Hextall: No rush on Patrick
PHILADELPHIA » If rookie rust is a valid concern when it comes to the Flyers’ Nolan Patrick, Ron Hextall doesn’t seem to be worried. The Flyers general manager Thursday expressed optimism that Patrick, out with a suspected concussion since Oct. 24, will be back soon and better than ever.
Even if he’s missed almost as many NHL games as he’s played.
“It has been a lot of days,” Hextall said. “He skated (Thursday) morning. He’s making progress. It’s a matter of ramping him up every day and hopefully things continue on the path they’re going right now.”
Patrick, 19, who had mostly centered second and third lines over the nine games he played, had contributed an assist in an Oct. 24 game against Anaheim at Wells Fargo Center. But then a seemingly innocuous shoulder check sent him into the glass, his head making contract before he could brace himself.
Tagged with the old “upper body” designation, he missed a couple of games then seemed on his way back. But with indications that this head knock was a little more severe than first thought, Patrick has been on the slow road to recovery.
He’s been skating by himself but still not cleared for contact and Thursday night missed his seventh straight game.
“I don’t know about setbacks,” Hextall said. “It has taken longer than we thought and certainly hoped. But he skated today and he looked good and worked out; things are good and now it’s a matter of starting to ramp him up. You can’t just go zero to 60. It’s got to be zero to 20 and then on up. So he’ll go harder tomorrow and hopefully continues to progress.”
Hextall added that there are no plans for a rehabilitation assignment for Patrick after he returns. Also, Patrick has played nine games, which is the maximum for a junior-eligible player to go back to his old teen team. Hextall essentially ruled that out Thursday.
Patrick is apparently here to stay ... whenever he gets back, that is.
“I hope he’s a couple days or a few days away from practicing with the team right now,” Hextall said. Then, referencing Patrick along with injured defensemen Andrew MacDonald and Radko Gudas (who returned Thursday night against the Blackhawks), Hextall added, “It’s frustrating for any player. Mac’s frustrated, Gudie’s frustrated ... so I’m sure (Patrick’s) frustrated. But he seems to be keeping a good attitude and he’s working hard. And once you start ramping up (the rehab), you start feeling it. So hopefully he continues to go on the path he’s on right now.”
*** In addition to the injuries to MacDonald and Gudas, Shayne Gostisbehere also missed a little time with the Flyers, who have shuttled a couple of Phantoms (Mark Alt, Will O’Neill) back and forth this season as a result.
Already young on the blue line when the season started, the injuries have forced the Flyers to shuffle the mix a bit, too.
“It just clouds our (defensive) pairs even further,” Hextall said. “You try to get your pairs at the start of the year and it never seems to work out. It certainly gives you a little bit of a better look at some people (such as rookies Travis Sanheim and Robert Hagg). I think our kids have done a pretty good job, given a little bit heavier of a workload.
“I think at times (the inexperience) has shown, but there’s other times where they’ve done a good job. So it does give you a little bit more information (on them). But it’s certainly not what you want.”
Another byproduct has been an increased workload for second-year man Ivan Provorov, who has developed into the Flyers’ best defenseman rather quickly while his time on ice has gotten near 30 minutes per game.
“I don’t like him playing as many minutes, personally, as he’s been playing,” Hextall said. “But he’s going to be a high-minute guy. That’s reality. You want him to be a high-minute guy because he’s a good player. As high as they are right now, I’d like us to back off, but it’s a need right now.
“He plays a heavy game. A lot of hard minutes on the (penalty kill and power play), and against top lines. Those are hard minutes. And he’s shown us he has the ability to handle No. 1 defensemen minutes.”
*** NOTES » Gudas looked in form Thursday, another mild concussion-symptom patient who missed the past two games. He spent much of the game against the Hawks mixing it up playfully with Chicago’s Lance Bouma . ... Then there’s MacDonald, who has missed about three weeks and might only miss a couple more. “He sees a doc (Friday); he’s right on schedule,” Hextall said. “He’s at the front end of the four to six (weeks rehab period). We hope he’s skating in the next week.”