Vancouver Canucks: Jake Virtanen Struggling but Developing in Utica
Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen is struggling to produce with the AHL Utica Comets, but GM Jim Benning is convinced he is developing well.
Perhaps it was too early for Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen to play in the NHL in the 2015-16 season. Perhaps an additional year in junior and a first pro season in the minors would have helped. But, that’s not what happened, so the club needs to deal with the current situation.
Virtanen, the Canucks’ 2014 sixth-overall pick, appeared in 10 games for the Canucks this season, recording no goals and just one assist. His production isn’t what made him valuable for the team last season, but he didn’t look as strong defensively this year either. After suffering a shoulder injury in preseason, he wasn’t as physical and just didn’t seem to find his stride.
Fans called for him to be sent to the AHL early on, and it finally became reality on November 16.
However, through nine games with the Utica Comets this season, Virtanen has just one goal and two assists. With other 2014 top picks like Nikolaj Ehlers and William Nylander tearing it up in the National Hockey League, that is not quite what fans were hoping for.
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On the bright side, the Canucks seem to have realised they might have mishandled Virtanen, and they want to take it slow from now on. As GM Jim Benning told TSN 1040:
“He’s playing good. All reports on him are that, with the practice time and stuff. He’s working hard in practice and playing good in games. He hasn’t scored yet, but he’s playing good. His overall two-way game is improving and I think he’ll start scoring in the future. We want to be patient with him.”
One of the main reasons why Benning thinks Virtanen can develop nicely in the AHL is the additional practice time, along with playing games.
“With the compressed NHL schedule, there’s not a lot of practice time. Down there, he gets to practice three days a week, then play three days a week. We want to be patient with him and let him develop.”
In Vancouver, Virtanen was a healthy scratch for several games, this season and last. That allowed additional workouts and practice, with Canucks staff keeping an eye on him, but he didn’t get the playing time he needs to develop properly.
With the Comets, that should change. Virtanen is playing on the top line with Darren Archibald and Curtis Valk, getting every opportunity to step up and succeed.
Virtanen has not developed as nicely as other guys, including Ehlers and Nylander, but he is in the right place to kickstart his development now.
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