Patrick Bajkov
2015-16 Team: Everett Silvertips (#8)
Date of Birth: November 27, 1997
Place of Birth: Nanaimo, BC
Ht: 6’0″ Wt: 180 lbs
Shoots: Right
Position: Right Wing
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2016 first-year eligible
Twitter: @patrickbajkov
THW The Next Ones Ranking: unranked (June)
Other Rankings:
- Bajkov is unranked by most of the major scouting agencies.
Every young hockey player dreams of being a junior star, leading their team to championships and getting drafted by a National Hockey League club in the first round. Reality, of course, is often drastically different than dreams. Patrick Bajkov won’t be a first round selection this year, but if he’s drafted in a later round he could turn out to be an excellent value pick.
A third-year Western Hockey League winger with a November birthday, Bajkov is not a gigantic physical presence but excels when he’s using his on-ice awareness. Particularly on the power-play – where he has room to operate – Bajkov is a superb passer, anticipates opposition movements well, and can be an asset to a club’s special teams. At even-strength he’s not a world-beater, but he generally keeps his head above water. Despite his only moderate size, he battles well in the corners and has good discipline – his ability to avoid penalties likely stems from his experience in the league.
Even as an overage player, Bajkov likely won’t be a high-end WHL scorer. But he’s a smart hockey player with good mobility and good vision. He doesn’t project as a player that you’d build an NHL organization around, but he’s the kind of secondary, complementary player that could prove very valuable if he can find the right fit with the right club.
NHL Draft Projection:
Bajkov could be selected anywhere between the fifth and seventh rounds. I’m fairly confident that he will be selected based on the amount of scouting attention that teammate Carter Hart received from NHL clubs.
Quotables:
“He cares, and he’s working on all parts of his game. He’s trying to turn into a well-rounded player for us. His gift is that he has a really nice crisp, fast, smart shot, so that’s his strength. But I think he’s working hard on all parts of his game.”
– Everett head coach Kevin Constantine
Statistics:
Strengths:
- Very good passer.
- Good mobility.
- Good situational awareness.
Under Construction (Improvements to Make):
- Needs to bulk up a little bit to survive corner battles.
- Could improve his shot selection and shoot more often.
NHL Potential:
Bajkov projects as a third-line winger. He can be used as a shut-down player at even-strength and can bring some offense on the power-play.
Risk-Reward Analysis:
Risk – 1/5, Reward – 3.5/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential:
Offensive 8/10, Defensive 8/10
Awards/Achievements:
Bajkov has yet to hit any major achievements or win any major awards.
