Canucks loan Virtanen to Utica for conditioning; decision on WJC to come next week

Photo Courtesy: @UticaComets

Jake Virtanen has recovered from his hip pointer is on his way to the East Coast to suit up for the Utica Comets of the American League on a conditioning loan, the club announced on Tuesday.

Virtanen, 19, is expected to get in a pair of practices and to play in two of Utica’s upcoming three games this weekend, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie. I’d think he’s most likely to avoid the back-to-back and play against the Toronto Marlies on Friday at the Aud and again on Sunday at Ricoh Coliseum.

The sixth-overall pick at the 2014 NHL Entry Draft broke camp with the Canucks this fall, and has proven at the NHL level that he can make a difference with his speed through the neutral zone and his physical play. 

The production has been a bit slow in coming, only one goal and four points in 19 games, but that’s to be expected for a 19-year-old player holding down a supporting role – even one with Virtanen’s pedigree – and the underlying numbers suggest that even at a young age Virtanen is able to help an NHL club tilt the ice in a favourable direction.

Virtanen sustained his injury when he was cross-checked by Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf.

As general manager Jim Benning indicated during an intermission segment with Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy last week, the Canucks are expected to make a decision early next week about whether or not Virtanen will return to Vancouver or head over to Finland for the 2016 World Junior Championshp with Team Canada’s U20 team. Considering his light usage in Vancouver over the past few weeks and the Canucks’ depth on the wing, we’ve already argued that the talented young power forward should probably go captain Team Canada in his ancestral homeland for a couple of weeks.