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Nolan Patrick Is Right Choice For New Jersey Devils At Number One

By Nick Villano |
Jun 24, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Michael McCleod poses for a photo after being selected as the number twelve overall draft pick by the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft at the First Niagra Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Michael McCleod poses for a photo after being selected as the number twelve overall draft pick by the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft at the First Niagra Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

The New Jersey Devils were given a gift during the NHL Draft Lottery when the team won the number one pick. Now, they should make the right choice and make Nolan Patrick the next young star.

Nolan or Nico. It’s the most important question coming from the number one pick since Tyler or Taylor back in 2010. Now, the New Jersey Devils must find a way to answer that question in the next week.

It’s a great problem to have. The Devils have two knockout prospects at number one. Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier are both players you can build around for years to come. They both have the talent to be a top-level prospect immediately. Both can score goals at will, and both make their teammates better.

Even with all that, Nolan Patrick should be the Devils number one pick.

First, we must acknowledge the greatness that is Hischier. He’s an amazing talent. There is a very good reason that, despite Patrick leading most mock drafts since the beginning of last season, Hischier forced an argument at number one. His speed and quickness (yes they are different) are second to none in this draft. He can run through a defense with relative ease. Hischier is going the be great, and there’s little doubt to that.

Patrick, however, will be a better overall player. For one, Patrick is the best passer in this class. There is no doubt about his ability to get the puck into the smallest windows possible. We’ve seen how well that works, when players like Sidney Crosby and Ryan Getzlaf turn their teammates into elite scorers just by making great passes.

Patrick’s a great skater with excellent hockey IQ. He’s been around the game his whole life, with his father Steve playing for six seasons with the Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers. Patrick just understands how the game needs to be played in this era.

He’s also a very good two-way player. The Devils need a player that can get the puck out of the defensive zone, and right now Patrick is the better choice to do that.

Patrick has been the better player for longer. While Hischier was a monster this season, scouts have circled this year as Nolan Patrick’s for at least three years. His consistent play shows that he is NHL ready right now.

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Another reason he is NHL ready is his size. During the combine, he came in at 6’2 and 199 pounds. Compare that to Hischier, who is of similar height but 15 pounds lighter. Both need to add size, but Patrick could walk into the NHL at his weight, but Hischier needs to gain about 25 pounds to have a long career without getting broken in half.

Now to the elephant in the room; injuries. Patrick has deal with injuries in the past. Two collarbone injuries (one could be wrong, depending on who you ask), a knee injury and then a groin injury this past season should worry any fan. The groin injury is the scariest of all those injuries, but an alleged sports hernia misdiagnosis could have led to a rough season last year with injuries.

Listen, there are a million reasons to love Hischier. He’s be a great number one pick for the Devils. However, because of the longevity of Patrick and his ability to start his career immediately, he’s the official Pucks and Pitchforks prediction for number one overall.

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