I would like to hear a more in depth opinion of Hischier.
- MBFlyerfan
I've seen limited full game viewings of both players, but plenty of clips. Here is one man's breakdown:
Nolan Patrick 6'3 198, turns 19 this September
Nico Hischier 6'0 176, turns 19 on Jan 4, 2018
Skating
Patrick is a very good, but not elite skater. He has a long stride and gets up to top speed in a hurry though. He also is deceptively quick and agile for a big man.
Hischier is an elite skater, with great speed, acceleration and quickness. He's not quite as dynamic as Connor McDavid, but he'd arguably be the fastest Flyers forward from day one.
Both players are just as fast with the puck as they are without it.
Size and strength
Patrick is man strong. He will likely continue to fill out and top out at around 210 lbs. He uses his size to protect the puck well, will win board battles and is very difficult to knock off the puck. He's not a particularly aggressive player physically, but he won't back down.
Hischier may still be growing, some sites are now listing him at 6'1 and he's likely around 180 lbs at this point. Obviously, he could benefit by filling out and getting stronger and he will likely top out around 195-200 lbs. That being said, he plays a fearless game, and will happily venture into the dirty parts of the ice. He is deceptively strong and hard to knock off the puck and he has a bit of mean in his game too.
Skills
Patrick has fantastic skills. He possesses a hard, accurate shot, is an excellent passer and has very soft hands that allow him to be an excellent stickhandler. He's going to put points at the NHL level, maybe not the 100+ of a McDavid, but 30+ goals and 80+ points are not out of the realm of possibility when he hits is prime.
Hischier has world class skills. He has innate sense of when to pass and when to shoot and the soft hands to stickhandle with the best of them. He has an accurate shot with a quick release too. Again, he won't put up McDavid numbers, but he too could top out at 30+ goals and 80+ points, and if he really hits his full potential, he could flirt with a few 90+ point seasons.
Overall hockey sense
Patrick is a complete player with very good defensive awareness. He is strong defensively and on faceoffs and competes hard in all three zones. He is a future team captain and a guy who will play in all situations. He is very composed and rarely makes a bad read or a bad play. Coaches are going to love this guy.
Hischier has fantastic on ice awareness, he seems to know where everyone on the ice is at all times and can make a seemingly blind pass out of nowhere. His defensive game is solid, but he could use a bit of improvement to play at the NHL level. He's 9 months younger and less experienced at as high a level as Patrick and that needs to be taken into consideration. Overall, his hockey sense is elite and from all accounts he's very coachable and hard working.
Negatives
Patrick's only negative is his injury history.
Hischier's only negative is that he needs to get a bit stronger.
My preference:
It's a very tough call, but I'd give the slightest of slight edges to Hischier. This is due to my feeling that he may just have a smidge more offensive skill and he's a better skater than Patrick. And, while I don't think it's a major issue, you also can't ignore Patrick's injury history.
My prediction:
I think Shero will go with Hischier and Patrick will be the captain of the Flyers by the early 2020s.
