Riley Patterson has had a phenomenal second half for the Barrie Colts, and it has resulted in some draft talk.
2006-born rookie Riley Patterson has had a resurgence in the second half of this season, after a slow start.
Patterson was named January's OHL Rookie of the Month, with 15 points in 12 games.
When Patterson first broke into the OHL this season, he really struggled to find open space with the puck. He kept trying to drive through traffic, and he ended up turning the puck over a lot. He would try to rely on his hands and puck control to get out of tough situations, and get dominated physically with his tendencies to crash into the middle of the ice. Patterson wasn't able to find any space.
When he lit up the OJHL last season playing Junior A, he was able to get away with that. In the OHL, he is not.
Patterson has the tools and skill level to create offensively in this league, he just wasn't able to adapt his game for the first few months of the season.
Since we have broken through into the second half of the season, Patterson has found a new gear. He has been able to gain a step on opponents and gain space more often. He is learning how to not only find, but to create space himself with the puck. His decision making has also become much quicker.
Now that he can create space effectively and move pucks quicker, Patterson's skill is shining through.
Patterson is up to 46 points in 50 games for the Colts this season.
Patterson is currently riding a nine-game point streak, and is off to a hot start in the month of February as well. Though the Barrie Colts hopes are slim to succeed this year, Patterson is another young player that can be a key asset in their future.
He has the ability to play centre and on the wing, and his ability to create offensively doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. The departures of Eduard Sale & Jacob Frasca has also created more room for Patterson in the lineup.
Patterson has gotten himself into some draft conversations with his performance over the last few weeks, and he should likely hear his name called in June at the NHL Draft.