Patrick Thoresen is a 30-year old, 6-foot tall and 200-pound power forward who can hit, excels at two-way play and has been a point-per-game producer in every professional league, except one. Unfortunately for him, that one exception is the NHL, but
he reportedly wants back in, after having been successful everywhere else. Even in the Olympics (5 assists in 4 games with
Team Norway in 2010) and World Championships, particularly in 2012, where his 18 points in just 8 games made him the first Norwegian ever to be named on the tournament's All-Star Team.
And he's won the Gagarin Cup in the KHL, and was the league's second-best point-getter, after dominating in Switzerland.
I think he hasn't stuck around with either the
Edmonton Oilers or
Philadelphia Flyers because he was a victim of his qualities: being so good defensively, he was put in roles where he was in no position to contribute offensively - playing with guys who can't finish nor set up, starting shifts in his own zone against the other team's top forwards, and so forth.
Thoresen's not an A+ at anything, but he's a definite B/B+ at everything. His case has been championed by one particular blogger, in
2012,
2011 and
2010.
He was the first undrafted Norwegian player to suit up in an NHL game, with the Oilers, which is where this card comes in:
It's from
Fleer's
2006-07 Hot Prospects set by
Upper Deck, and is card #HM-PA of the
Hot Materials sub-set, featuring a blue event-worn jersey swatch, while the card shows him with the Oilers' turn-of-the-millenium white (home) uniform, with the ''driller'' shoulder patches.
I would give him a shot in my top-9 any time.
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