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Jake Virtanen wants to rank among the top six forwards for the Vancouver Canucks and the young winger takes extra steps that season to make sure he'll be able to have one in 2018-1919.
Virtanen, who signed a two-year contract and 2.5 million on Wednesday, worked with stickhandling specialist and YouTube sensation Pavel Barber in the hope that he will give her an edge over competition.
"Honestly, after the second or third time I skated with him, I felt a big difference," Virtanen told Sportsnet 650 on Wednesday. "He gives me a lot of off-ice exercises too, so if I sit at home with a puck and a ball, I can do some exercises that he gives me." This is a very good stick coach.
Reach Deep
Jake Virtanen on Fitness, Mentor and Top Six
July 25, 2018
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Virtanen was selected sixth overall by the Canucks in 2014, but he has only 17 goals and 17 badists in his first 140 games in the NHL - far from the 85 goals and 161 points he has played in 192 games with The Hitmen Calgary's WHL
Barber, who holds frequent seminars across North America, teaches much more than just tricks to try shooting or practice and Virtanen said he's enjoying the practical side of this practice.
stuff in the game, it's really nice. A lot of puck protection and stuff like that, "said Virtanen." It's a very good guy. Everyone knows that he has pretty sick hands if you've seen his videos on YouTube and Instagram. He has very good hands, so it 's really nice to learn from him. He is a great mentor for me.
If his improved hands can pay dividends on the ice, we could see Virtanen get a spot on one of Vancouver's two best lines.
"I want to be that guy where my teammates know what they'll do to me every night," he said. "To be a top-six would be ideal and I want to win that, it's not going to be easy, we really have an alignment of [deep] so I'm excited when the camp comes in and sees how things are going."
Virtanen has scored 10 goals and 10 badists in 75 games this season.Do not shout "top six forward"
"I think I have not done a good job of scoring enough, "said Virtanen, who added that he thought improving his two-way game would give him more chances." Obviously, I know I can score goals but I just have to go there and do it. Just become fat and no matter how it goes, as long as it comes in.
"If you are a good guy in the defensive zone, he just goes into the offensive zone.If you get pucks, I can use my speed to beat the defenders on the front."
21-year-old averaged 17.4 shifts and 11:07 of ice time in his first 55 games, but these averages have increased 21.25 and 14:24 per game-time per game in his last 20 games Matches Through Enhanced Play Over the Season
"Last season, the last 20 games have been a great springboard for me and I've really shown how I can play," said Virtanen. But to go forward here, obviously, I still have a lot to prove to my teammates and to my coaching staff. I am just looking forward to going to camp. I'm counting the days. I am working on my off-season conditioning and I will be ready to go ahead when the camp arrives.
After spending most of the 2016-17 campaign with the Utica Comets in the American League, Virtanen said his 2017-18 goal was to get into a camp with a fresh mind, continue to learn to be an everyday NHL player and enjoy the Sedins as much as possible in their final season.
He did it. Now he is aiming to move on to the next step.
Bo Horvat enjoyed a solid performance in his third full season in the NHL and cashed in a six-year, $ 33 million contract. Virtanen's touchdown is set at $ 1.25 million for each of the next two seasons, but if he meets his goal of becoming a top scorer and a regular in the top six, the next contract could be much more lucrative than the one that he signed on Wednesday.
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