What a day of Flyers Training Camp this turned out to be. Patrick was flying all over the ice, and even scored in a shootout on Carter Hart.
I have some great news to inform the best fans in hockey about, Flyers fans of course. Nolan Patrick has been given the green light as he has been cleared for practice through the Flyers medical doctors yesterday. Chuck Fletcher has been very optimistic about this, and has spoken very highly about the young 22-year-old:
“Nolan, I watched him skate today. He’s an amazingly talented young man. He looked great. Feels good. Again, we’ll wait for the doctors to meet with him for the pre-season physical. Life is unpredictable. We certainly saw that last year. I can’t make predictions on anybody. I think we’re in a good shape going into camp. I guess we’ll have to wait and see how things going with Patty and how he feels. I don’t know that you take it slowly. If anything, everybody’s basically on the same page right now. Nobody’s in mid-season shape. In some ways, this might be the right time to re-introduce players back in. I know he hasn’t played in a while, but at the same time there’s seven teams that haven’t played games since last March. It’s going to be a different start for a lot of players and a lot of teams. Clearly, everybody will be in better form by mid-season than what they are at the beginning. It’s going to be relative even that way. It might be a good opportunity for everybody to get going on the same page.” – Flyers’ General Manager Chuck Fletcher said on 12-23-20
Patrick does a lot of things well on the ice. He is a good two-way player as his ability to shut down top lines is quite impressive. Patrick thinks defense first and this cannot be understated. He 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. Patrick 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.
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Nolan Patrick, “See how camp goes and go from there,” Patrick said following day one. Has he been cleared for contact??? Well, he wouldn’t elaborate on such, and wants to put last year behind him. Head Coach Alain Vigneault says they will take it day by day, and he has been cleared for contact.
This young 22-year-old in Patrick is just so darn talented. He is a giddy kid, good character guy in the locker room. Let’s hope Patrick continues to overcome his battles with this unfortunate Migraine Disorder, and comes back to year it up for the orange and black.
