Flyers bring highly touted prospect in for a medical exam

With the Flyers having the second pick in the NHL draft, the team wants all the answers for the top two prospects. That's why the team had highly touted center Nolan Patrick in for a visit the Skate Zone in Voorhees on Wednesday.

"He saw our doctors today," Flyers general manager Ron Hextall Wednesday evening in a conference call.

Patrick and Nico Hischier, both 18-year-old centers, are expected to be the top two players selected in the June 23 NHL draft. The New Jersey Devils own the first pick and the Flyers have the second selection.

Patrick had an injury-plagued season with Brandon in the Western Hockey League. He claimed an injury from the previous season was misdiagnosed. Patrick said he had two sports hernias but his doctor diagnosed one.

In 33 games this past season, he had 20 goals and 46 points.

"He had some injuries last year and we wanted to be clear what they were, how severe and everything else." Hextall said. And we now have clarity."

Hextall wouldn't get any more specific.

"I am not going to discuss for obvious reasons any details of the medical report," Hextall said. "As I said, we have clarity and understand things pretty well now."

Asked if the team would bring in Hischier for a medical exam, Hextall said, "no."

Hischier came over from Switzerland and played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season, collecting 38 goals and 86 points in 57 games for Halifax.

Hextall also talked briefly about 38-year-old Kris Knoblauch, who on Wednesday was hired to be a Flyers assistant coach.

Knoblauch had been the head coach of the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League since Nov. 29, 2012. This past season, Erie won the OHL championship and reached the final of the Memorial Cup before losing to Windsor.

The Flyers had an opening when Joe Mullen, whose main job was running the power play, didn't have his contract renewed after the season.

"Kris's teams had a lot of success on the power play, on the goal scoring department, goals against and obviously just his success overall," Hextall said. "I like his personality and we felt he will fit in with the group and has a good hockey mind so we are excited to have him on board."