Insider reveals former 2nd overall pick isn't as injured as his former team made people think
Long-term injury reserved has become a tool used by times to help manage their salary cap. Unfortunately, with the usefulness of this tool teams have begun to abuse it. The Toronto Maple Leafs have already faced criticism about LTIR usage this offseason, after announcing Matt Murray would not play next season.
Last season no one used LTIR more than the Las Vegas Golden Knights. The Knights battled injuries from the moment the puck dropped until they lifted their first Stanley Cup. While injuries are part of the game, navigating the salary cap has become equally as important.
Now information has surfaced that one player from the Knights roster wasn't as injured as the team wanted people to think. On a recent appearance on Oilers Now, NHL insider Frank Seravalli dropped the following information:
This isn't the first time that the Knights have faced this sort of allegations. Just last season Mark Stone was placed on LTIR before conveniently being deemed healthy for the first game of the playoffs.
Unlike Stone, Nolan Patrick didn't play a single game last season. However if this information from Seravalli is correct it's very possible that Patrick could be a prime candidate for a professional tryout this fall.
Patrick was once considered a can't miss prospect, unfortunately concussions have derailed his career to this point. Since being drafted in 2017 Patrick has played just 222 games scoring 32 goals and adding 45 assists.
If the report from Seravalli is incorrect it's very likely that Patrick's career is over before it truly began.
| POLL | ||
Would you offer Nolan Patrick a PTO if you were a GM? | ||
| Yes, definitely | 47 | 61 % |
| It would depend on health | 20 | 26 % |
| No, he's not worth it | 10 | 13 % |
| List of polls | ||
