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Nolan Patrick

Vegas Golden Knights Trying To Move Into Top-3

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If you’ve read or taken part in any of the live chats, you’ll know that I’ve firmly believed for a while that the Vegas Golden Knights would find a way to get into the top couple of picks to get their hands on Nolan Patrick. Darren Dreger of TSN lends credence to that idea, with a recent report that the Golden Knights are still pushing to get into the top three selections. He also mentions the New York Rangers, fresh off acquiring the seventh-overall selection as a possibility to move up again.

Vegas of course has a deep connection with Patrick through Assistant General Manager Kelly McCrimmon, who drafted and developed Patrick with the Brandon Wheat Kings before moving to the NHL’s expansion franchise. Patrick—or even Nico Hischier—would give the Knights an immediate player to market in the city as the first face of the franchise, especially as more and more believe he’s ready to make the jump next year.

With Vadim Shipachyov likely taking first-line center duties in the Golden Knights’ first season, Patrick (or Hischier) could be brought along in a more sheltered role and allowed to develop at his own pace. Don’t underestimate him though, as while he’s not Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews he does have tremendous potential to be an elite two-way center in the league.

For the Rangers, moving up to grab one of the top centers would be a huge move after trading away Derek Stepan earlier today. While Mika Zibanejad looks like he’ll be an excellent center for many years, adding another top prospect down the middle would be exciting for that fan base. They could also go after one of the top defensemen, with Miro Heiskanen and Cale Makar both getting top-pick love from around the scouting community. Those two have very different skill sets, but could both anchor play in a top pair in the future.

If either team does move up into the top three slots, it would mean one of New Jersey, Philadelphia or Dallas would be moving down. It’s not clear who is the most likely to do that, though the Stars have been clear about their willingness to move down if the right offer came along. With them also showing interest in the Golden Knights’ Marc Methot, hold on to your hats for the next few hours.

Draft Notes: Suzuki, Makar, Hischier, Patrick

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The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy believes that Owen Sound’s Nick Suzuki could very well be the steal of the draft. Suzuki, who has seen explosive growth in his draft stock, scored 96 points (45-51) in 65 games. Suzuki passes the standard and advanced stats test for many. Kennedy writes:

Scouts love his skill and his compete level. What’s even more intriguing is that, by advanced stats that I have seen, Suzuki was the best possession forward in the entire draft class – better than Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier by a mile.

NHL.com’s Mike Morreale writes that NHL Central Scouting tagged Suzuki as the tenth best prospect in North America, while scout Matt Ryan regards Suzuki as a “consistent prospect” who continuously improved as the season went on. Ryan also notes that had one of the “toughest schedule against the toughest competition,” and still managed to produce eye popping numbers and performances. While there are a glut of centers primed to be taken in the top ten, it would not be shocking to see Suzuki crack the top ten.

  • Could Cale Makar be the first overall pick? The Calgary Herald’s Wes Gilbertson reports that one scout who spoke to TSN’s Bob McKenzie said he would take Makar first overall if he had that pick. Gilbertson writes that the “smooth skating” defenseman won’t be waiting long in Chicago for his name to be called, and that 27 teams were interested in talking to him at the NHL scouting combine. Picks in the top ten will be heavy with defensemen and centers, and Makar appears to be one who could have his name called as early as the top three. Some scouts have even compared him to Erik Karlsson, who was the fifteenth pick overall in the 2008 NHL draft. Adding more to this theory, ESPN Insider Corey Pronman predicts that Makar will be selected by New Jersey at number one instead of  Hischier or Patrick.
  • On the topic of Hischier and Patrick, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi adds to the speculation that the Devils could very well take a defenseman at #1, which would give the Flyers the first crack at the two centers. Carchidi writes, however, that neither center cares who goes first. Both players had dinner with Flyers GM Ron Hextall in separate gatherings, and Patrick believes he is fully recovered from the injuries he fought through during the 2016-17 season. Regardless of who they pick, the Flyers will sit pretty should the Devils take a defenseman and leave two prized centermen for Philadelphia.

USA, Canada Release World Junior Camp Rosters

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As national hockey programs start their development programs for this year’s World Junior Championships, rosters were revealed today for the reigning finalists. Team Canada released its development camp roster, while Team USA announced the roster for the Summer Showcase.

These are both U20 rosters, and include many players already selected by NHL teams. They also include top prospects for the upcoming entry draft, as well as some for 2018. They’ll be paired down considerably before the tournament, but even being part of the selection process is a help to a young player’s development. The teams will face off at the Showcase in a series of 12 games, also meeting squads from Finland and Sweden. The full rosters are below:

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Entry Draft Notes: Avalanche, Stars, Flyers

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The Colorado Avalanche seem to be at least entertaining the possibility of moving down in the draft. According to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post, the team is split internally over whether to select the best player available or to draft a dynamic defenseman, which is their biggest organizational need at the moment. Finding the proper balance between these two philosophies is always difficult, and ultimately, the scouts are the ones who need to believe in a particular player. It is interesting to note that Chambers doesn’t see defender Cale Makar being taken that early in the draft, and that the Avalanche might be “stuck” selecting another forward. Makar actually got votes for the top pick from one of TSN’s analysts, and there are many who believe he will hop into the top-5. Bob McKenzie actually had him slotted in at that #4 spot, so it’s a bit difficult to determine what the Avalanche are thinking here.

If the organization did decide to trade to a lower pick, as director of amateur scouting Alan Hepple says is “a scenario…that they’re ready for”, it would likely include a piece that will provide more immediate help for the team. After a 48 point season, that could mean plugging a hole at practically any position. It’s a lot to consider, especially in light of the Matt Duchene trade rumors which haven’t stopped swirling since they began halfway through the season. This article will only keep more eyes peeled on the team from Denver headed into Friday’s draft.

  • The Flyers don’t seem to have the blinders on regarding their #2 selection, according to Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  They are spending most of their time and energy focusing on the later rounds. This makes sense for any team with a top selection, but especially for Philadelphia who will almost certainly draft whichever of Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier remains. The team is heavily invested in looking to load up on offensive talent, and with 11 picks in this year’s draft, they’ve set themselves up very well. One of the major criticisms for the team in recent drafting has been the over-emphasis on physicality and intangibles, while ignoring more dynamic offensive players. We’ll see if they can avoid that pitfall this weekend.
  • The Stars look to be leaning away from the big Windsor forward Gabriel Vilardi, according to Sean Shapiro of NHL.com. He also speculates that Dallas is particularly high on the aforementioned Makar and HIFK’s shifty Miro Heiskanen. They look to be focusing on defense for another draft, and with their top-end offense it’s no wonder why. They just exposed Cody Eakin to Vegas because of their glut of center-men, and even though Vilardi is an exceptional, versatile forward – he’s not a need. Both Makar and Heiskanen were ranked in the top-5 final rankings by McKenzie, so it’s difficult to see Dallas moving from their #3 position.

Snapshots: Top-93, Healy, Vegas Deals

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TSN has released their final ranking for the 2017 Entry Draft, and Nico Hischier has finally overtaken Nolan Patrick at the very top. Bob McKenzie who compiles the list based on a survey of 10 working scouts, writes that Patrick now only received four votes for the top spot, with Cale Makar even getting a single #1 vote.

That’s a much different ranking than earlier in the season when Patrick was the unanimous selection, and shows the volatility this year’s draft board. Even at #1 there is no consensus, and there are dozens of players who could go in the top-10. With such different boards around the league, there may be quite a bit of movement in the first round as teams target who they want.

  • Former NHL goaltender Glenn Healy has been named Executive Director of the NHL Alumni Association. Healy has worked with the NHLPA in the past and had been working as the interim Director for the NHLAA. He’ll lose the interim tag now and got a ringing endorsement from Wayne Gretzky himself, saying that Healy “is the right guy to lead us into the future.”
  • Scott Cullen of TSN believes there is at least seven side deals completed with Vegas in order to protect extra players or have a particular player selected. That would explain some of the interesting choices in yesterday’s protection list reveal, such as Minnesota and Anaheim leaving top flight defenders available. The Islanders, Penguins, Blackhawks, and Blue Jackets are also expected to have deals already in place, though nothing will be official until the expansion selections come out on Wednesday night.

Draft History Suggests Hischier Goes to Devils

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While most people believe that the New Jersey Devils will be selecting Nolan Patrick with the No. 1 overall pick this Friday, Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi writes that looking back at general manager Ray Shero’s history, it’s more likely that the Devils will take Nico Hischier at that spot. The scribe interviewed Ryan Wagman, who is the head scouting director of McKeen’s Hockey, who says that Shero’s draft history all the way back to 2006 in Pittsburgh shows that he has a tendency to focus on dynamic players.

While Wagman has Patrick listed as No. 1 on his scouting list, he believes that Hischier is the more dynamic of the two and Shero may lean that way, allowing the Flyers to get the most-ready player in the draft in Patrick. He describes Patrick as a solid all-around player, who will be ready to handle the physicality of the NHL immediately. Injuries have affected him, but Patrick attempted to show everyone at the scouting combine a couple of weeks ago that he’s healthy. Wagman compares Patrick to a young Eric Staal, who was the No. 2 overall pick in 2003 and went to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Hischier has better skills, but needs time to grow into his body. However, Wagman claims that Hischier has dynamic puck skills, is a great skater and is more of a two-way player and be more attractive to Shero has time to wait. He compares Hischier to Washington’s Evgeny Kuznetsov, who was a first-rounder in 2010. He adds that while Patrick is 100 percent ready to join an NHL team immediately, Hischier is more of an 80 percent chance. While he has the skills to play in the NHL, it’s more likely his body needs more time unless he is paired up with teammates that can protect him.

Snapshots: Despres, Shero, Hextall, Flames

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Anaheim general manager Bob Murray released a statement regarding the buyout of defenseman Simon Despres. The 25-year-old was placed on waivers earlier in the day with the intention of being bought out. Murray said the following from Anaheim’s twitter account:

“Simon Despres is a good hockey player and a good person. But, at this point, we feel it is the best interests of both Simon and the organization to part ways. We wish him the very best in the future.”

Despres responded as well on Twitter, writing:

“I’d like to thank the for a wonderful 2 and a half years. I wish my teammates all the best moving forward.”

  • Ray Shero still has the #1 pick with a week to go before the draft writes the AP’s Tom Canavan. Shero isn’t denying that he could still trade the pick away, but for all intents and purposes, he told his staff to prepare for taking someone with the first overall choice. The next question: who would they take? Shero told Canavan that the draft reminds him of 2013, where there were four very good players in Nathan MacKinnon, Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Drouin, and Seth Jones. Canavan writes that the Devils need a goal scorer, which would definitely be found in either Nolan Patrick or Nico Hischier, both believed to be the top two prospects in the draft.
  • Flyers general manager Ron Hextall might still make a move writes Philadelphia Inquirer’s  Sam Carchidi. Saying there was a 25-75% chance he makes a move, Hextall is going with the 7-3-1 format and has to decide between Michal Neuvirth and Anthony Stolarz when choosing the one goaltender to protect. Hextall calls it a more “philosophical” decision than a “difficult” one since it essentially comes down to picking a veteran or a rookie. Carchidi also writes that Hextall may still re-sign Steve Mason while saying that he will not be buying out any contracts. Sitting behind New Jersey with the second pick, Hextall also professes to having “no idea” what the Devils will do with the first overall pick.
  • Postmedia’s Kristen Odland reports that the process of an expansion draft is especially taxing to players who have no idea what to expect. She quotes assistant general manager Craig Conroy, who survived an expansion draft with the St.Louis Blues in both 1998 and 2000. Conroy likened it to the trade deadline, saying there’s nothing players can do about it and that they “signed up for this.” Odland lists netminder Brian Elliott as a question mark, wondering if he’ll be protected as free agency looms. With a goalie market that isn’t exactly full of options, she believes that he could be protected, but his struggles during the playoffs may be a reason he’s left off the list.

Top Performers At The NHL Combine

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While the combine results for top NHL prospects are taken with only a grain of salt relative to their NFL counterparts, combine weekend does allow for teams to pick up some key information about a player’s physical ability that may make a difference as to when their name is called on June 23rd. While there is always a player whose lackluster performance gets the attention of the media – the victim this year was Casey Mittelstadt and his inability to do a pull-up – other players can instead gain the attention of scouts by showcasing their athleticism.

This year, two players stood out above all the rest: Joshua Norris and Morgan Geekie. Norris put on a clinic at the combine, finishing first in the vertical jump (26.19 inches), long jump (118 inches), and shuttle (4.19 seconds), as well as placing near the top of pull-ups and fitness exercises. A 6’1″, 192-lb. center out of the U.S. National Development Program, Norris was ranked 34th among North American skaters in the NHL’s final prospect rankings and has been projected as a second-round pick, but given the athleticism he put on display this weekend, he could be pushing for a late first-round selection. Geekie, also a center and standing at 6’2″, 178-lbs., may not slide into the first, but has surely moved up some draft boards, up from his #45 ranking towards the top of the second round after his performance. Geekie finished third in the long jump (114.5 inches) and also placed near the top of many other workouts including the vertical jump, shuttle, pull-ups, and grip strength measurements. The Tri-City pivot showed a wide range of physical ability.

Others who excelled at combine workouts included several first-round candidates. Kailer Yamamoto was measured as having the top VO2 max of the class, a metric of oxygen consumption and thus stamina, and also finished second in the shuttle (4.2 seconds, 4.38 seconds) and in the top ten of pull-ups and fitness testing. At just 5’8″ and 153-lbs., many have been critical of the Spokane Chiefs right wing, but this showing of strength and athleticism may help to quell some of those concerns over his size. Another smaller player, potential top-ten defenseman Cale Makar, was similarly successful. The 5’11”, 180-lb. UMass-bound blue liner finished third in the shuttle (4.39 seconds) and near the top of both the vertical jump and long jump, displaying the explosiveness in his legs that helps him fly around the ice. On the other side of the size scale, 6’6″, 200-lb. Isaac Ratcliffe was not only measured as having the longest wingspan of the group (81.29 inches), but also finished third in VO2 max and near the top in the shuttle and long jump. A big man with a reach, strong legs, and stamina? The Guelph left winger seems like a lock to be taken in the first round now. Other standout skaters included Sault Ste. Marie center Morgan Frost, who could be hearing his name called on Day One after ranking first in fitness and third in the vertical jump (24.63 inches), Scott Reedy, who was all over the map with the top mark in grip strength (170 lbs. lefty), second-best VO2 max, and a high mark in the shuttle, and Owen Sound lefty Jonah Gadjovich, who had the second best grip with his primary hand (164 lbs.) and also excelled at the bench press and pull-ups. Look out for American prep school defensive prospect Jack Rathbone, who finished at the top of the pull-up charts with 13 and excelled on the bench press as well, and USHL defenseman Mario Ferraro, who had a well-rounded workout finishing among the best in the bench press, pull-ups, grip strength, and shuttles. Though late-round prospects, guys like Rathbone and Ferraro can use the combine to differentiate themselves from other lesser-known names.

A couple of goalies looked to stand out in a deep keeper draft as well, as both Dayton Rasmussen and Ian Scott shown bright at the combine. Rasmussen had the most bench reps of any player in attendance (17) and the second-best vertical jump as well (25.56 inches). Rasmussen, who played in the USHL last year, could use the extra attention. He also placed well in the long jump, but Scott stole his thunder in that exercise. Scott, of  the Prince Albert Raiders, is a more well-known prospect, but still one of many good goalies in this class. His size and strength could help to give him an edge though, as displayed by his 117.5-inch long jump, second-best of the weekend, and strong vertical jump, as well as his 78.5-inch wingspan.

What of the draft’s top two prospects, Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier? Hischier had the highest ranking in any one event, tying Rathbone atop the pull-up charts with 13, but the bigger news was his all-around domination over Patrick. The Swiss center edged out his rival in pull-ups, the long jump, the shuttle, and fitness and VO2 testing and only narrowly lost out in the vertical jump. The only workout where Patrick had a clear advantage was the bench press, where he repped 70% of his 198-lb. frame 12 times while Hischier could only manage seven reps of 70% of his 176 lbs.

James Patrick Leaves NHL To Coach WHL’s Kootenay Ice

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Over the past decade, James Patrick has been the right hand man of one of the NHL’s most well-known coaches, Lindy Ruff. However, Ruff’s future is in doubt after the Dallas Stars declined to extend both he and Patrick. Patrick has embraced the unknown and decided to strike out on his own. The Kootenay Ice of the major junior Western Hockey League announced today that they have hired Patrick as their new head coach. It is a three-year contract for Patrick, as he looks to turn around the team that finished dead last in the WHL in 2016-17.

Patrick is long overdue for a head coaching job. Patrick finished up his long 21-year NHL career after the 2003-04 season with the Buffalo Sabres. He re-joined his former team to work for his former head coach not long after, joining the Buffalo staff ahead of the 2006-07 season. Patrick spent seven seasons in Buffalo under Ruff and then followed him to Dallas for four more campaigns. In addition to his coaching career, Patrick recorded 639 points in 1280 NHL games with the New York Rangers, Hartford Whalers, Calgary Flames and Sabres and was also an NCAA champion at the University of North Dakota in 1982.

While Patrick’s hire is big news, it certainly won’t be the biggest announcement in the Patrick family this June, as his nephew, Nolan Patrick, is one of the upcoming NHL Draft’s top picks and could very easily be picked first overall by the New Jersey Devils. Should Patrick find success as the head coach in Kootenay, he could one day end up coaching his nephew (or against him) at the NHL level.

Eastern Notes: No. 1 pick, Neuvirth, Okposo

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The New Jersey Devils have an interesting decision to make in the next three weeks when they have to make the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Not only must they decide whether to choose Nolan Patrick or Nico Hischier at that spot, the team is under extra pressure not to get the pick wrong, since the next pick goes to divisional rival Philadelphia.

However, did anyone learn much from this weekend’ scouting combine? The Record’s Andrew Gross spoke to Devils Director of Amateur Scouting Paul Castron who said the team learned very little they didn’t already know about the two players. “I don’t know. You try to get a little read on a personality, confidence,” Castron said. “Still, it comes down to a majority of what they do on the ice. It’s great if a kid is developed physically and they’ve put in the time. But take a step back. They’re still only 17. They’re not even scratching the surface of what they’re going to be physically.”

Early indications are that the Devils are likely to take Patrick, who is bigger and a better two-way player. Hischier is considered the faster and better offensive player.

The Flyers, have the easiest decision to make – pick the players the Devils didn’t. Most believe that the Flyers are hoping to get Hischier, who they believe has a higher upside, according to Sam Carchidi of philly.com. Hischier’s speed and creativity would be welcome on a straight-line team such as the Flyers who struggle to score points. The team may also need their second overall pick to play on the wing for a year until Valterri Filppula’s contract expires. That is an advantage to Hischier who has the speed to make that transition, something Patrick might struggle to do.

  • Speaking of the Flyers, Carchidi spoke to Las Vegas Golden Knights general manager George McPhee, about expansion draft candidate Michal Neuvirth, who McPhee drafted in the second round in the 2006 draft when he was with the Washington Capitals. While the Golden Knights are looking at other goaltenders such as Washington’s Philipp Grubauer or New York Rangers’ Antti Raanta, they will be drafting more than one goaltender, which means Neuvirth is a possibility if the team exposes him. Current starter Steve Mason is an unrestricted free agent, however. “As a goaltender, we always described Michal as a guy who was technically perfect,” McPhee said at the NHL scouting combine Saturday. “He certainly has a great physique and body composition for the position.” Neuvirth struggled last year with a 2.82 GAA in 28 games, but had a career best 2.27 GAA in 2015-16.
  • Buffalo Sabres Kyle Okposo visited the Buffalo Sabres facility for the first time in two months since he was hospitalized for an undisclosed illness. According to the Associated Press, the star forward was in good spirits at the unannounced visit and, according to anonymous source with direct knowledge of the situation, is improving, but has not been cleared to skate yet. Okposo spent a week at Buffalo General Hospital’s neurosurgical intensive care unit in early April. The 29-year-old wing just started a long-term deal with the Sabres at $6MM a year until the 2022-23 season.

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