Flyer center Nolan Patrick may be only 22 years old, but he has changed agents twice and will soon consider changing teams. At least this is the latest discussion about the top second overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft.

According to reports, this offseason restricted free agent Patrick recently changed his representation. He may have done so in order to be traded out of Philadelphia after a bad start to his career at Orange and Black.

Anthony SanFilippo of Crossing Broad in his Snow Goalkeeper Podcast Russ Joy believes that Patrick made this move because he “does not want to stay here anymore.”

“The reason Nolan Patrick changed his agent is that he will ask for a deal,” Sanfilippo said. “Nolan Patrick doesn’t want to be here anymore; he doesn’t like the criticism he faces, he doesn’t like the spotlight on him, he doesn’t like coaches at all. I don’t think Nolan Patrick wants to be here.”

This is not the first time we have heard that Patrick might want to go out.The earliest roar Come back in may When Frank Seravalli of TSN was a former Flyers writer, he talked about Patrick’s change of representation and named the young center because he can watch the game this offseason.

“It’s certainly possible,” Serravalli said of Patrick changing teams this offseason. “He has actually started again. Nolan Patrick hired his third agent in three years and is now Rich Evans of Western Sports and Entertainment. They are going through an emotional process to digest this season. And what happened was when he was back on the ice. It was a bit disappointing in terms of production. I think you will definitely see Nolan Patrick on the list of players who are asking to restart elsewhere this summer.

“However, they have not been there yet. To be fair, the Philadelphia Flyers finally thought that Nolan Patrick was still a player who only touched the skin. They hope to see him receive a full summer training under his belt and come to the camp healthy for the first time in a period of time. We will see how this unfolds, but Patrick is an interesting name to watch this offseason as a restricted free agent.

For Patrick, this was indeed a disappointing season. He scored only 9 points in 52 games and scored a negative 30. Part of the reason is the inconsistency of the lineup itself, and Patrick has moved up and down throughout the year. However, after a year when people wonder if he will play hockey again, the off-season is understandable. After scoring 30 and 31 points in the first two seasons, Patrick missed a crucial season of his development, because of migraines that missed the entire 2019-20 and sometimes it is difficult for him to simply be on ice.

Of course, some rust is expected. But the decline is steep, and now the flyer leaves more questions than answers about the former No. 2 pick.

“I think on the positive side, Nolan will be able to get through this season physically. After being absent for 18, 19, and 20 months, regardless of the benefits of not participating in the competition, I think he can finish this season. A positive thing,” general manager Chuck Fletcher said last month. “He had some major successes. He participated in the game. From this point of view, this is something he can build. He was not fully allowed to participate in the game until training camp. He is one of those players I’m not sure if it is normal. One of the off-season.

“Personally, I believe that his physical fitness and strength can reach another level because he can train. I think his skating is different, especially in back-to-back competitions. You can see how his performance is different. Decline. Skating. I do think that some things can be improved by staying healthy and spending a normal summer. I think we will have a better feeling about Nolan’s state next year. Our expectation is that he will have a good summer. Get a bit stronger, a bit more explosive. Enter the training camp in a state he can’t achieve this year. This in turn will allow him to play at a higher level.”

Therefore, hearing what the Flyers said, they believe that Patrick can recover if given the opportunity, and it is difficult to say that a complete offseason to recuperate and prepare may be exactly what the doctor requested. But for Patrick, it may be too late, especially if Sanfilippo’s report that Patrick doesn’t like the coach — or the brightness of the spotlight that comes from playing professional sports in Philadelphia — turns out to be true.

As for Patrick’s side, his new agent Talk to Sam Carchidi of the interrogator As early as May, the report changed with the representative and Serravalli. This is what he had to say:

“I’m now at the stage of compiling information and trying to determine what happened in the past,” Evans said. “Once we figure this out, then we will make a plan for the future. This involves me talking to Chuck [Fletcher, the Flyers general manager]. ” […]

“In the final analysis, Philadelphia retained his rights. He is a free agent in Group 2, so the Flyers will ultimately decide what happens to his rights,” Evans said. “I believe we will discuss the whole situation further with Chuck. But I hope everyone will take a deep breath at the end of the year and we will start working from there.” [inquirer.com]

Evans will of course contact Fletcher-after all, as he himself said, the Fletchers still have the rights of his customers, so even if he wants to leave Philadelphia, he must pass Fletcher. Fletcher may have a deal A man hesitates like Patrick.

why? simple. His potential.

Now, it’s hard to imagine how much Patrick’s value will decrease. But if he can change back to the player selected by the Flyers, he has a huge advantage. And he is only 22 years old! The last thing Fletcher wanted to do was exchange dollars for pennies, just to watch him develop into a star elsewhere. These are all actions that caused the general manager to be fired.

But his performance last year, no matter what they say publicly, may have been enough to make Fletcher and the company realize that it is time to move on, because there is still the potential to help them reap some rewards. In addition, if Patrick just “does not want to stay here anymore” as San Filippo reported, then they may have no choice but to work hard to get the best return.

Follow Matt on Twitter: @matt_mullin