Canucks: 18 things Jake Virtanen needs to do to return to the lineup

Here are 18 things that Jake Virtanen can do to get himself back in the Vancouver Canucks’ starting lineup.

I have to give a shout-out to David Quadrelli for giving me his blessing to write this article after he paved the road with his Vancouver Canucks articles — 77 for Nikolay Goldobin and 51 — for Troy Stecher.

Thank you,David.

Jake Virtanen is obviously a fan favourite for Pepsi and V8 drinkers alike, his on ice skill is not in question as he was on pace to surpass 20 goals this season.

Head coach Travis Green has his system and Virtanen, who has been with Green since 2014 in Utica, seems to miss the mark on the system time and time again. Here are 18 things that Virtanen can do to make his way and stay in the lineup.

1. Be a professional

Green is an old fashioned coach. This is not only apparent in the way he talks and holds his players accountable, but also with his lineup. It’s been said that Jake would benefit by playing away from his hometown. Well, the bubble is in Edmonton with very few distractions. Virtanen needs to show Green that he can be a true professional, on and off the ice.

2. Get back into shape

There hasn’t been much time between the exhibition game and Game 1 on Sunday. In the bubble Jake can start using this time to hit the gym (like Loui Eriksson).

He may not make that much progress in such a short time, but he needs to put in the work. His conditioning is something that he has struggled with and that can’t happen with a coach as strict as Green.

3. Play some video games

Bonding with your teammates through whatever form is important, Jake could earn an inside track by playing some games with captain Bo Horvat. Video games also help improve cognitive function, and Jake could use help speeding up how he thinks the game.

4. Eat a Snickers

You’re not you when you’re hungry, and Jake has not been himself.

5. Practice hard, but not too hard

Virtanen had a bad training camp according to practically everyone except general manager Jim Benning. Chris Faber gave video updates during camp, and Virtanen did not show well. He got called out by Horvat for hitting Jalen Chatfield after making a mistake and missing on a chance. He can’t be getting frustrated and start doing careless things on the ice in practice.

 6. Put in extra work

Lots of players put in extra time after practice and Virtanen was not one of them. As per Jeff Paterson,

Jake stayed out a little bit on day one to take a few one-timers but there was nothing he worked on particularly, and clearly there was work that needed to be done.

7. Light a fire

Canucks fans have all seen Virtanen when he’s playing with a fire. His competitive edge comes out of hiding and he takes no prisoners.

Unfortunately he will have to do this with no game action to present itself, perhaps in a meeting with Green behind closed doors.