Philadelphia Flyers: Weighing the options on Nolan Patrick

There are two scenarios for Nolan Patrick and the Flyers to face hockey returns.

No one knows when and if Nolan Patrick will return. It’s more likely a when as he had been skating with the Flyers on a more consistent basis. He had yet to take contact, but was making progress.

There are two scenarios on how this could play out for him. The easy scenario is that Patrick continues to skate on his own and practice with the team. However, he would be on the sidelines when it comes to gameplay.

The other scenario would be for Patrick to have the ability to ramp things up during training camp. Taking contact from his teammates is the next biggest step he can take in returning. Playing in exhibition games will be the true test in the end.

Now which of those two is more likely? The answer seems obvious. While the Flyers last played a game on March 12th, it has been a bit longer for Patrick. It has been over a year since he last appeared in a game.

April 2nd, 2019 is the last game that Patrick appeared in for the Flyers. There were two games remaining in the schedule after that, neither of which Patrick appeared in.

But we did not find out about his migraine disorder until a few months into the offseason. And that is where things currently stand.

Since that day, Patrick has been sidelined while trying to find a way to return to the ice. The second overall pick in 2017, Patrick had played in 73 and 72 games respectively during his first two seasons. His play was fairly consistent, posting 13 goals in both campaigns.

He did raise his career-high to 31 points last season. It isn’t clear if the concussion he previously suffered triggered the migraines. Patrick has said before that he has dealt with them since he was younger. So they weren’t new to him.

Patrick’s entry-level deal is set to expire this offseason. There’s no scenario that sees him out of a Flyers uniform in the near future. The team is unlikely to write him off after one unfortunate season.

But that is most certainly why we won’t see Patrick in uniform during the playoffs. He would have to make significant progress in a short amount of time. The earliest he could take any kind of contact isn’t until July when teams are expected to be allowed to meet for training camp.

While they will likely be able to meet for small workouts in the near future, contact drills will almost certainly be off limits. Limited to six skaters, it will be more about regaining chemistry and working back up to game shape.

There is always a possibility that this time off has helped Patrick. Injured players have been allowed to rehab and skate during this time. With no recent update on Patrick’s status, it is hard to know if he has been skating during this time.

That would be a notch in his favor. However, it would probably be best for the Flyers to not risk anything  when it comes to Patrick appearing in the playoffs.

Now, let’s say he is deemed ready for contact and handles it well. Where would he be placed in the lineup? Easing him back in would be the answer. So it’s likely he could step in to the third line center role.

That would give the Flyers something like Sean Couturier, Kevin Hayes, Patrick, and Derek Grant down the middle. Scott Laughton could also step into the center role if need be.

Would the Flyers be willing to mess with the chemistry they had developed? Considering they will be coming off four months since their last game, they would have to rebuild it anyway. Inserting Patrick wouldn’t hurt that.

It’s who he would come in for that could possibly be the issue. Who would the Flyers take out of the lineup for him? There aren’t many choices.

The easy decision would probably be to sit Nate Thompson as the 13th forward. He hasn’t added much since coming to the Flyers in February. He was acquired partly due to his playoff experience. He has appeared in 62 playoff game, grabbing seven goals and 18 points.

Another factor is if the Flyers decide to leave Joel Farabee in the lineup. His insertion would potentially take away the spot from Patrick. He was looking good before the break.

Another player would have to come out of the lineup to allow both players to come in. And that is truly when the options become limited.

Despite the chance that Patrick could return, the safest thing would be to let him continue to heal up. Head injuries of any kind are nothing to mess with.

The Flyers will get Patrick back at some point, just not likely this season.