As you may or may not have heard already, Jake Virtanen is heading to the Utica Comets on a conditioning stint. Virtanen has been out of the lineup for a little while now after suffering a hip pointer. But how do you make the most of the situation?

Technically, Virtanen shouldn’t be playing in the AHL for any reason other than this stint. As a North American developed prospect, he’s unable to be a full-time AHLer until his Age 20 season, but can spend his week or two getting himself up to 100%. 

Here’s my question, though; once he’s fully up to speed, do you consider leaving him there until the team is forced to bring him back? Further to the point, how do you utilize him while he’s on the Comets? Do you play him in the same bottom six role that he’s playing on the Canucks, or do you make this an opportunity for him to regain some confidence as a temporary key cog in Utica’s offence? 

Leave a comment and let us know how you’d deal with his stint.

Virtanen (along with Jarred McCann) was also in our thoughts a week ago today, when we asked you who should head to the World Juniors. These were the top responses.

With Sutter out till Jan we need to keep Mcann, plus he’s be getting better and better each game despite not scoring recently. We lack depth in this position so we definitely need him in that aspect as well.

We are deep for wingers so we could send Virtanen to play juniors, he needs the confidence builder and we should reward our Utica studs with some time with the big club. (Gaunce, Grenier, and Shink).

Keep McCann, send Virtanen — if it helps for him to beat on juniors and score a bazillion goals to make that next step then its a good thing. If beating on juniors and scoring a bazillion goals means he comes back and is the same player he was, then you got an interesting question on your hands.

What’s it going to take for Virtanen to take the next step?

Because he has to come back to this reality — the Perrys. Getzlafs, Kopitars, Keiths etc., and it isn’t easy. Junior might be a nice change, but its not a real measure of his ability and potential.

Or what he’s really up against.

Send both. McCann is clearly NHL ready and the injury to Sutter makes us super thin up the middle. But keeping McCann here isn’t gonna change the outcome. This team is baaaaaad with or without him. They aren’t a playoff team, full stop. If they somehow fall bass-ackwards into a playoff spot they’ll be bounced in 3 games let alone 4. All that accomplishes is a crappy draft position. Tank 2016 baby. Send McCann and Virtanen to the WJC and let them beat the crap out of the world and bring home another championship. The boys aren’t gonna win another for long time by the looks of it