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Nolan Patrick

Nolan Patrick Could Play Before End Of Season

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If you were the GM of the Philadelphia Flyers, sitting in fifth place in the Metropolitan but within striking distance of a divisional playoff spot, you might look at your team and wonder what it would take to push them into contender status.

The goaltending could use an upgrade, but at this point you’ve pretty much committed to your young blue chip prospect Carter Hart. The defense is led by an up-and-coming Norris contender and grizzled Stanley Cup champion. The forward group is talented, especially with Travis Konecny taking another step this season, but may still be missing a piece in the middle-six. Perhaps a player versatile enough to play both center and wing, with upside to deliver a game-winning performance at any time.

Enter Nolan Patrick, the second-overall pick from 2017 and current long-term injured reserve resident. The young forward hasn’t played all season due to a migraine issue, but GM Chuck Fletcher hasn’t ruled him out for the year. In fact, Fletcher seems to be leaning toward Patrick playing before the end of the season:

I do expect him to play again this year but that’s just my guess. He’s been skating harder. Skated again today. Getting his heart rate up higher. I think he’s feeling a bit better.

I can tell you from the on- and off-ice workouts he’s doing, he is progressing but there certainly isn’t any clear path as to which way this will go. He’s skating at a higher level. I watched him today. His skill level is still there, shooting the puck great. I guess the important thing is when we get to the point where he is feeling well enough to take that next step. He’s been working hard at his conditioning.

Patrick, 21, has struggled with injuries since before he was even drafted. A sports hernia stole several months of his draft year with he Brandon Wheat Kings, likely costing him the first-overall spot and a chance to play for Canada at the World Juniors. Just before going second to the Flyers, it was discovered that he needed another abdominal surgery to repair a second hernia. They took him anyway, and though he would end up being ready for the start of the 2017-18 season, the young forward still missed important time in the summer before his NHL career started while recovering.

In his first two seasons with the Flyers, Patrick played just 73 and 72 games while dealing with more minor injuries. This year’s total will be much lower, if he does get back into game action at all. Philadelphia would obviously welcome him back, even if he did score just 61 points through his first 145 regular season games.

That disappointing total along with his health issues make Patrick a very interesting case to watch as his contract comes to an end this season. A restricted free agent in July, he certainly won’t be getting the same kind of extension that Nico Hischier signed in October. The first-overall pick was locked up by the New Jersey Devils for seven years and $50.75MM. No one else from his draft class has signed an extension yet, as even top talents like Miro Heiskanen and Elias Pettersson didn’t enter the NHL right away.

When Fletcher spoke on the trade market today, he did suggest that the team might not want to push one of their young players out of a roster spot. Patrick though would be an internal addition if he can make it back this season.

Snapshots: Wild, Abdelkader, Patrick

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Wild GM Bill Guerin recently visited with top prospect Kirill Kaprizov in Russia.  He hadn’t had a chance to meet with Kaprizov since taking over as GM and while the team certainly wants the winger to sign with Minnesota for next season, he told Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) that they didn’t get into specific discussions regarding next year and will simply reassess things at the end of his KHL season.

Nonetheless, Guerin did acknowledge that he has given some thought towards trying to add a Russian player to their roster with an eye on having that player help Kaprizov transition to the Wild and the NHL.  That’s a move that they can wait to next year to make if they want but if it’s something that’s being considered, it also could have an impact on any trade discussions they have between now and the end of the season as well.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • Red Wings winger Justin Abdelkader is nearing a return to the lineup. Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press notes that he returned to practice for the first time on Tuesday and could be available for their next game on Saturday.  The veteran has been out with a mid-body injury since November 10th and would be a welcome addition to a Detroit lineup that has been hit hard by the injury bug and has lost ten straight games.
  • It has been a rough season for Flyers center Nolan Patrick. Diagnosed with a migraine disorder, he was initially believed to only need a couple of weeks to recover to the point where they didn’t put him on LTIR.  Seven weeks went by and he was eventually transferred there.  Now, as Patrick told reporters including NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jordan Hall, he’s simply hopeful to play at all this season.  Patrick is in the final year of his contract and instead of looking at a potential long-term extension, the focus now is simply getting back to playing first and foremost.

Laughton Activated, Patrick Moved To Long-Term Injured Reserve

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The Philadelphia Flyers have activated Scott Laughton from injured reserve after nearly a month on the sidelines, moving Nolan Patrick to long-term injured reserve in the process. Patrick’s placement there gives the team the cap flexibility to get Laughton back onto the roster, but doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be out any longer. The young forward could be activated as soon as he is healthy, given he has already missed the necessary amount of games with his migraine issue.

Laughton, 25, played nine games in October and ended up with three points before breaking a finger on his right hand. Though he wasn’t a huge offensive contributor, the Flyers lost one of their most reliable penalty killers and a depth piece that could move around the lineup. His return gives them another option down the middle, something they’ve been missing with Patrick out of the lineup.

The second-overall pick from 2017, Patrick has had two relatively underwhelming seasons so far in his NHL career. Not only did he miss time due to injury both years, but he also recorded just 61 points in 145 games. Though playing in the NHL at that age is an accomplishment for anyone, the Flyers were obviously hoping for a little bit more this year from the top pick. Unfortunately, Patrick has been sidelined indefinitely with a migraine issue and hasn’t played a single game so far.

The latest update from Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer was that Patrick had made some progress but has still not been cleared to return.

Injury Updates: Vesey, Montour, Patrick, Sharks, Jets

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While the Sabres listed Jimmy Vesey as out week-to-week due to an upper-body injury at the beginning of this week, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports that the winger may wind up returning as soon as Saturday.  If that happens, he’ll wind up missing only three games due to the issue which was sustained last Thursday.  He wasn’t placed on IR so they won’t need to make a roster move when he’s ready to return.

One player that they will soon have to activate off IR though is defenseman Brandon Montour.  Harrington notes that the blueliner is likely to make his season debut on Friday against Washington although it’s unknown who he’ll line up with.  However, as Buffalo currently has an open spot under the 23-man limit, they won’t need to send anyone to the minors in order to bring Montour back onto the active roster.

Other injury news around the league:

  • While it looked like Flyers center Nolan Patrick was progressing towards a return, GM Chuck Fletcher poured some cold water on the thought he’d be back soon, telling reporters, including Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia, that there’s no change to Patrick’s status and that they hope he continues to improve. The 21-year-old has missed the entire season so far with migraine issues and while he had started skating with the team, he appears to have been backed off for now as he didn’t skate today.
  • Sharks center Dylan Gambrell has been ruled out through the weekend due to an upper-body injury, reports Kevin Kurz of The Athletic (Twitter link). That means he’ll miss at least the next two games.  Meanwhile, Kurz adds that defenseman Radim Simek will play another game in the minors on his rehab assignment on Friday and then be re-evaluated to see if he’s ready to make his season debut with the Sharks.  With no timeline for Dalton Prout to return, they could certainly use the extra depth on the roster.
  • Jets winger Patrik Laine will miss his second straight game on Friday due to a lower-body issue, notes Ken Wiebe of The Athletic (Twitter link). Center Bryan Little’s availability is also in question.  Accordingly, Wiebe expects Winnipeg to recall a forward tomorrow; they have an open roster spot following the demotion of blueliner Ville Heinola earlier today.

Injury Updates: Patrick, Vilardi, DeKeyser

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Flyers center Nolan Patrick is getting closer to a return to the lineup as Sam Carchidi of The Philadelphia Inquirer notes that the youngster participated in practice in full with the team on Wednesday.  However, head coach Alain Vigneault was quick to caution that he’ll need more than a few skates with the team before getting clearance to play after missing the entire season so far with a migraine disorder.  Accordingly, he’s still probably at least a week away from returning although the fact that he has progressed to practices over light morning skates is promising.  Patrick is still exempt from waivers until he plays in his ninth NHL game this season so considering how long he has missed, a stint in the minors to work off some rust is a distinct possibility while it would also allow Philadelphia to bank a bit of much-needed cap space.

Other injury notes from around the league:

  • Kings prospect Gabriel Vilardi returned to the ice for the first time on Tuesday as he tries to work his way back from continued back trouble, reports Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider. The injury limited him to just four games on an AHL conditioning stint last season and limited him in his post-draft year as well.  The 2017 first-round pick is expected to be evaluated at the end of the week and on a week-by-week basis after that.  It still sounds as if he’s a long way from returning but getting back on the ice is a start.
  • Red Wings defenseman Danny DeKeyser missed the final few minutes of Detroit’s last game on Tuesday with an undisclosed injury and it will hold him out of tonight’s game at the very least. Dana Wakiji of the Red Wings’ team site mentions (Twitter link) that the blueliner has left the team to return to Detroit for further evaluation.  DeKeyser is second on the team in average ice time per game as he checks in at 22:04 per night.

Evening Notes: Gudbranson, Lehner, Patrick, Gurianov

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With nine defensemen on the roster, the Pittsburgh Penguins are loaded in blueliners. It also can make things difficult with multiple players being forced to sit in the press box. One player that has spent the last two games on the sidelines as a healthy scratch is Erik Gudbranson. The 27-year-old has had to give way to give playing time to rookie John Marino, which frustrates Gudbranson, according to Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“It’s frustrating. Very frustrating,” Gudbranson said. “It’s part of being an NHL player, I guess. I’ve worked hard, did a lot of really good things this year. I feel pretty much back to what I used to be. I’ve got a few years of separation from my surgeries and whatnot. I put a lot of work into being here. So it’s frustrating.”

Gudbranson, however, isn’t taking his frustration out on the rookie either, as the veteran has tried to help Marino and refuses to give the cold shoulder to him either, recalling that Keaton Ellerby did the same thing to him with the Florida Panthers when Gudbranson was breaking into the league back in 2011.

  • John Dietz of the Daily Herald writes that many Chicago fans assumed there would be a goaltending controversy after the Blackhawks signed Jennings and Masterson Trophy winner Robin Lehner to a one-year deal in the offseason, giving them two impressive goalies along with Corey Crawford. However, Lehner is making it clear that he wants to play as much as he can this season. “No one has told me that I have come in as a backup or a starter,” said Lehner. “What I like is when you come to a team that has been underperforming for a few years after being so great, you come in to a position where you (earn) your starts. If you play well, you’re probably going to play.”
  • Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes that Philadelphia Flyers forward Nolan Patrick skated with his teammates for the first time. Patrick, suffering from a migraine disorder, took an encouraging step, but still remains far away from returning to game action. “It’s still a week-to-week process, but it was real good to see him on the ice with the guys,” Flyers coach Alain Vigneault. Patrick has been skating on his own for about a month. The team hopes to get him back soon and fill their third-line center role.
  • After netting a hat trick on the day after being demoted to the AHL, Dallas Stars forward Denis Gurianov now must prove to the Dallas Stars that he can be a consistent player. The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro suggests that his performance tonight for the Texas Stars could suggest where the young forward is at with the organization. Gurianov, who started the season with Dallas, didn’t record a point in three games. However, his history after big games is to disappear the next.

Metropolitan Notes: Barzal, Patrick, Schneider

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Islanders center Mathew Barzal is one of the prominent restricted free agents of the 2020 class but it appears as if there is at least some interest in getting an early extension done.  Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports (subscription required) that the team has already held preliminary discussions with his Barzal’s agent J.P. Barry and that the two sides plan to sit down sometime over the next little while to really kick start discussions.  With 147 points over 166 games in his first two NHL seasons and a top-line center role, it’s possible that Barzal could command close to $10MM on a long-term deal based on some of the comparables around the league over the past year.  It’s worth noting that New York already has more than $66MM in commitments for 2020-21 to 16 players so Barzal’s next contract will wind up pushing them right towards the Upper Limit.

Other notes from the Metropolitan:

  • While there is no definitive timetable for his return, Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher told Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Daily News and Inquirer that he doesn’t intend on placing center Nolan Patrick on LTIR at this time. The 21-year-old was diagnosed with a migraine disorder late in the preseason which has put the start of his 2019-20 campaign on hold.  By holding off on putting him on LTIR, it appears that Philadelphia is hopeful that Patrick will be back within the first ten games or 24 days of the season.
  • Although Devils goaltender Cory Schneider left Friday’s game with what was believed to be an injury, the issue isn’t a serious one. The team announced (Twitter link) that he was dealing with cramping and that it was effectively managed by the training staff which allowed him to travel with the team and be available to play against Buffalo tonight.

Nolan Patrick Diagnosed With Migraine Disorder

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The Philadelphia Flyers released some bad news today, announcing that young forward Nolan Patrick will not be ready for the start of the season. Patrick has been diagnosed with a migraine disorder and will not travel with the team to Europe. Officially listed as week-to-week, this is a disappointing start to Patrick’s year.

It hasn’t been a smooth ride since the summer of 2016, when Patrick was crowned as the top draft eligible prospect in the world. He had just completed an incredible second season of junior hockey with the Brandon Wheat Kings, scoring 41 goals and 102 points in the regular season while leading the entire WHL playoffs in scoring with 30 points in 21 games. He looked like the sure-fire first overall pick, but hernia surgery before the 2017-18 campaign changed everything. Patrick was limited to just 33 games for the Wheat Kings and missed the entire WHL playoffs with a leg injury suffered on the last day of the regular season. Nico Hischier ended up leapfrogging Patrick for the top spot in the 2017 draft, and his injury trouble never really stopped.

Though Patrick has played in 145 games across the first two seasons of his career, neither one was injury-free and his production has been limited because of it. With 13 goals in each season and 61 total points, some have already started to question whether he was worth the second overall pick. By any measure, that critique is unfair at this point. Patrick only turned 21 a week ago and could still develop into the first-line center that many projected him to be back in 2016. That development is contingent on getting healthy though, and starting an important season with a migraine diagnosis certainly doesn’t inspire confidence.

Hopefully the young forward will be able to deal with this issue and get back into the Flyers lineup—he still skated today, but has already been ruled out to start the year—before too long.

Metropolitan Notes: St. Louis, Mattheos, Patrick, Capitals

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It looks like the coaching career of former NHL star Martin St. Louis will be put on hold. The Hall of Famer, who had spent half of last season in an advisory role with the Columbus Blue Jackets last season, said that he won’t be back with Columbus in 2019-20, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required).

Blue Jackets’ head coach John Tortorella said that St. Louis’ situation will just be put on pause as he tends to family matters.

“I really enjoyed working with the team last year and want to thank Jarmo (Kekalainen, the general manager), (coach John Tortorella) and everyone at the Blue Jackets for the opportunity,” St. Louis said in a statement released via the team. “While I would have loved to do it again, my priority continues to be my family and those commitments would make it too difficult this year. They have a really good, young team and I wish them the best of luck.”

  • The Carolina Hurricanes got some good news today as prospect Stelio Mattheos returned to the ice today after the team announced last month that the 20-year-old would miss training camp after being diagnosed with testicular cancer and would need time to undergo treatment. Those treatments have now been completed and he’s ready to return to hockey, according to NHL.com’s Michael Smith. Mattheos, a third-round pick in 2017, had just completed two impressive years with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings, where he combined for 87 goals and 186 points. He then joined the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL in their Calder Cup Championship run in which he scored three goals in 14 games and had hoped to challenge for a spot on the Hurricanes roster this summer. While he’s almost guaranteed to be spending much of the year with Charlotte, although he is now cancer free, which is great news.
  • Philadelphia Flyers center Nolan Patrick has been dealing with injuries on and off for years, but was listed was listed as week-to-week several days ago. Now, Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault told Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi that he doesn’t know if Patrick will be ready for the season opener. In fact, it looks unlikely that the 20-year-old will be ready for the start of the season. Patrick, the team’s second overall pick back in 2016, has struggled in his development over two years although injuries didn’t help that. However, the team finally went out and traded for the rights to center Kevin Hayes and then eventually signed him to be their second-line center, which would allow Patrick more time to develop as a third-line option instead. However, now an upper-body injury has held him back throughout training camp even though he has skated on his own since then, suggesting it could be another concussion-related injury, although nothing is confirmed on that. The team hopes Patrick will be back as quickly as possible.
  • Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan reports that two Washington Capitals skaters, including Lars Eller and Michal Kempny were skating Saturday. Eller has been out with a upper body injury, while Kempny has been dealing with a hamstring injury. No word on what their status will be for the start of the regular season.

 

 

Metropolitan Notes: Jarry, Johnson, Patrick, Kempny

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have a goaltending dilemma approaching them. The team has three goaltenders who are competing for the two spots on the Penguins roster with Tristan Jarry battling with incumbent Casey DeSmith for the backup spot behind Matt Murray. However, while the competition was the exact same one year ago, the Penguins were able to keep all three by simply sending Tristan Jarry to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL.

That may not be as easy this year, according to TribLive’s Seth Rohrabaugh. Jarry, who was waiver exempt last season, no longer will be, meaning Pittsburgh would have to pass him through waivers if they want to send Jarry back to the AHL. Rohrabaugh adds that the Penguins did attempt to move the 24-year-old this summer, but failed to get a decent return on any trade. However, general manger Jim Rutherford may have no choice but to look at trade options once again and even have to settle for a late draft pick as there is a good chance the team could lose him if Jarry can’t beat out DeSmith. Either way, there is a good chance Pittsburgh might lose one of their goaltenders before the season starts.

  • Sticking with the Penguins, The Athletic’s Rob Rossi (subscription required) writes that while Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson says he’s equal at playing on both sides of the defense, head coach Mike Sullivan says he intends to move him back to his natural left-side in hopes of getting more out of the 32-year-old blueliner. Sullivan prefers to keep all his defensemen on their natural side, if possible. At the moment, the coach has Johnson penciled in next to Justin Schultz, who brought out the best in him.
  • Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi reports that Philadelphia Flyers forward Nolan Patrick skated today and attended a team meeting, but the 20-year-old is considered week-to-week due to an upper-body injury. Patrick, who already moved back a line after the team signed Kevin Hayes this summer, must prove that he can avoid the injury bug as the center has struggled off and on with minor injuries throughout his first two seasons.
  • J.J. Regan of NBC Sports writes that Washington Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny is doubtful to play in the preseason after undergoing surgery to repair a torn left hamstring in April, but the Capitals hope that he might be ready for the start of the regular season. Kempny, who has become one of Washington’s most reliable defensemen since they acquired him from Chicago at the 2018 trade deadline, but the 29-year-old hasn’t skated yet at any team practices.

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