The Canucks (and Jake Virtanen) could be poised for a breakout year

Things didn’t quite go according to plan for the Vancouver Canucks in the 2018-19 season. The Canucks experienced a year full of tough lessons and sometimes painful growth, finishing outside the playoff picture.

But they head into the 2019-20 campaign with an intriguing mix of players that could surprise many around the league. Young forward Jake Virtanen could be similarly situated for a breakout year.

While the Canucks came up empty at Rogers Place in Edmonton on the first evening of the season, they also came away with a sense that they had done a lot of smart things and probably deserved a better fate. Speaking with the media prior to their game in Calgary, Virtanen shared his thoughts on the opening game.

“I thought we played really good from front to back,” said Virtanen. “Some games you’re going to play good and lose. That’s just hockey. That’s just the way it works. But I think moving forward, we’re going to stick to that. We want to be able to improve and keep on getting better.”

Now entering his fifth pro season, Virtanen is still trying to carve out a niche for himself at the NHL level. A unique package of size, speed and skill, he was able to use those attributes in tandem to be a special player for the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitmen and was selected sixth overall by the Canucks in the 2014 NHL Draft. He’s been a useful piece at times for the Canucks, but is obviously still developing and maturing.

“When I talked to Travis a couple weeks ago, he said he does like that I can play wherever,” said Virtanen of his role on the club. “I can play up and down, play the fourth or the second line. He likes that versatility. I think that’s something that’s an asset of mine, where I cna play wherever and whatever role they have me playing in, I think that I can use my assets to play whatever role. I think I can shoot and skate and skate fast, be physical, and that’s something that I need to work on every night and be consistent on.”

Virtanen, 23, is coming off a 25 point season in 2018-19. His new teammate, Micheal Ferland, is also a WHL product who was a similar combination of finesse and brute force as a junior player. Coincidentally, it took Ferland until his 23-year-old season to really unlock his game; Ferland had a 25 point campaign in 2016-17, then broke out with a pair of 40 point seasons. Ferland noted that he thinks Virtanen has all the attributes to be a top player.

“I didn’t realize how powerful or how good of a player he was until coming to Vancouver and actually skating with him,” said Ferland. “I think once he gets that confidence and knows he can be a good player in this league, the sky’s the limit for him.”

If you pay attention to predictions, most of the attention in the Pacific Division is being paid to the perceived three top team: Vegas, San Jose and Calgary. But despite an uneven season, the Canucks finished just nine points out of the last wildcard spot in 2018-19. Virtanen agrees that if the team gels, they could make a run at a post-season berth.

“I think the guys we got this year, they really improved the depth of our team,” said Virtanen. “It’s nice to see. I have a feeling with the guys in this room, we’re already super tight and the new guys fit right in, so I have a good feeling that we can make a good push and make playoffs this year. We just need to take it game by game and not think too far ahead. I think we have a really solid team this year.”