My gut feeling that Hischier goes #1 overall keeps getting stronger and stronger, especially as I watch more '16-17 video of him and Patrick. Coming off the surgery, Patrick didn't quite have the speed or the strength to always do what he wanted to do and create space in the prime areas, especially with 2-3 bodies always around him. I would even say he was often frustrating to watch. Part of that is because he's such a mentally advanced player that he's always in position to anticipate the right play, but didn't physically execute and convert opportunities at the level you would expect.
Hischier's skating/stick-handling/passing, on the other hand, let him push the puck and create controlled zone entry seemingly at will. When you compare that with Patrick's ordinary skating ability, lengthy injury history and lesser production this year, I think a combo of perceived upside and risk aversion will lead Jersey to an "upset" selection. Hischier has nothing but good buzz around him all season, while Patrick basically had the air taken out of his tires.
Ultimately Patrick and the Flyers are going to be the beneficiaries of this, I believe. He's close to being a perfect fit and probably the top talent in this draft class. Complete recovery from a sports hernia surgery takes closer to a full year or more. Assuming he is cleared as pain-free, Patrick should be entering that full year window right around now through training camp (he had lingering issues last year). That kind of injury, combined with the loss of talent Brandon suffered, puts his 100-point pace from last year in new perspective and is a testament to his hockey IQ. His headiness at both ends of the ice as a teenager will be reminiscent of Sean Couturier in his early pro career, and the depth he creates for the Flyers at C ought to significantly tilt puck possession in their favor. Add his heavy shot and accurate one-timer and he has goal-scoring tools that Couturier lacks.
You gotta love protein-gorging d**chelords.
