The Vancouver Canucks will be banking on more production from their young forwards in the upcoming 2018-19 season — and we’re not just talking about Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser and potentially Elias Pettersson.
After a long wait, fans will finally see the young kids take over from here on out. That means Jake Virtanen — the sixth-overall pick from 2014 — will finally get his chance to morph into a top-six forward. At least, that’s what the Canucks need him to become.
The Canucks passed on the likes of William Nylander and Nikolaj Ehlers, both of whom are established 60-point guys who’ve helped their respective teams (the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets), become playoff squads.