HockeyBuzz.com - Bill Meltzer - Quick Hits and Musings: Hart, Patrick, Flyers Warriors & Flyers Alumni
It's unfair to judge Patrick against players whom Ron Hextall chose to bypass with the second overall pick in 2017. He can only be judged fairly on his own merits.
Patrick was not a unanimous top 2 pick internally, but context is needed. This was based on the rapid Draft-year rise of a defense prospect vs. Patrick's injury-affected Draft year. It was never a belief that Patrick did not projected as a fine NHL center who offensive and two-way upside as well as good size.
To me, the health concerns are what's paramount here. We can't even get a read -- or the beginnings of a read -- on where he'll be hockey-wise -- until such a time comes that he and his doctors feel comfortable that he can play without fear for his quality of life when he takes off his skates and leaves the rink. I'm not worried about whether the Flyers should have picked Miro Heiskanen or Cal Makar or Elias Pettersson. They didn't. They picked Patrick.
Until there's a timetable for camp and then a season, we don't even know when any Flyers will be on the ice together again. Thereafter, we don't know when Patrick would be a full participant at practices, available for a few tuneup games and then realistically ready to be green-lighted for NHL regular season games. Given all these uncertainties, I don't think it's wise to make Patrick part of Plan A this offseason. To me, though, that's a matter of pragmatism and not a judgment of the hockey player or the person.
