[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (I Really Like This Kid Edition):

It's been a tale of two seasons this year for Barrie Colts' RHC Riley Patterson. He started the season slowly, adjusting to the increased pace of the OHL, and dealing with less space and time, after playing the entirety of the 2022-23 season in Junior A, with the North York Rangers of the OJHL, where he was named the CJHL's Top Rookie from 9 leagues across Canada. Patterson had 23 points in his first 34 OHL games, but took off after the New Year, with 38 points in his last 32 games, from January 6th on, for a grand total of 28 goals and 61 points in 66 games to date. His upward trajectory has been so sharp that he was named the OHL Rookie of the Month for both January (15 pts in 12 games) and February (18 points in 12 games)- the first player to win two of those honors in a season since the 2019-20 season, when both Mason McTavish and Shane Wright accomplished the feat. The uptick in offense coincides with the departures of Jacob Frasca to the Greyhounds by trade on January 8th, and Eduard Sale to the Rangers on January 9th, which gave Patterson the chance at more ice-time and responsibility, and he certainly took advantage.

Patterson, who stands 6'0" tall, and weighs in at a sturdy 192lbs, is a self-described power-forward with a good base of tools, and a solid all-around game- though he doesn't have any real elite qualities. He plays in all situations for Barrie, including both sides of special teams, usually on a line with fellow draft-eligible forward Cole Beaudoin, and can play either center or wing. He's a dual-threat on offense, with prowess in both playmaking and scoring, and is blessed with above-average IQ and vision. One of the biggest pillars of his game is his sky-high work-ethic- he plays with energy and intensity. Opponents get frustrated with the way he never takes his foot off the gas, and is always in their faces. He hunts down pucks on the forecheck like a dog on a bone, gaining possession with his tenacity, and goes to war in the trenches. He has a good dose of physicality in his repertoire, and finishes his checks, but does so in a disciplined way, as he's only accumulated 10 penalty-minutes over the course of the season. He competes in the greasy areas, hounds puck-carriers, and bodies opponents off of the puck. His skating, like his puck skills, are solid but not really spectacular- though he doesn't have much trouble getting up and down the ice, and his hands are quick enough to weave through traffic on occasion, with his smooth stickhandling. He's hard on pucks, and it isn't easy to strip him of possession. In transition, he's able to transport the puck through the neutral zone with full control, and make clean entries, though he usually relies on short passes to get the job done.

Patterson has vastly improved his ability to find and open up space, and has gotten better throughout the season at making sound decisions at a much quicker speed- these abilities were weaknesses at the start of the season. Patterson has a wicked one-timer, and gets a nice whip on his snapshot; both come with a quick release that can stun goalies. From what I've seen, most of his goals come from below the hashmarks in the low slot, and come from his willingness to go to the net in search of rebounds, tips, and second-chance opportunities. Patterson is good around the net, and his stick is always on the ice, as he sneaks into high-danger areas to await a pass, and he has good hands in-tight with the ability to shoot through the smallest holes. Though he's not yet a stalwart, he always seems to be on the right side of the puck- his defensive awareness is solid, and he brings his unrelenting motor to his end of the ice. He's tenacious in taking away time and space, and in thwarting plays by clogging lanes, and applying an active stick.

Patterson was traded to the Colts in the summer of 2023, after originally being drafted in the third-round of the 2022 OHL Priority Selection, 57th overall, by the Flint Generals. At the time, he was committed to Michigan State for the 2024-25 season, but effectively de-committed when he signed with Barrie. Like most kids his age, he needs to upgrade his strength and skating, and round out his skillset, but this kid is a gamer- I like him a lot. I can easily see him getting picked in the late second round, but I hope he's still around when the Flames make their 3rd-round choice. I get the sense that this kid will be high up the scoring list next year in the OHL.