C Nolan Patrick - Brandon Wheat Kings, WHL (2017 Draft)

[Daximus]

Have you ever seen this kid play? Nothing about his game screams "middling" 2nd liner.

He'll be closer to Toews/Kopitar than RNH. Probably the most underrated #1 pick I've seen in years.

I'd be careful with the elite two-way comparisons (Toews and Kopy). His two-way game is great but his offensive game is what he thrives with.

 

[Channelcat]

It's almost as if no one has watched him other than maybe the mem cup where he was hurt.

Also if you've seen Patrick and Hischier play no one would take Hischier over him. Patrick isn't falling

Thats the whole problem. You can't miss the whole season and still go #1. I'm as big a Patrick fan as their is, but his health has become a serious problem.

 

[Breakers]

It would be terrible if his premature return from injury affected his health in the long term, but if you're simply referring to his draft stock, honestly, who cares? Maybe he'll get a slightly less lucrative ELC as a top-10 pick than as the 1st overall, but the difference will be in the bonuses, not the base salary, and, like. He'll still get drafted just the same, and most likely by a better team.

Is there a reason other than ego he should care whether he goes 1st overall or 3rd or 4th? (This is an honest question.)

No it simply has to do with the fact that he played way too much hockey last year.

what did he play 105 games over 9 months as a 16/17 year old.

way too much hockey.

 

[Daximus]

Fourand4

No it simply has to do with the fact that he played way too much hockey last year.

what did he play 105 games over 9 months as a 16/17 year old.

way too much hockey.

With big 1st line, 1st PP minutes in all of them.

 

[93LEAFS]

Thats the whole problem. You can't miss the whole season and still go #1. I'm as big a Patrick fan as their is, but his health has become a serious problem.

You can, but it would be a weak draft class. The thing with Patrick is, he's left the door open for someone to take his spot but the only people to really rise to the challenge so far are Hischier (who was a fringe top 10 guy entering the year), Pettersson, and Mittelstadt (no one is taking a HS kid 1OA and needs college seasoning). Every other major challenger has had major slip-ups such as Vilardi (playing the wing, injury and illness), Liljegren (not a great Hlinka, illness, just getting back into a groove), AND Kostin (non-existent in league play).

If Auston Matthews missed all of the last year with an injury, he still probably goes 2nd or 3rd, but that is because Laine would have gained ground with a ridiculous draft year. No one is really launching that challenge yet. Hischier might be, but he has a lot of ground to make up. Liljegren has a good shot, but he's not on his countries WJC squad and hasn't been elite in the SHL this year. As long as Patrick's injuries aren't viewed as being career threatening, he has such a strong track record against his age group already as a late birthday that his stock isn't going to rapidly plummet.

 

[JA]

Digging a little deeper into Nolan Patrick's injury history, it seems that he is injury-prone; he has also faced upper-body injuries in the past.

In 2012-13, he suffered a shoulder injury and missed half of the season.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/junior/wheat-kings-land-patrick-after-draft-day-deal-205924241.html

Junior Hockey
Wheat Kings land Patrick after draft day deal
By: Tim Campbell
Posted: 05/3/2013 1:00 AM

...

Fun was certainly part of Nolan Patrick's 2012-13 season, once he got past an injury early in the year. He scored 75 points in just 19 games this season with the Winnipeg Hawks of the AAA Bantam Hockey League Division 1.

"It was tough coming back but I was training hard and I tried to come back in better shape and work as hard as I could," Nolan said. "The points? Not really too much (of a surprise). I couldn't have done any of that without the good players I played with and great coaching (by Neil Chow)."

...

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/times/Loschiavo-ready-for-Challenge-Cup-229304281.html

The Times
Loschiavo ready for Challenge Cup
Garden City athlete picked for U-16 team
By: Jared Story
Posted: 10/25/2013 3:57 PM

...

Team Manitoba head coach and Thrashers assistant coach Doug Sinclair says he was particularly impressed with Loschiavo’s play last year, as a Bantam-aged player with the Winnipeg Hawks.

"He played on a team with Nolan Patrick (a fourth overall pick of the Brandon Wheat Kings) and Nolan missed almost half the season with a shoulder injury, so Vince had to pick up the slack as a scorer, and he did," says Sinclair, who also works as a hockey scout and is a former professional hockey player.

...

During the 2013-14 season, he suffered another shoulder injury.

Wheat Kings set to start second half
Jaster, Chris. The Brandon Sun [Brandon, Man] 27 Dec 2013.

...

C Nolan Patrick, who was called up from the Midget AAA Winnipeg Thrashers, won't dress tonight as he's still recovering from an injury suffered in his last weekend of action before the break in the Manitoba AAA Midget league.

...

http://luberslounge.blogspot.ca/2013_12_01_archive.html

Friday, 27 December 2013
Game #36 - Regina at Wheat Kings (December 27, 2013)

...

Additionally, Wheat Kings' fans won't get as much of a glimpse into the future this week as initially thought.

15-year old Nolan Patrick, the fourth overall pick in the 2013 Bantam Draft, suffered a shoulder injury during the final weekend of the Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League schedule before Christmas and did not join the team as expected on Thursday.

...

In 2014-15, he suffered a "lower-body injury" that quickly became an "upper-body injury."

Wheat Kings rolling on the road
Shewaga, James. The Brandon Sun [Brandon, Man] 17 Feb 2015.

...

With rookie standout Nolan Patrick (lower-body injury) joining the list of forwards out of action, the Wheat Kings juggled their lines and had the homegrown trio of Coulter, Tanner Kaspick (two assists) and Duncan Campbell (one helper) come up big.

...

Hawryluk makes up for lost time
Henderson, Rob. The Brandon Sun [Brandon, Man] 25 Feb 2015.

...

ONE-TIMERS: The Wheat Kings had all three of their goalies in practice on Tuesday. Still sidelined are C Nolan Patrick (upper-body injury, day-to-day), C/RW Reid Duke (lower body, week-to-week) and D Kale Clague (lower body, week-to-week).

...

http://www.winnipegsun.com/2015/03/16/its-patricks-day-winnipeg-clan-has-made-major-impact-on-sporting-scene-for-three-generations?token=81d9d8da996a14fd2ad7f440ebea11e7

It's Patricks' Day: Winnipeg clan has made major impact on sporting scene for three generations
By Kirk Penton, Winnipeg Sun
First posted: Monday, March 16, 2015 07:52 PM CDT | Updated: Monday, March 16, 2015 09:02 PM CDT


...

Patrick has burst on to the WHL scene in his rookie year, scoring 26 goals and adding 23 assists in 52 games for the high-flying Wheat Kings. He has missed most of the last month with an upper-body injury, however, and it's not known if he'll be back in time for the playoffs, which begin at the end of the month.

...

WHL leaders have battled major injuries
Henderson, Rob. The Brandon Sun [Brandon, Man] 18 Mar 2015.


...

Nolan Patrick had missed 12 games before returning to action on Tuesday.

...

One wonders if it was a groin injury, which would be related to a sports hernia. He ultimately lost 17 games due to injury in 2014-15:

http://www.cjob.com/2015/05/06/wheat/

Wheat Kings Win Two WHL Awards
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada / 680 CJOB - Winnipeg's News & Information Leader
Posted: May 06, 2015 08:53 pm

Brandon Wheat Kings forward & Winnipeg’s Nolan Patrick was named the Western Hockey League’s Rookie of the Year on Tuesday at the WHL awards ceremony in Calgary.

Patrick scored 30 goals and put up 56 points in 55 games with the Eastern Conference Champion Wheat Kings.

...

The Winnipeg Thrashers product missed 17 games due to injury but still managed to average a point a game in his rookie season.

...

Here is what one HF member said on October 12, 2015:

Tough thing is with his injury history through his teens, Lindros may be a favourable comparison. He is a more playmaker type then the bullish Lindros, but he still has that go to the traffic and do whatit takes to win mentality.

I hope injuries don't derail what could be a heckuva career.

Most notably, he suffered the current sports hernia injury last April (April 2016). This means that he has been injured at some point in every one of his last five seasons (2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17).

2015-16:

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/junior/no-quit-nolan-played-through-hernia-394534711.html

Wheat Kings star Patrick 'getting close' to returning to WHL champions
By: Mike Sawatzky
Posted: 09/23/2016 4:00 AM | Last Modified: 09/23/2016 7:47 AM

...

Patrick was injured in Brandon’s 4-2 win over the Red Deer Rebels in Game 4 of the WHL’s Eastern Conference final April 27. He registered two assists in that game and then, two nights later, fired a hat trick and added two helpers as the Wheat Kings clinched a berth in the league final with a 5-2 win in Game 5.

How’s that for playing hurt?

He apparently hid the pain in his abdomen exceptionally well.

...

Patrick admits he had no sense of how serious the injury was but had no interest in sitting out.

"I was in quite a bit of pain," he said. "It happened in Game 4 of the Red Deer series. Then, I kinda played through it during the league final. It’s kinda tough to say no to playing."

After the season was over, Patrick took a two-week break before returning to off-season workouts. When the injury showed no improvement, he consulted with doctors who diagnosed the problem and said a surgical repair was necessary.

For some, it’s the sort of situation that triggers a debate about how much is too much.

...

2016-17:

https://www.nhl.com/news/a-rated-prospect-nolan-patrick-considered-day-to-day/c-282672696

2017 Draft: Nolan Patrick out with upper-body injury
A-rated prospect considered day to day, will be re-evaluated Saturday
by Mike G. Morreale @mikemorrealeNHL / NHL.com Staff Writer
October 14th, 2016

Brandon center Nolan Patrick, a candidate to be the first pick of the 2017 NHL Draft, is day to day because of an upper-body injury, a team spokesman said Friday.

Patrick, an A-rated skater on NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list, is out against Prince Albert at Westman Place in Brandon, Manitoba, on Friday. He will be re-evaluated Saturday, when Brandon is scheduled to play at Prince Albert.

...

https://www.nhl.com/news/nolan-patrick-to-miss-a-couple-more-weeks/c-283799348

2017 Draft: Nolan Patrick out 2-3 more weeks
Projected top pick remains sidelined with upper-body injury sustained six games into Western Hockey League season
by Mike G. Morreale @mikemorrealeNHL / NHL.com Staff Writer
November 16th, 2016


...

"I'm skating on my own right now," Patrick said. "I just starting getting back on the ice (this week) and doing edge work and skill stuff like that, but nothing too intense yet. Every day it gets a little better, so I'm hopeful. This was out of my control, and it's killing me not to be out there with my teammates."

Dan Marr, the director of NHL Central Scouting, believes recovery from this type of condition has no set timeline.

"The condition is unfortunate in that it occurred during Patrick's draft year, but it really doesn't influence his draft status as NHL clubs know him very well as a player and he'll remain one of the top draft prospects for 2017," Marr said. "It's expected that Nolan will fully recover, and NHL teams know that this type of injury often has no predictable timeline. He'll be ready when he's ready."

...

"It was a combination of maybe coming back to early and overcompensating a bit," Patrick said. "My muscles weren't really training to move how they're supposed to after the surgery. I think I was still tight in certain areas and so I was overcompensating.

"It's a matter of training the muscles on how they should function."

...

He has not been medically cleared to participate in the 2017 World Junior Championships in late December and early January.

https://www.nhl.com/news/nolan-patrick-to-miss-world-junior-championship/c-284416790

Nolan Patrick to miss World Junior Championship
Projected No. 1 pick of 2017 NHL Draft has upper-body injury, will not play for Canada
NHL.com @NHL
December 5th, 2016

Center Nolan Patrick of Brandon of the Western Hockey League, projected to be the first player picked at the 2017 NHL Draft, will not play for Canada at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship, Hockey Canada announced Monday.

Patrick, 18, has not played since Oct. 11 because of an upper-body injury, and he was not medically cleared to attend Canada's World Junior selection camp, which will be held Dec. 11-14 at Centre d'Excellence Sports Rousseau in Blainville, Quebec.

...

With regards to this injury, he might have groin (lower abdomen) issues, which is what he has battled over the past few seasons. He had "day-to-day lower/upper-body issues" that lasted for a month in February and March 2015 (2014-15), then a sports hernia injury in April 2016 (2015-16), and again "day-to-day upper-body issues" relating to the sports hernia since October 14, 2016 to the present day (2016-17). He played through it in April and May 2016 when he needed surgery; this could have caused further problems.

To spend several weeks active and in pain with a sports hernia is a serious mistake. He severely mishandled this injury. Apparently, he did not tell anyone about it; furthermore, he has missed a significant part of the current season with complications and may confront potential long-term consequences.

http://sportsmedicineimaging.com/topics/sports-hernia/

Sports Hernia
3 years ago
by John Read

...

‘Sports hernia’ is a condition of chronic exercise-related supra-inguinal groin pain which is associated with an incipient direct bulge of the inguinal wall whenever the abdominal muscles contract forcefully. This limits athletic performance and can be a ‘career-ending’ injury.

...

Symptoms

Sports that are most often affected involve kicking and/or rapid acceleration with an accompanying sudden change in direction (e.g. soccer, rugby, AFL, ice hockey, martial arts). The pain develops during exercise, is generally unilateral but occasionally bilateral, and is typically located in the supra-inguinal portion of lower abdomen lateral to rectus abdominis, sometimes radiating to the testis (Fig 1, solid arrows). Importantly, it does not reach the pelvic midline, but can often radiate into the medial thigh along the path of adductor longus (Fig 1, dotted arrows). Sports hernia pain is often aggravated by sudden acceleration, twisting and turning, cutting and kicking, coughing and/or sneezing, and sit-ups. The pain generally persists after a game, with accompanying stiffness and difficulty getting out of bed the following day. In most cases, the initial onset is insidious. However, in about one third of cases, the patient recalls a sudden ‘tearing’ sensation at the time of initial symptom onset [1]. Despite any period of rest or lay-off, Sports hernia pain returns immediately and with full force upon resumption of sport.

Physical findings

The overwhelming majority of patients are young adult males. Objective physical examination findings are typically sparse. A palpable cough impulse is either weak or absent. A subtle bulge in skin surface contour can occasionally be seen over the affected inguinal region when observed from above with the patient standing. Pain may be evoked with a resisted abdominal ‘crunch’ and tenderness elicited most commonly over the conjoint tendon immediately superomedial to pubic tubercle. Many patients also exhibit tenderness over the ipsilateral adductor longus origin and/or have a positive adductor ‘squeeze’ test in bent knee position (pain and inhibition when asked to squeeze the legs together against resistance).

...

Some first-hand HF comments about sports hernias:

This type of injury if not properly treated will be a chronic issue in the future. Unlike other types of injuries where one can tough-it-out, this injury is debilitating. Not only is it painful but makes it virtually impossible play through.
I've had this injury reoccur for the past three seasons and it gets worst every time. At the end of the season last May I couldn't even walk upright and getting out of a bed took extra measures to lessen the pain.

I had a double hernia and was fine without surgery. Basically what the doctor said was that you can be more certain of avoiding complications through surgery, but most people can live and play sports without treatment. If you are only experiencing a bit of tenderness and a small bulge, there is nothing to be seriously concerned about. If it becomes aggravated and requires surgery, you will know by the sudden increase in pain and should go to the hospital IMMEDIATELY.

After a couple weeks the swelling went down and life was back to normal. Definitely take it easy, though, you don't want to make matters any worse by pushing yourself. Hockey in particular tends to cause sports hernias, so you absolutely want to stay off skates until you feel back to normal.

Just work on the muscles there and get it checked out, one of my teamates had a sports herenia, he to walk bent over for a week.

It's just my opinion, but this is bad advice.

Until you get a diagnosis, if it hurts to work the muscle, don't work it. If it hurts to stretch the muscle, don't stretch it.

I've been suffering from similar symptoms for over four months now, only my problem started in the groin and worked its way into the lower abdominal region. My doctor ruled out a hernia, and since then I've seen physical therapists, a massage therapist, a chiropractor, and two orthopaedic specialists. While none of them can figure out what's wrong with me, all have agreed that it's a VERY BAD IDEA to put any undue stress on the injury.

The other injuries don't help his case. He missed half of the 2012-13 AAA Bantam season and some of the 2013-14 AAA Midget season with shoulder injuries. I would be concerned about his ability to stay healthy.

 

[93LEAFS]

 

[L13]

The poster who said he's likely to be out until February may turn out right. Poor guy. I hope this injury doesn't have a long-term effect on his health.

 

[Daximus]

The poster who said he's likely to be out until February may turn out right. Poor guy. I hope this injury doesn't have a long-term effect on his health.

That is why they are taking the precautions they are. Any other time he is likely cleared to play by now. Right now they are making sure he is fully healed and not only that but it doesn't come back. Bet he comes back late Jan-early Feb.

 

[LeafChief]

This is quite concerning.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I know most think he'll go #1, but does anyone remember how most thought the top 3 of the last draft was Matthews, Laine, Puljujarvi, yet Dubois went third.

I have no clue yet what will happen, but Patrick hasn't locked himself into first, and especially in a bad draft without a definite 1OA or multiple good 1OA choices, a team picking first might want to get the player who they like the most.

 

[The Drop]

I know most think he'll go #1, but does anyone remember how most thought the top 3 of the last draft was Matthews, Laine, Puljujarvi, yet Dubois went third.

I have no clue yet what will happen, but Patrick hasn't locked himself into first, and especially in a bad draft without a definite 1OA or multiple good 1OA choices, a team picking first might want to get the player who they like the most.

will be interesting to see how he tracks once he comes back.

could he fall into Chychrun category and slide based on injuries?

 

[93LEAFS]

will be interesting to see how he tracks once he comes back.

could he fall into Chychrun category and slide based on injuries?

Chychrun slipped more due to concerns about his hockey-iq. People felt he overskated with the puck and made bad decisions last year, which limited his upside and chance to be a true #1 defenceman. I'm sure the injury history didn't help, but I don't think it was the primary reason.

There aren't these worries about Patrick's hockey IQ. I'd still have him as the favorite for 1 by a decent margin. Centers with his floor and skill set are quite rare.

 

[rt]

Galchenyuk missed his entire draft year and went third overall.

 

[landy92mack29]

Patrick is a lock to go #1. No one is even close to him this draft.

The Dubois pick surprised people because they weren't paying attention to him. Multiple NHL teams had him 3rd or higher on their board. Also there's a big difference between 1 and 3.

 

[L13]

Patrick is a lock to go #1. No one is even close to him this draft.

The Dubois pick surprised people because they weren't paying attention to him. Multiple NHL teams had him 3rd or higher on their board. Also there's a big difference between 1 and 3.

He's definitely not a "lock."

 

[Benji Frank]

He's got a relationship with Mcrimmon. His family has a relationship with Mcrimmon. My guess is he won't get past Vegas no matter how little he plays this year.

Regardless of where Vegas picks, I really don't see him falling out of the top 2 or 3. If he comes back before playoffs and leads the Wheat Kings to another long run, he'll be at 1OA heading into June.

 

[Aceboogie]

Patrick is a lock to go #1. No one is even close to him this draft.

The Dubois pick surprised people because they weren't paying attention to him. Multiple NHL teams had him 3rd or higher on their board. Also there's a big difference between 1 and 3.

which ones

There is zero chance a team had Dubios over Laine or Matthews at 2. If a team actually had that, their entire scouting and management staff should be fired on the spot

 

[93LEAFS]

which ones

There is zero chance a team had Dubios over Laine or Matthews at 2. If a team actually had that, their entire scouting and management staff should be fired on the spot

There was a rumor floating around that 1 team had him at 2 (Ottawa I'm pretty sure, but I could be wrong). I don't think anyone is rumored to of had him above Matthews. Another rumor was Oilers and Colorado had Laine above Matthews. I've never seen them reported somewhere reliable, so who knows.

 

[landy92mack29]

which ones

There is zero chance a team had Dubios over Laine or Matthews at 2. If a team actually had that, their entire scouting and management staff should be fired on the spot

Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, Colorado and obviously Columbus had him at least 3rd and there are potentially others. I said potentially higher as other than 3rd there were only rumours a team or 2 had him higher than 3.

On Colorado's draft show they showed their top 3 and had the top 3 1-Laine 2-Matthews 3-Dubois

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Patrick is a lock to go #1. No one is even close to him this draft.

Thats your opinion.

If you are wrong, be prepared to own it because you are speaking in certainties.

 

[LordNeverLose]

Hernia surgery can be tough to come back from. Look at how Ladd has struggled. Or how Grabner had struggled for the first few years after it (obviously not anymore).

 

[Daximus]

Hernia surgery can be tough to come back from. Look at how Ladd has struggled. Or how Grabner had struggled for the first few years after it (obviously not anymore).

It's much easier to recover from when you are younger. Ladd's was pretty severe, not only that but he played through it for quite awhile including through a pretty grueling first round sweep against a very physical Ducks team. His age and the fact that he refused to address it made his situation that much worse.
It's good that Patrick isn't rushing back. He will be much better off for it. An average to above averagely healthy career trumps being picked high any day of the week.

 

[Oliewud]

hernias are pretty rough. ive known multiple people who have had MULTIPLE surgeries + recurrent pain for years after.

this aint good. it could easily be nothing but it could also be something that bothers him the rest of his career.

 

[Hansen]

I had hernia surgery in the spring and it was no fun at all, getting in and out of bed (big bed against a wall) was awful for like 3 weeks