Gaelan Patterson
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Birthday:
1990-08-22 |
Position:
C |
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Eligible for draft:
2009 |
Shoots:
Left |
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Drafted:
2009 |
Height:
6-0 |
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Acquired:
7th round (201st overall), 2009 |
Weight:
204 lbs. |
Prospect Talent Score
Probability of Success
- C
History
Gaelan Patterson was likely passed over in his first year of draft eligibility in 2008 due to his entirely underwhelming rookie and sophomore seasons in the WHL. Through the first 104 games of his junior career, Patterson managed just seven goals and 14 points.
2007-08: Knocked out of the regular season in January after a skate blade severely cut his wrist.
2008-09: Patterson scored 57 points (22 goals, 35 assists) and had a +31 rating in 71 games last year for the Saskatoon Blades, a team that finished first in its division but lost in the first round of the playoffs. Added one goal and one assist in the 2009 playoffs.
2009-10: Patterson had a solid fourth season with the Saskatoon Blades while improving his two-way game. He scored 26 goals (five on the power play) with 33 assists and a plus 21 rating in 71 WHL games. The speedy centerman scored six shorthanded markers while killing penalties all season long for the Blades. After finishing the regular season in first place overall, the Blades suffered a surprising defeat to the Brandon Wheat Kings in their second round series of WHL playoffs. Patterson had played well while accumulating four goals along with six assists and a plus five rating in ten WHL playoff games. After being knocked out of the WHL playoffs, the speed two-way centerman was called up to play for the AHL Abbottsford Heat in the AHL Calder Cup playoffs. Patterson was lucky enough to score his first AHL goal in three AHL playoff games with the Heat. He impressed the Calgary Flames enough that they signed the centerman to an entry level contract on July 16, 2010.
2010-11: Patterson had a good rookie season with the Abbottsford Heat even though his offensive numbers were reduced by minor shoulder, knee injuries and a broken jaw along with a concussion. The 20-year-old centerman still managed to score seven goals with 14 assists and a plus one rating in 61 AHL games. He finished the season as a key penalty killer for the Heat while starting to show his two-way game.
2011-12: Patterson skated for Calgary's AHL affiliate Abbotsford in a lower line role in his second pro season and finished the year with the ECHL's Utah Grizzlies. He was minus-one with 14 penalty minutes and scored 1 goal with 5 assists in 56 games for the Heat but was not with Abbotsford during the AHL playoffs. He scored 2 goals with 1 assist and was plus-one in five games with the Grizzlies and in three ECHL playoff games he was minus-one with 1 assist.
Talent Analysis
Patterson is a good skating centerman who plays a solid defensive and tight checking game. The physical forward is a team player, gritty and can excel at the penalty kill. The stocky centerman must improve his overall offensive game and show the Flames that he can be a solid two-way player. His time is running out on his NHL entry level contract and the seventh rounder must show solid improvement or he could be release by the Flames at the season's end.
Future
Patterson will be assigned to Utah Grizzlies at the ECHL level for the start of the season. The defensive center needs to play well in order to be re-assigned to Abbotsford but only if the Heat have injuries or call-ups to the Flames should the NHL lockout be settled. He's more likely to have the opportunity to play top-nine minutes in the ECHL than at the AHL level.
