Ht/Wt: 6′ 1″/190 lbs
Position: C/LW
Team: Calgary (WHL)
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.
Profile from: Eldon MacDonald and Chris Ralph of The Hockey Writers – updated Feb. 26th
@IssHockey – “Uses his size exceptionally well. Combines skill-set on puck w/ fiery intensity” – Nov. 27th, 2013
Virtanen is a heads-up player who thinks the game well and is willing to get his nose dirty. He has slick hands, a dynamic shot and a strong stride that makes him dangerous. He can be outright dominant at times offensively with his blend of size, skill and speed. (August 2013)