The Flyers landed Nolan Patrick with the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, one spot after the Devils took Nico Hischier first-overall. For many, those two prospects were 1. and 1a. when it came to rankings – Patrick long held the top spot before Hischier passed him in the weeks leading up to the draft.
In Patrick, the Flyers landed and potential franchise-changing center that has a knack for scoring and isn't afraid of playing physically. It was essentially a no-brainer for GM Ron Hextall after Hischier was off the board.
And when you add Patrick to a core of Flyers vets and a farm system with a few highly regarded prospects not far from making the jump to the NHL, there's reason for fans to get excited once again despite the fact that their team missed the playoffs last season after barely sneaking in the year before.
According to NBC Sports analyst Pierre McGuire, they should be really excited. And now.
“They are going to be so good," he said immediately following the selection of Patrick. "They were a non-playoff team this year, but I’ll already go out on the air and say the Philadelphia Flyers will make the playoffs this year and they will be a beast to play against.
"I think Dave Hakstol has a murderers' row of young players to play with in Philadelphia. I think they’ll be one of the more exciting teams in the Eastern Conference going forward.”
Here's the video:
For more on what Nolan Patrick brings to the Flyers, you can check out some highlights and scouting reports, here.
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