Nolan Patrick is already making up for lost time.
The Brandon Wheat Kings center - and projected top pick in the 2017 NHL Draft - returned to WHL action Friday after missing 35 games with a sports hernia.
Facing the Kootenay Ice, Patrick put up two goals and two assists, scoring his first of the game 12:04 into the opening frame. His performance powered the Wheat Kings to an 8-5 victory, after which Patrick was named the game's first star.
Patrick, who last played Oct. 11, has tallied 13 points in just seven games this season. He recorded 102 points in 72 games with Brandon last season.
Despite Patrick's time on the shelf - which also kept him sidelined during the recent World Junior Championship - he's still widely viewed as NHL's top pick in June.
Tim Bernhardt, director of amateur scouting for the Arizona Coyotes, recently told Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports: "Nolan Patrick is a really good hockey player. He's probably not in the class of (Connor) McDavid and (Auston) Matthews, but he is without a doubt the top guy in the draft."
The Coyotes - with the league's second-fewest points - are among a handful of teams with stronger odds at landing Patrick in the draft, while the Colorado Avalanche currently hold the best odds as the NHL's last-place team. In an added wrinkle, the expansion Vegas Golden Knights will have the same odds as the third-worst team. A lottery is held for each of the top three picks, and no team can fall more than three draft spots.
Here are the latest prospect rankings for the 2017 draft, per ISS Hockey:
| Rank | Player | Position | Team/League | Games | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nolan Patrick | F | Brandon/WHL | 7 | 6-7-13 |
| 2 | Timothy Liljegren | D | Rogle/SHL | 11 | 0-3-3 |
| 3 | Nico Hischier | F | Halifax/QMJHL | 35 | 28-30-58 |
| 4 | Gabriel Vilardi | F | Windsor/OHL | 24 | 17-17-34 |
| 5 | Owen Tippett | F | Mississauga/OHL | 40 | 34-21-55 |
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