BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Flyers picked up another draft pick this week and will now have 11 selections when the NHL draft opens Friday night at First Niagara Center.
Round 1 is Friday night; Rounds 2-7 take place on Saturday morning.
Recall the Flyers were to receive a conditional pick from the Coyotes to complete the Chris Pronger/Sam Gagner swap that was made at last year’s draft.
The choice was take a fourth-round pick this year or a third-round pick in 2017.
With the deal San Jose made with Arizona this week, the Flyers say they’ll take the fourth-round pick the Coyotes picked up instead of waiting until next year. That pick is at No. 120.
“I talked to them and they are going to give us that pick,” Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said. “They don’t have to tell us until the start of that round. I am approaching it as if we will have that pick in the fourth round.”
The last time the Flyers had 11 draft picks was 2004.
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None of the players they selected became regular NHLers. Two played 11 games — winger David Laliberte and goalie Martin Houle. Of course, the Flyers didn’t have a first -or -second-round pick that year, either.
With the addition of the Coyotes' pick, the Flyers will now have two picks each in the second, third and fourth rounds.
Hextall said a couple teams had called him about potential free agents or trades but nothing was on the horizon. He also said, at this point, the team is proceeding as if it will pick at No. 18 in the first round and won’t be able to advance.
No interview
Although the Flyers have an interest in Val-d'Or right winger Julien Gauthier (more on him), they did not interview the 18-year-old.
“Be really careful there trying to figure out who we’re going to pick versus who we interviewed or didn’t,” Hextall said. “Certain guys we are really comfortable with and some we aren’t.”
Gauthier, who plays on the same club as Flyers prospect Nicolas Aube-Kubel, admitted surprise.
“Yeah, I think so because they’d been there all year long to watch Aube-Kubel and our team, but it happens,” Gauthier said. “It’s all right … you never know because they watched me play all season long, but I really couldn’t tell you.”
