The mysterious drastic decline of Jake Virtanen

[Jeremy Hronek]

The year is 2020.  

 

After getting off to a shaky start in his career, Jake Virtanen has finally 'made it.'

 

Despite getting limited PP time and 3rd line minutes for the most part, Jake Virtanen has 18 goals and 18 assists for 36 points.   

 

The guy is finally using his size and speed to his advantage and while his hockey IQ still leaves a lot to be desired, it's not nearly the liability that it once was.

 

And then the 2020 covid lockdown occurs.     

 

Bubble play-ins are announced many months later and Jake shows up to training camp way out of shape..........and he's never the same player ever again.  

 

Absolutely shits the bed during the 2020/2021 shortened season and is rightfully told to fuck off after the season.  

 

So my dear Nucks fans, I ask you the following:  

 

What the heck happened to Jake Virtanen?

 

While we can all sit back and criticize Jim Benning for taking a calculated gamble on Jake Virtanen during the 2020 post-bubble off-season, it's not like Benning didn't have good reason to (again, 18 goals + 18 assists with primarily 3rd line minutes + limited PP time in 2019/2020).  

 

The guy clearly looked like he had turned a corner.........and then he pissed it all away.  

 

Damn shame....

Edited November 14, 2023 by Jeremy Hronek

[DownUndaCanuck]

Should have drafted Nylander all the way. Even would have taken Ehlers. I think at the time in the draft GDT I was one of maybe 20% of posters who wanted Nylander. Everyone was gushing over Virtanen's physicality and speed. You don't draft physicality with top 10 picks. You draft elite offensive talent. Petey and Hughes have proved that we've learned our lesson.

 

I remember so many posters ripping me, saying that Virtanen would hit or smash skinny Swedish Nylander through the glass. Now look what's happened.

 

Now Nylander is up in the top of the league in scoring and Virtanen is one of the biggest busts of this franchise.

[PeteyBOI]

16 minutes ago, Jeremy Hronek said:

The year is 2020.  

 

After getting off to a shaky start in his career, Jake Virtanen has finally 'made it.'

 

Despite getting limited PP time and 3rd line minutes for the most part, Jake Virtanen has 18 goals and 18 assists for 36 points.   

 

The guy is finally using his size and speed to his advantage and while his hockey IQ still leaves a lot to be desired, it's not nearly the liability that it once was.

 

And then the 2020 covid lockdown occurs.     

 

Bubble play-ins are announced many months later and Jake shows up to training camp way out of shape..........and he's never the same player ever again.  

 

Absolutely shits the bed during the 2020/2021 shortened season and is rightfully told to fuck off after the season.  

 

So my dear Nucks fans, I ask you the following:  

 

What the heck happened to Jake Virtanen?

 

While we can all sit back and criticize Jim Benning for taking a calculated gamble on Jake Virtanen during the 2020 post-bubble off-season, it's not like Benning didn't have good reason to (again, 18 goals + 18 assists with primarily 3rd line minutes + limited PP time in 2019/2020).  

 

The guy clearly looked like he had turned a corner.........and then he pissed it all away.  

 

Damn shame....

nope that alls a mirage... Sutter beags and motte were taking all the defensive matchups against the lower tier offences, while Hockey Gaud and virtanen and sutter(he was needed to double shift) played all the offensive minutes against the crappiest players in the history of the NHL... Their minutes where more sheltered in the history of when theses advanced stats where measured... they were poo poo in a lunch bag lit on fire, then thrown into a dumpster fire, surrounded with tires and add gasoline and then lit that on fire too...

 

this is actual picture of me watching them play...

 

[Jeremy Hronek]

17 minutes ago, DownUndaCanuck said:

Virtanen is one of the biggest busts of this franchise.

 

One of the biggest disappointments for sure, but busts?  I think the answer here is "yes with an 'if' or no with a but."

 

Jake Virtanen wasn't exactly Olli Juolevi or Alex Stojanov as far as busts go.  

 

The kid still put up 100 points in his brief NHL career.  

 

He could have and should have done so much more though.         

 

No idea what happened to him during the initial covid lock-down.  

 

Mental health issues?

[Jeremy Hronek]

13 minutes ago, Dankmemes187 said:

nope that alls a mirage... Sutter beags and motte were taking all the defensive matchups against the lower tier offences, while Hockey Gaud and virtanen and sutter(he was needed to double shift) played all the offensive minutes against the crappiest players in the history of the NHL... Their minutes where more sheltered in the history of when theses advanced stats where measured... they were poo poo in a lunch bag lit on fire, then thrown into a dumpster fire, surrounded with tires and add gasoline and then lit that on fire too...

 

this is actual picture of me watching them play...

 

 

 

That was definitely the case for Adam Gaudette but I'll have to do my homework again on Virtanen.  It's been 4+ years but I seem to recall Virtanen playing fairly well during this time (or perhaps I'm wrong?).  If he was in fact receiving highly sheltered minutes, then I have no idea why Benning chose to re-sign him.  

[NoHeart]

Drugs, a shocking amount of decline in NHL careers can be linked to drugs or alcohol. Coke doesn’t stay in your system. It doesn’t mess with nutrition, so alot of players use it. 

[Jeremy Hronek]

11 minutes ago, LaBamba said:

Drugs, a shocking amount of decline in NHL careers can be linked to drugs or alcohol. Coke doesn’t stay in your system. It doesn’t mess with nutrition, so alot of players use it. 

 

Do we know for a fact that this is what contributed to Virtanen's decline?  

[LillStrimma]

1 hour ago, Dankmemes187 said:

nope that alls a mirage... Sutter beags and motte were taking all the defensive matchups against the lower tier offences, while Hockey Gaud and virtanen and sutter(he was needed to double shift) played all the offensive minutes against the crappiest players in the history of the NHL... Their minutes where more sheltered in the history of when theses advanced stats where measured... they were poo poo in a lunch bag lit on fire, then thrown into a dumpster fire, surrounded with tires and add gasoline and then lit that on fire too...

 

this is actual picture of me watching them play...

 

He is definately in the top dumbest NHL players. Even when he tried some dirty tricks he looked like a five year that tries to look innocent.

Is speaks volumes of Benning when he drafted him.

No one picks a player so dumb when we’re talking of top of the pops regarding hockey players.

Everyone at the top needs to grasp strategies etc.

Nylander looks like he got a fox behind him…

[tas]

3 hours ago, Jeremy Hronek said:

The year is 2020.  

 

After getting off to a shaky start in his career, Jake Virtanen has finally 'made it.'

 

Despite getting limited PP time and 3rd line minutes for the most part, Jake Virtanen has 18 goals and 18 assists for 36 points.   

 

The guy is finally using his size and speed to his advantage and while his hockey IQ still leaves a lot to be desired, it's not nearly the liability that it once was.

 

And then the 2020 covid lockdown occurs.     

 

Bubble play-ins are announced many months later and Jake shows up to training camp way out of shape..........and he's never the same player ever again.  

 

Absolutely shits the bed during the 2020/2021 shortened season and is rightfully told to fuck off after the season.  

 

So my dear Nucks fans, I ask you the following:  

 

What the heck happened to Jake Virtanen?

 

While we can all sit back and criticize Jim Benning for taking a calculated gamble on Jake Virtanen during the 2020 post-bubble off-season, it's not like Benning didn't have good reason to (again, 18 goals + 18 assists with primarily 3rd line minutes + limited PP time in 2019/2020).  

 

The guy clearly looked like he had turned a corner.........and then he pissed it all away.  

 

Damn shame....

textbook underachiever. had the physical gifts and skillset to coast through major junior, never had to apply himself. when the going got tough, Jake folded his tent.

 

and he seemingly surrounded himself with the absolute dregs of society away from the rink. 

 

cliche Abby trash. 

[IBatch]

2 hours ago, Jeremy Hronek said:

 

One of the biggest disappointments for sure, but busts?  I think the answer here is "yes with an 'if' or no with a but."

 

Jake Virtanen wasn't exactly Olli Juolevi or Alex Stojanov as far as busts go.  

 

The kid still put up 100 points in his brief NHL career.  

 

He could have and should have done so much more though.         

 

No idea what happened to him during the initial covid lock-down.  

 

Mental health issues?

If JV got to 400 games the bust margin would have diminished into just disappointment.    In the end it's all on him, had the tools available at his disposal, to commit to being a better athlete and working on his game.   Green seemed to have finally gotten through to him, and he did have the ability to play 800-1000 games IF he dedicated himself properly.    Which didn't happen of course.   

 

For sure not a bust like OJ was.   Played a lot of hockey before OJ an even got a game (same age).    Stajanov was a 7th overall... that bust got us Naslund so worked out well.   IF JV's trajectory continued upwards, he'd be carving himself a career in the bottom six.    

[tas]

6 minutes ago, IBatch said:

If JV got to 400 games the bust margin would have diminished into just disappointment.    In the end it's all on him, had the tools available at his disposal, to commit to being a better athlete and working on his game.   Green seemed to have finally gotten through to him, and he did have the ability to play 800-1000 games IF he dedicated himself properly.    Which didn't happen of course.   

 

For sure not a bust like OJ was.   Played a lot of hockey before OJ an even got a game (same age).    Stajanov was a 7th overall... that bust got us Naslund so worked out well.   IF JV's trajectory continued upwards, he'd be carving himself a career in the bottom six.    

jake was drafted 2 years ahead of juolevi. 

[Dizzle]

3 hours ago, DownUndaCanuck said:

Should have drafted Nylander all the way. Even would have taken Ehlers. I think at the time in the draft GDT I was one of maybe 20% of posters who wanted Nylander. Everyone was gushing over Virtanen's physicality and speed. You don't draft physicality with top 10 picks. You draft elite offensive talent. Petey and Hughes have proved that we've learned our lesson.

 

I remember so many posters ripping me, saying that Virtanen would hit or smash skinny Swedish Nylander through the glass. Now look what's happened.

 

Now Nylander is up in the top of the league in scoring and Virtanen is one of the biggest busts of this franchise.

That’s super interesting… I remember a looooooot of people who wanted Nylander or Ehlers with that pick. If I were to throw out a number of people who were happy with the pick I would have put it under 30%. 

[Fan Abroad]

I remember after he fought Filip Forsburg that he said something like "I knew the coach wouldn't mind it". I think the hitting and aggression that he had and wanted to play with when he arrived was coached out of him by Willie and Green. I think they wanted him to be more skilled and play a different way. I also remember in the WJRs that I saw this look when the coach was talking to him and he just looked like he had been over-coached. 

Remember to that Green didn't want to play one of McEwen and Gads so Benning tried to send them down and they got claimed. I could be guessing but it just seemed like Green and Willie wanted the team to play soft. And when Virtanen had a good game with a few hits etc.. he immediately got benched. Messed up his head

[tas]

27 minutes ago, Dizzle said:

That’s super interesting… I remember a looooooot of people who wanted Nylander or Ehlers with that pick. If I were to throw out a number of people who were happy with the pick I would have put it under 30%. 

but there were almost as many who wanted nick ritchie or brendan perlini so perhaps cdc wasn't the paragon of draft expertise we thought it was. 

[tas]

14 minutes ago, Fan Abroad said:

I remember after he fought Filip Forsburg that he said something like "I knew the coach wouldn't mind it". I think the hitting and aggression that he had and wanted to play with when he arrived was coached out of him by Willie and Green. I think they wanted him to be more skilled and play a different way. I also remember in the WJRs that I saw this look when the coach was talking to him and he just looked like he had been over-coached. 

Remember to that Green didn't want to play one of McEwen and Gads so Benning tried to send them down and they got claimed. I could be guessing but it just seemed like Green and Willie wanted the team to play soft. And when Virtanen had a good game with a few hits etc.. he immediately got benched. Messed up his head

no coach in history has wanted their team to play soft. 

[Kevin Biestra]

The book on Virtanen was public before he was drafted.  NHL caliber body and athleticism...short bus caliber between the ears.  That's exactly how it played out.

 

He was a guy that you draft and then hope some veteran legend like Linden or Gary Roberts or Rod the Bod takes him under his wing and teaches him how to be a professional.  But drafting someone with that expectation and requirement going in...Jeez Louise.

 

Now just look on over at that there river yonder Jake and think about tending them rabbits and living off the fat of the land...

 

 

Edited November 14, 2023 by Kevin Biestra

[SV.]

The Virtanen pick was a product of its time, unfortunately.

Rather than looking at the build of the Blackhawks or Penguins, people decided that the Bruins and Kings were better to emulate.  "Built for the playoffs" is what they said.

Then, you factor in the context.  Canucks went from a playoff position in January to a near bottom-five finish by the time April rolled around, Luongo left the team controversially, Kesler all but confirmed to be leaving, Gillis getting fired, etc., that with Virtanen being a local kid and a fan of the team, he could "stabilize" some of the chaos that was ongoing.

I don't think the core issue was selecting him over a Nylander/Ehlers/Larkin as evidenced by the fact that many teams were hoodwinked in that period of time with size.  Michael Dal Colle, Nick Ritchie, and Brendan Perlini all come to mind as players who went high but didn't reach the heights they were meant to be reaching.  An argument could also be made for Sam Bennett and Lawson Crouse, although, they have become much more effective players in recent seasons and found their niches, especially in the case of Bennett.

Where the main issue lies is in sticking by Virtanen for so long when there was proof that he simply wasn't good enough.  When it became clear he wasn't a legit fit for the top six by the end of 18/19 and could maybe be effective in an energy role going forward, that's when he should have been pushed down the pecking order and treated as such.  Choosing to sign him over Tyler Toffoli, an actual proven scorer, for example, caused needless damage and harm to the state of the team.  The fact that it took off-ice issues to finally part ways rather than on-ice play speaks so much to some of the sheer incompetence that was going on towards the end of the Benning tenure.

[grumpyone]

would've love to see what THIS batch of coaches could've done to his career 

[Kevin Biestra]

4 minutes ago, SV. said:

Where the main issue lies is in sticking by Virtanen for so long when there was proof that he simply wasn't good enough.  When it became clear he wasn't a legit fit for the top six by the end of 18/19 and could maybe be effective in an energy role going forward, that's when he should have been pushed down the pecking order and treated as such.  Choosing to sign him over Tyler Toffoli, an actual proven scorer, for example, caused needless damage and harm to the state of the team.  The fact that it took off-ice issues to finally part ways rather than on-ice play speaks so much to some of the sheer incompetence that was going on towards the end of the Benning tenure.

 

The Canucks organization has had Cam Neely phobia for the last 35 years.  Scared to death that Jim Sandlak, Taylor Pyatt, Brad Isbsiter, Zack Kassian, Jake Virtanen, whoever...is going to move on and immediately become a 50 goals in 50 games power forward.

[Dizzle]

27 minutes ago, tas said:

but there were almost as many who wanted nick ritchie or brendan perlini so perhaps cdc wasn't the paragon of draft expertise we thought it was. 

Oh no… we’re flawless

[-dlc-]

I feel Jake's biggest problem was lack of focus and commitment. I think maybe he liked being a hockey "star" more than playing hockey. Too many distractions and he was a party boy by all accounts and didn't buy in to what he had to do to reach his full potential. Wasted it.

[spook007]

3 hours ago, LillStrimma said:

He is definately in the top dumbest NHL players. Even when he tried some dirty tricks he looked like a five year that tries to look innocent.

Is speaks volumes of Benning when he drafted him.

No one picks a player so dumb when we’re talking of top of the pops regarding hockey players.

Everyone at the top needs to grasp strategies etc.

Nylander looks like he got a fox behind him…

I wanted Ehlers... badly...

 

However, I understand, why they wanted Jake... We had just been murdered by Boston, and had zero prospect with beef on them.

It speaks volume of your hatred towards Benning, that you attack the man at every opportunity...

 

A big physical player that scores goals.... guess who that is?...

 

I was disappointed, when I heard, we picked Virtanen, as I was sure Ehlers was out man... Can't remember the name of the poster, who kept banging the drum for Ehlers, but he sold him to me.

 

Nevertheless, while progressing slowly, and he did progress every year, he obviously never reached the heights that could have been, however McCann did, and he didn't do it over night neither. Talk about dumb... on the night he was drafted 'it is what it is', was what he mustered. It took him 4 teams to figure it out. Not all drafted players becomes stars within 4-5 years, and Jake was really young. Too young probably... Lost the plot...

btw Jake was not the only one who didn't make it in top 6...

[Nucker67]

Jake never took pro sports seriously.

 

 

He was also pretty dumb.

 

 

Wasted talent

[Bob Long]

It's unfortunate but we saw someone piss away a career in real time. He had every chance to dedicate himself to it, he just didn't feel like it.

 

Maybe things came too easy for him in juniors? Maybe he was a meat head? Dunno. 

 

 

Edited November 14, 2023 by Bob Long

[Integra250]

And it’s now it’s 2023, Jake is 27 and in the prime years of his career. He has 12 points in 18 games in the DEL.