Nolan Patrick didn't say much Monday and probably won't say much moving forward.
And that's fine; he doesn't have to open up like a book. He can allow as few people as he so pleases into the specifics of his migraine disorder, and the troubles it caused for him both personally and professionally last season.
"I'm not going to get into too much details about how my head feels," Patrick said Monday in a video interview. "Going to see how camp goes and go from there."
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
His actions will do plenty of the talking for him if he continues to show progress. Patrick wore no shell on the ice Monday at Virtua Center Flyers Skate Zone. He opened up like an actor auditioning for a Shakespeare play. He showed it all. The skill, the competitiveness and the straight-line intuition were on display — and he was able to smile as one of the boys again.
"It was great just being back here the last couple weeks," Patrick said. "I was away from my teammates for quite a while, so it’s nice to be back, just being in the dressing room and being back on the ice with the guys.
"It’s obviously mentally tough whenever you’re injured and watching. You want to be out there. It’s a tough injury that affects you mentally more than other ones would, but I feel good and hopefully get back soon."
NHL
After missing all of last year's training camp and season because of his precarious migraine disorder, Patrick opened Day 1 of the 2021 camp as a full participant. The optimism surrounding the progress many had said he was making over the offseason met the outside expectations for the Flyers' unveiling of camp.
At one point Monday, Patrick was asked if he had noticed a steady progression with his improvement while he was skating leading up to camp. The 22-year-old center responded: "Yup."
To finish his media session, when asked how comfortable he felt with the pace in practice, Patrick responded: "I feel very comfortable."
Flyers fans who have constantly itched for updates on Patrick's status won't have any qualms if the 2017 second overall draft pick provides little clarity with his words. If he provides progress on the ice, he will be clearly heard.
That will be positive for him, the Flyers and their fans.
"I thought Nolan looked really good today," Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault said Monday in a video interview. "I’ve had a couple chats with him the last couple of days, he feels good about where he is, he’s really upbeat about his energy level. I didn’t speak to him other than a quick hi after practice there, but I thought he looked real good.
"I see the excitement in him about being back with his teammates, working and having fun. And I see the excitement in his teammates with him being back. In this situation, obviously he was probably very nervous today, anxious to get going, hasn’t played in a while. I think for him and for our team, this was a very positive day, a step forward, and we’ll take it a day at a time and see how he’s doing.
"As far as getting to know him and getting to know what type of young man he is and what type of player, this is really my first introduction. He wasn’t really around our team very much last year. I have been around him now for a couple of weeks and I really like what I see on the ice but really like what I see off the ice. His demeanor, he’s got a beautiful smile, so let's take it a day at a time. Obviously it’s a very exciting time for him I believe and I’m very confident that he’s going to do fine."
Patrick didn't want to say much after Monday's practice. And it didn't seem to matter much, either. He was available and that said a lot more.
Subscribe to and rate Flyers Talk
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | YouTube
