Canucks: 3 questions facing Jake Virtanen in 2021

Can Virtanen be defensively responsible enough to play with Horvat?

Assuming that Virtanen starts the season playing somewhere inside Vancouver’s top-six forward group, the question that follows should be, who does he get to play with? Last season, Vancouver had one of the best top lines in the National Hockey League that consisted of Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, and Boeser.

It would be in the team’s best interest not to split that lineup, but that decision revolves around whether or not Virtanen can be relied on to play big defensive minutes. Vancouver’s second line, run by captain Bo Horvat, is used primarily as the team’s two-way line, but it’s their top duty to matchup against the opposition’s best players each and every night. But that’s something that Virtanen has struggled to do.

When it comes to Virtanen’s offensive capabilities, he appears ready to take on a top-six role. But over the years, Travis Green hasn’t shown much love towards Virtanen when it comes to playing defence. You could say that the trust isn’t quite there, and it’s going to be something that Virtanen needs to work on in order to be successful.

What Virtanen does this offseason could determine whether or not he’s the right man for the job. The Canucks have put a lot of time and effort into building Virtanen up to be a strong NHL competitor, and now it’s time for him to prove himself in the long-term.

Can Virtanen score over half a point per game next year?

For the first time in his career, Virtanen finished a season with more than half a point per game. The 2019-20 campaign was 69 games in length for the Canucks, and Virtanen walked away with 18 goals and 36 total points.

The season ended 13 games early and Virtanen would have likely scored 20 goals for the very first time, but he’ll get another crack at it in 2021. This time, Virtanen should have some better linemates feeding him the puck and he should see more high-danger scoring chances on the team’s second power play unit.

If Virtanen sticks inside the team’s top-six he should have no problem being a player who can produce. Even if he ends up being a spark plug on the team’s third line, Virtanen could still have a shot at producing career digits. Management is turning to their youth to help contribute this season, so any way you slice it, Virtanen should get a lot more opportunities.

What do you think Canucks Nation? What are Virtanen’s biggest question marks ahead of the 2021 campaign? Comment below and we can talk about it!