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 beat 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 did not 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. None of his teammates are though, and they are rallying behind him, “Nolan, he’s been through a lot,” Claude Giroux said yesterday. “You don’t want to mess around with head problems. Obviously we want Nolan back in the lineup, but we don’t want him before he’s 100 percent. He’s going to have a long career. He’s going to be a great player. I still remember practices this year and he came on the ice. The new coaches we had were kind of looking at us like this kid is pretty good. We want him to get healthy and he’s going to be a big piece for us this year.”
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.”
Patrick has registered 26 goals, and tallied 35 assists for a total of 61 points in 145 games played (For an average of .42 points per game). Not bad at all for just playing two seasons in the NHL, “You never know when the breakout’s going to be,” his best friend Travis Konecny said. “I think we all know and we’ve seen Patty at his best. We know what he brings. At this point, it’s just a matter of getting 100% and ready to rock and roll. We all know what Patty’s capable of doing and he’s a terrific player. He fits in with all the rest of the top picks that were picked.”
The young 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. Is he as good as Coots, no, but his defensive play cannot be taken for granted. 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.
“I’m told that there’s a tremendous amount of potential in Patrick’s case,” Alain Vigneault said at his exit interview via Zoom. Well, he sure does as 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 22-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 the 2018-19 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.
Sean Couturier says, “Some guys it takes a little longer than others. I think it’s important to be strong mentally and know yourself. Trust your skills. You know what you can do. I think Nolan still has a really bright future. He’s a really skilled player. We can’t wait to have him back with us.”
It’s a shame what has transpired for the young Nolan Patrick. Patrick has gone through so much this season, mentally and physically with being diagnosed with a Migraine Disorder, and he wants to play more than anything. The good thing is that his teammates have his back, and Patrick will return better and stronger than ever before next season. Happy Birthday Nolan, We have your back.
Go Patty show us what you got!