Despite What Some May Believe Flyers Nolan Patrick Is Far From A Bust

Photo Credit: Zack Hill

The Philadelphia Flyers had a string of good luck on Saturday April 29, 2017. They moved up 11 slots to the 2nd overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, and drafted a playmaker in Nolan Patrick. This was a life changing turn of events for this proud franchise. Patrick was a beast in Junior hockey while playing for the Brandon Wheat Kings, as he stands at 6’2″ and weighs 199 pounds. He dazzled opponents on a nightly basis, and torched opposing Goaltenders when he was healthy.

Following two off-seasons of soft training due to two sports hernia procedures in both off-seasons. Patrick finally had one full off-season where he could train as hard as he wanted to. He left us little doubt why he wouldn’t continue his success from the latter parts of the 2017-18 season, in which he tallied 17 points in his final 25 games of the Regular Season (13g,17a in 73 games played).

Unfortunately, Patrick had a few bouts with injuries in his 2018-19 campaign, and these injuries happened to come at the wrong time. He was making huge strides with his game, and it was apparent he was gaining confidence at the NHL level. 40 games before the All-Star break, Patrick only tallied 9 points, after that he tallied 22 points as he finished the season with 13g,18a for a total of 31 points in 72 games played. It appears that Patrick excels in the second half of the season.

In what would be his third season of Professional hockey, Patrick has yet (Hopefully the season reconvenes) to play a game due to a Migraine Disorder. It’s a darn shame he has to battle through this, and it’s also a darn shame that there are some people still calling him a BUST. A bust as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is, ” A complete failure : FLOP ,” and Patrick definitely does not fall into that category. I honestly cannot believe I have to write this article, as I was scrolling through my twitter line on Friday I came across these gems:

Chris Stewart was so right when I interviewed him back in December, “He’s the second overall pick, there’s a lot of pressure on him. That’s outside pressure, that’s not us. If it takes 40 or 50 games for him to get healthy, it doesn’t matter. He’s going to come back when he is ready, and make an impact for sure.”

Soooooo a player that has tallied 26 goals in 145 games played is a bust? Moreover, a player that has tallied 61 points in 145 games played (For an average of .42 points per game) is a bust? It’s just illogical to call Patrick a BUST. So I guess Sean Couturier was a bust in his first two seasons in the NHL. ‘Coots’ only posted 13g,14a in his rookie season, and in his second season he only posted 4g,11a. By some peoples’ standards he WAS a BUST.

Jack Hughes is a bust, as well, as he only tallied 7g,14a for a total of 21 points in his first season with the New Jersey Devils. Of course, he is right? Patrick tallied 9 more points than Hughes in his rookie campaign. I guess Dylan Strome is a bust too, as he only tallied 12g,26a in just his second full season in the NHL. Strome only tallied five more points than Patrick in his second season in the NHL.

Patrick does a lot of things well on the ice. His ability to shut down top lines, as he thinks Defense first cannot be understated. Patrick played on the top line with JVR, and Giroux in his second season, and he was faced with facing top line after top line on some nights. He closes gaps on players, much like Sean Couturier does so well. Moreover, Patrick finished with career highs in Points (31), Hits (72), TK (40), and Blocks (26). Even with a crazy year with Ron Hextall being fired, Dave Hakstol being fired, Wayne Simmonds being traded, and a locker room that went through influx, Patrick still managed to post career highs in those categories mentioned.

The Former Brandon Wheat King product, Patrick has great vision, and gets into the open areas of the ice. One area of his game that needs improvement, however, is finishing. Yes, he was been snake bit at times with hitting posts, but Patrick has to finish the play more often. Sometimes he thinks pass first, as opposed to just shooting the biscuit at the net. This will come in time, and I’m confident that this will come over time. It took Sean Couturier time to develop his game the way it has, and the same will follow suit with Patrick.

This young 21-year-old in Patrick is just so darn talented. He is a giddy kid, good character guy in the locker room, as he sang Lionel Richie’s big hit, “All Night Long,” throughout the course of last season. Moreover, Patrick stated to me in an interview in 2017 before the Flyers drafted him, “To the fans, I’m a passionate guy. I want to win. I know they want to win. You’re getting an energy type player who works very hard. I stop at nothing, and just want to succeed.”  Having patience with this young man will pay huge dividends in the future for the Flyers. I ask those that call Patrick a bust, would you have the nerve to call him a bust to his face?