PHILADELPHIA, Pa – In 2007, the Philadelphia Flyers had the worst record in the NHL. Before the Draft Lottery the odds on favorite to be the top pick in the draft was Patrick Kane. Well, 10 years later, Kane is still one of the best players in the league, he has multiple Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks, including winning his first in 2010 
against the Flyers.
James Van Reimsdyk spent two and half seasons with the Flyers before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in one of the worst trades in team history. The Flyers got back defenseman Luke Schenn from the Leafs. Van Reimsdyk has been a major contributor with the Leafs while Schenn is in hockey purgatory otherwise known as the Arizona Coyotes.
Ten years later the ping pong balls gave the Flyers a wink and a smile, pulling the Flyers up from the 13th pick in this year’s draft to the second overall pick. Arch rival New Jersey Devils took the top spot and will have options in a year where, for the most part, doesn’t seem to be a clear cut top prospect. That said there are two players who appear to be head and shoulders above the rest: Brandon’s Nolan Patrick and Halifax’s Nico Hischier.
The Flyers are a little bit at the mercy of the Devils but in this case that is not a bad thing. Getting the “sloppy seconds” wasn’t a bad thing in 2007 and it won’t be in 2017. PHN sees the Devils taking Patrick first overall in part because very rarely does a player like Patrick, who has been the top prospect all year long, being bumped out through no fault of his own. Right now we see it as an 80% chance the Devils taking Patrick.
Even if New Jersey decides to pass on Patrick, having him fall into the Flyers lap would make for a perfect fit in Philly where Patrick tailors his game more like a Flyer than Hischier does but no one in South Philadelphia will argue with whomever the Flyers take at #2.
With that said, expect General Manager Ron Hextall to make the following announcement come draft day.
“With the second overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers select, from the Halifax Mooseheads, Nico Hischier”
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