NHL Draft War Room: Jake Virtanen

by

Jake Virtanen

THW’s NHL Draft War Room Rankings: #8

THW’s NHL Draft Rankings – The Next Ones Edition (aka Chris’s List): #7 (March 2014)

Jake Virtanen
Jake Virtanen (Photo by Brad Watson)

 

  • Hashtag/Nickname: #LocomotiV, #JakeTheSnake
  • Team: #18, Calgary, WHL
  • Position: Left Wing
  • Shoots: Right
  • Height: 6’1
  • Weight: 210 lb.
  • Born: Abbotsford, BC, 17-Aug-96
  • Twitter: @Jake_Virtanen

Stats

Other Rankings

7 – ISS, Feb-14

9 – NHL Combined – Mid-term, Jan-14

10 – Bob MacKenzie, Jan-14

14 – Future Considerations, Feb-14

47 – Craig Button, Jan-14

Worth Retweeting

[For all the prospects profiled in the THW NHL Draft War Room series check out

the 2014 NHL Draft War Room: Prospect Profile Index]

Profiles

Quotable

  • Future Considerations’ (FC) head WHL scout Zenon Herasymiuk, in describing the FC draft eligible forward of the month for January, at FutureConsiderations.ca:

“Jake has been playing outstanding hockey for the Hitmen as of late. Everything he touches seems to find the back of the net. He is starting work harder to get his chances and is bringing a little bit more creativity to the ice making him a handful for opposing teams.”

Interview

https://twitter.com/KatsHockey/status/403037116327657472

From the War Room

  • Eldon MacDonald, THW: A few words on Jake Virtanen:
    • Speed – Big man speed with acceleration, agility, balance. Won the 30 metre sprint, backward and forward, at the CHL Top Prospects game.
    • Shot – Big gun, quick finger, hits target, penetrates net.
    • Power forward – Jake Virtanen has the size, skating, drive and physicality teams look for in a power forward – Jake is probably the purest power forward in the draft.
    • Improvements to make – Judging by his performance in January (13 goals and 20 points in 14 games), Jake has already come a long way. However, he should continue to work on using his teammates better, push for excellence in his defensive work and exert his physicality on a constant basis to win puck battles.
    • Draft placement – Most have Jake at or around the top 10 now but if he continues to produce at or improve upon his January pace he could go significantly higher because his size and physical skills are as elite as just about anyone in the draft.

Video

About NHL Draft War Room Series

This series is compiled by Eldon MacDonald and edited by @ChrisRalphTHW)