Wings Nation First Round Targets: Nolan Patrick

If only there was a reasonable chance that the Red Wings could luck out and get a player of Nolan Patrick’s caliber in the draft it would certainly help to speed up the rebuild. The consensus number 1 pick for this year’s draft has been sitting at the top of most draft boards for over a calendar year and although he may not be to the pedigree of a Connor McDavid or Auston Mathews, Patrick is sure to be star center in a few years which is exactly what the Red Wings are looking for.

Patrick has avoided the spotlight during his draft year on a National TV level as he has suffered a few separate injuries and missed out on playing in the IIHF World Junior Hockey Tournament. The 6’3 and 198 lb center made a name for himself last season when he led the entire WHL in playoff points pushing his Brandon Wheat Kings to a league title and Memorial Cup appearance.

(Via Eliteprospects)

(Via Eliteprospects)

Since he became a mainstay in the WHL, Patrick has produced offensively at an elite level in both the regular season and the playoffs with an especially impressive performance during the 2016/17 playoff run. As I stated earlier, he had trouble with a few injuries during this season but the pace was still there of a spectacular talent. In addition, Patrick did not have nearly the supporting cast this season with several players from the Memorial Cup team having moved on so his continued point pace can be looked at as even more impressive. It certainly did not help his stock with the fact that he had to miss the World Junior tournament this season as that is when many scouts and fans eyes are checking out who can perform in a best on best type of tournament. I believe that this is the main reason that there is even any debate right now that Nolan Patrick should not be the number 1 pick in the upcoming draft.

There have been several reports on Patrick’s strong 2-way game. He is a player who with a few years experience will be able to match-up with the opposing lines top offensive guys and will still be able to perform himself and put up offensive production. This is more of an Anze Kopitar or Jonathan Toews type of player who will not be putting up flashy numbers or breaking rookie scoring records but will be a huge benefit for his team and someone who should be very reliable in a tough playoff series.

Oh boy, does he ever fill a need that this team so desperately needs. Watching Patrick learn from one of the best 2-way centers in Zetterberg for the first few seasons of his career would be the best possible case scenario for this franchise and it is really disappointing that the likelihood of seeing it happen is exactly 0%. The Red Wings are hurting for a future number 1 center to take over the reigns going forward and Patrick is the exact type of player that would fit in well with the Red Wings playing style. If somehow the Red Wings traded up and got Nolan Patrick, he would jump into the lineup immediately but at this point there is not much point of breaking down a potential lineup because this elite talent will surely be representing a different club in the upcoming season.