Jake Virtanen's career coming into this season had been somewhat of a disappointment. The Canucks drafted the Canadian forward with the sixth pick in the 2014 draft. At the time, it appeared the Canucks had added a potential franchise player.
Unfortunately for Virtanen, he struggled through his first four seasons of professional hockey, putting up no more than 25 points in a single season. This included nearly an entire season in the AHL where he put up just 19 points.
Many were beginning to label Virtanen as a draft bust. However, this narrative may be starting to change. Currently, Virtanen has 19 points in 36 games, including 10 in his last 11 games. This puts him on pace to shatter his previous career high. Even more impressive is that 17 of those points have come at five-on-five.
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If there was one positive on Virtanen's play in the previous seasons, it was physical ability. He is a very quick skater who has never been shy to throw his body around on the forecheck. Despite him rediscovering his offensive abilities this year, he has maintained his gritty style of play as well. He leads all Canucks skaters with 54 hits on the season.
Virtanen, who started the season as an afterthought, has become an extremely important player for the Canucks in just a few short months. It is sometimes easy to forget that Virtanen is only 23 years old. With the growth he is showing in just his fifth pro season, it appears he may be blossoming into a true NHL power forward.
Source: Brady Trettenero
