pushing match & ended up in the box...during a powerplay. Knowing when and when not to engage would do him a lot of good. Of course, he's young & he'll hopefully learn w/ the right mentors. Like I said, minor concern at this point. He sort of reminds me of a Jets-era Tkachuk only not a bully or as much of an eager fighter (but close).

The biggest surprise? His defence. The guy is a monster 2-way player. He was more defensively responsible than his center....sometimes even his defencemen. There was more than one occasion when he was the first guy back to retrieve the puck, was constantly checking players in scoring situations, and must have lead the game in takeaways. The great thing was his transition game. A few times he stripped a player of the puck, turned it around & busted down for an odd-man rush. A couple times he hustled back and broke up an odd-man rush w/ a solid back check. Somehow, I can't see Nick Ritchie doing any of this. He looks like a bigger, more talented Stan Smyl in his prime. Benning & Desjardins are going to love this kid when he's ready! So will the fans. If he lines up w/ Horvat that should prove to be a major 200 foot threat for the next decade.
"Once a King, always a King" -Mike Murphy
User avatar
Cookie La Rue
MVP
MVP
Posts: 2386
Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2004 10:57 pm
Location: 50° 10' North / 8° 34' East

Re: Canucks select Jake Virtanen at #6

Post by Cookie La Rue »

Thanks Clam, nice description, very enthusiastic but nice. I like it without seen him so far. :mrgreen:
"Every dog has its day." - CC Hockey Pool Champion 2004 & 2013 'Moves like Lenarduzzi'
dbr
CC Legend
Posts: 3093
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2011 5:37 pm

Re: Canucks select Jake Virtanen at #6

Post by dbr »

Mondi wrote:Do people think we have room in our system for all our forward prospects?
I wouldn't spend too much time worrying about it. A lot of vastly better (on paper) prospect groups have failed to turn into "we simply have too many talented NHL forwards"..
User avatar
Hockey Widow
CC Legend
Posts: 19129
Joined: Sun Jul 10, 2011 8:52 pm

Re: Canucks select Jake Virtanen at #6

Post by Hockey Widow »

Mondi wrote:Do people think we have room in our system for all our forward prospects?

Once Hank goes...maybe Bonino fits in? A top 6 or 7 in the same cohort is nice. But they will need vets.

1. Virtanen Horvat Jensen
2. Shinkarkuk McCann Kassian (?)
3. X Cassels Vey (?)
4. X Matthias X

No such thing as too many prospects at any position. They all won't pan out and if they do you flip the ones you don't have room for, like Vey was flipped to us for a second.
The only HW the Canucks need
User avatar
SKYO
MVP
MVP
Posts: 14992
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2011 10:34 pm

Re: Canucks select Jake Virtanen at #6

Post by SKYO »

Seems like his shoulder is A-OK now...

Can the Canucks just win a Cup within the next 5 years.
Post Reply