CANUCKS ARMY ROUNDTABLE: SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO

We are just a week away from the start of meaningful hockey in the NHL, and there’s a buzz starting in the city, as people dust off their Canucks gear for the upcoming season. With a new season, that means cuts to the pre-season roster. We discussed this last week, talking about who we wish stuck around for a longer look in the pre-season, but one name that we didn’t talk about was Jake Virtanen. The 2014 first round pick, who played quite well early last season, has been recovering from injury, and many people think he would be served better spending some time down in Utica, where he could get top line minutes and grow as a player. With that in mind, I took this question to our writers, and here’s what they thought.

Question: Should Jake Virtanen start the season with the Comets or the Canucks?

At the end of last season, I wanted to see Virtanen start in the AHL. One preseason game (which is what I’ve seen start-to-finish) isn’t enough to convince me he won’t still struggle, but he had a strong game against Calgary. He looked confident and he looked ready. If that’s what the team believes he’ll be able to bring, I don’t see why he shouldn’t start up in the NHL. After all, he can always spend time in the minors if he needs it.

The Canucks want him in their line-up because he brings speed and physicality, but his offensive opportunities would be lacking because of ice time and potential linemates. They would prioritize his physicality over his offensive production, which scares me because he might develop the mentality that his main role on the team is to be physical. We didn’t use our 6th overall pick on a player whose game will end up being based on strictly toughness and speed – we picked him because he has the potential to be a rare breed in bringing physicality AND goal-scoring. My biggest worry is that he will get so used to just being physical and his offensive game does not reach it’s full potential. If he went to Utica, he would be getting top-line minutes, power-play time, and also be a go-to player – an opportunity that he would never get with the Canucks. Utica would allow him to develop/refine his offensive and defensive skills while still maintaining the physical part of his game. Desjardins said last year that the NHL isn’t a development league, which is exactly why Virtanen should go to Utica. Yes, he is already built for the NHL, but he is still young and one year of all-around development in the AHL would benefit him much much more than a year of being a bottom-6 forward in the NHL. Going to might not benefit the Canucks in the short term, but it would definitely benefit the team in the future because he would be a better all-around player rather than leaning towards the one-dimensional side. Staying in Vancouver would hinder his ability to reach his full potential because of his role on the team. I only see benefits to him spending the season (or even half the season) in Utica. He has so much potential and I would hate for that to be jeopardized because they prioritized his physicality over his all-around development. If they need to call him up because of an injury, then by all means, call him up; just don’t keep him in Vancouver just because his physical presence is needed.

I concur with pretty much everything Vanessa said. How many extra wins does having Virtanen in your lineup net the Canucks? Two? Three? I have a hard time believing that’s worth pigeonholing his development. If the Canucks believe that starting him in Utica is going to help him develop into a scoring winger, that’s much more important than his presence in the Canucks’ lineup.

Ehlers should start the season on the first line, he will be able to use his offensive skillset effectively playing with the Sedi…. oh…. yeah, Virtanen. To the AHL!

Jake Virtanen should be in this lineup if they want more production, more speed, and more skill. When he was selected 6th overall in the 2014 entry draft, Virtanen was listed as a left winger. The position suits his game the best, and he gives the Canucks a better chance to win when he is in the lineup.

The right-handed shooting Virtanen’s best assets are his speed, his strength, and his shot. His speed and strength allow him to dominate neutral zone and easily gain entry into the attacking zone, and once Virtanen gets into the attacking zone he likes to shoot. Moving him to the left wing allows Virtanen more of an opportunity to get a good quality shot off and potentially lead to more scoring chances for the Canucks.

Virtanen proved last year he was NHL-ready with some of the better shot-based metrics on the team. Both he and the team could benefit greatly from Virtanen playing a more prominent role in the Canucks middle six this season.

Though I agree with Tyler’s points on why he should stay in Vancouver, personally I think it makes more sense for him to learn and grow with top line minutes in Utica. Being on a losing team (which the Canucks are expected to be) doesn’t do wonders for a young players confidence, so perhaps being on a better team in Utica will keep his growth going so he can perform in a top-6 position next season in Vancouver.