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http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/junior/patrick-nears-return-to-whl-action-409851455.html
Craig Button's comparison for Nolan Patrick in terms of style:
Patrick nears return to WHL action
By: Mike Sawatzky
Posted: 01/5/2017 9:53 PM | Last Modified: 01/5/2017 10:12 PM
Nolan Patrick’s ill-fated season is about to take a turn for the better.
The 18-year-old captain of the Western Hockey League’s Brandon Wheat Kings has been sidelined since Oct. 11 with an unspecified upper-body injury. On Wednesday, Patrick was back on the ice with his teammates, wearing a red non-contact jersey at practice.
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"Being around the boys again and getting out there for a practice felt great," Patrick told the Brandon Sun. "I’m getting close to returning, so it’s exciting."
Patrick, who had sports hernia surgery in the off-season, said he expects to play in January but gave no firm timetable for his return.
The Winnipeg product also refuted online reports his extended absence indicates he is dissatisfied with the Wheat Kings and wants a trade.
"I did not ask for a trade, and I will not be asking for a trade," he said, adding the fabrications are not something he can control.
"I’m kind of used to it now," he said. "A lot of people are going to say what they want to say and make stuff up. But in the end, I know what’s true, and it’s just a matter that my teammates know, and they know that none of that is true, so it doesn’t really bother me that much."
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Craig Button's comparison for Nolan Patrick in terms of style:
Staal is a can't-miss prospect: [Final Edition]
Nanaimo Daily News [Nanaimo, B.C] 17 June 2003: B3.
(CP) -- Whether he goes first or third in the National Hockey League draft starting Saturday, a team can't go wrong picking centre Eric Staal.
"Staal, the worst he's going to be is a Ron Francis type and the best he's going to be is a Steve Yzerman type," said one scout.
"Staal is a real talent."
The 19-year-old from Thunder Bay, Ont., is ranked first overall among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and it's not likely this year that a European will push him out of the top spot on Saturday.
But it's the machinations of teams trying to land goaltender Marc- Andre Fleury that will likely decide whether Staal is drafted first overall on Saturday at Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment Center.
"Whether it's first overall or not it doesn't really matter to me," said Staal.
"I don't think it matters that much. It may for someone else, but I just think getting drafted period and getting a chance to play in the NHL is the best thing in the world."
The word 'safe' has been bandied about with Staal though some disagree with that label.
"What you see is what you're going to get," said Hockey Canada director of scouting Blair Mackasey.
"I don't think he's going to be a flashy player that a (Ilya) Kovalchuk is or a (Marian) Gaborik is, but I think he's going to be a good solid two-way player in the NHL. Kirk Muller comes to mind.
"He's the kind of guy who is going to play for 15 years in the league. He'll never be a superstar, but he's going to be a really good solid reliable player than you can build your team on."
The six-foot-three, 182-pound centre is a late birthday so he has had three years of development in major junior with the Peterborough Petes.
He had 39 goals and 69 assists in 66 regular season games and nine goals and five assists in seven playoff games.
He's a big centre, with a great shot, great touch around the net, exceptional stickhandling abilities and he plays a responsible two- way game.
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Staal tops all rating lists: [Final Edition]
Davies, Mike. Peterborough Examiner [Peterborough, Ont] 18 June 2003: C6 / Front.
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"A special kid," the "real deal," a "complete player" is how NHL scouts describe Eric Staal.
The Peterborough Petes' centre is ranked by NHL's Central Scouting, The Hockey News, TSN.ca and the International Scouting Service as the top-prospect for Saturday's NHL draft in Nashville.
It doesn't guarantee Staal will be the first chosen, as several scenarios are possible, but he has a good chance of becoming the first Petes' player to be taken first overall.
Frank Bonello, director of NHL Central Scouting for 15 years, said Staal's 39 goals and 98 points were outstanding but more importantly he was the Petes' leader.
"I think he's quite a complete player," said Bonello, who says Staal is ranked first because of "he's a playmaker, seeing the ice as well as he does and seeing his teammates on the ice. He's a two- way player who forechecks well."
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"There are two or three other players who could be taken also. That's the way those first three or four guys are stacked up," said Bonello. "(Staal) is our number one guy but it wouldn't blow me out of the water to hear another named called out."
No scouts have seen Staal as often as the NHL's four Peterborough- based scouts. Dallas Stars scout J.J. Johnston would take Staal if he had the first pick.
"He's a special kid," said Johnston, "for his work ethic, he plays every night hard and is always involved. He has good size and protects the puck really well. He's always making things happen. Actions speak louder than words with this kid."
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New York Islanders scout Doug Gibson also has Staal rated number one.
"Eric is one of those players you dream about drafting," said Gibson.
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Buffalo Sabres scout Don Barrie thinks Staal is a star in the making.
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Barrie said Staal has more to offer than most.
"There are no sure things when assessing 19-year-olds but he has more on the table than anybody else," Barrie said.
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Staal tops on list of best NHL prospects:: [Final Edition]
Examiner [Barrie, Ont] 13 Mar 2003: B2.
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Eric Staal, the six-foot-three centre with the OHL's Peterborough Petes, is considered the No. 1 prospect for the 2003 NHL entry draft in March rankings by the independent International Scouting Service.
Russian right-winger Nikolai Zherdev is No. 2, and Oshawa Generals centre Nathan Horton is No. 3 on the latest I.S.S. list.
The draft will be held in Nashville, Tenn., June 21-22.
Staal, 18, who honed his hockey skills on an outdoor rink on his family's sod farm at Thunder Bay, reminds the scouts of a young Ron Francis.
"Eric is a smart two-way player who has a good shot and a great touch around the net," says scouting director Dennis MacInnis. "He possesses tremendous hockey sense to go along with his exceptional playmaking skills. At this time, he is the safest pick in the draft."
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"He's a throwback," says MacInnis. "He plays hockey for the right reasons and goes about his business quietly. He has such an inner drive and confidence in himself that we believe he will not be unseated from the No. 1 position by anyone."
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