Nolan Patrick slams NHL Draft critics

Likely first overall pick Nolan Patrick passionately defended the 2017 NHL Draft from its critics. 

Nolan Patrick is the favorite to be drafted by the New Jersey Devils with the first overall pick of the 2017 NHL Draft. He’s a very skilled player. Even with his injury history, Patrick is an excellent player and an even better leader. He likely cemented his first pick status with an impressive NHL combine performance. Recently, Patrick defended the 2017 NHL Draft from critics who say it’s weak.

A lot of what he says here is right. Fans have been spoiled over the past two NHL Drafts. Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews are two of the top players in the league. It’s ludicrous to expect a generational player to come around every year. If they did, well, they wouldn’t be generational, would they?

The 2017 NHL Draft is still a fairly deep one. It might not have a Patrik Laine or Jack Eichel behind Patrick, but there’s still a lot of quality to be had. The later rounds in particular could have some extremely good players. Patrick is right in his analysis here. The last part of his statement rings especially true.

People get caught up in making comparisons around draft season. Many times, prospects are compared to one of the best players in the league. This puts unnecessary pressure on young players to live up to the hype. A lot of people still use them, but they should be clear it’s only a stylistic comparison or one of the player’s ceiling.

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Patrick needs to worry about being himself. Not being the next McDavid. Or the next Matthews. Just worry about being the best player you can be. Patrick has a great mindset going into the 2017 NHL Draft. It’s the type of mindset the Devils will covet.