For the Flyers, there was a central theme to their weekend in Ottawa: bulk up the defense - for the present and the future.

In addition to acquiring Washington defenseman Steve Eminger, a former No. 1 pick who they expect to be a part of their six-man rotation, the Flyers drafted two defensemen and two goalies among their five picks in the draft, which ended yesterday.

They also freed cap space, making it easier to land another much-needed, puck-moving defenseman, such as Montreal's Mark Streit.

"We restocked our cupboard," general manager Paul Holmgren said, "and by adding Eminger, he's a guy who can step in and help right away. It was a long couple of days, but we're pleased with the results."

The Flyers yesterday chose defenseman Marc-Andre Bourdon with the third-round selection they received Friday in a deal that sent forward R.J. Umberger to Columbus.

Bourdon was overweight when the 2007-08 season started, but he rounded into shape and his stock rose from No. 202 to No. 125 in the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau ranking of prospects.

Flyers scout Simon Nolet said he was surprised Bourdon was available at 67th overall.

"For me, I think I had a good year and did what I had to do. I didn't look at the scouting number," Bourdon said of the draft projections.

Bourdon, 18, is considered a puck carrier with good speed. Playing for Rouyn-Noranda, the 6-foot, 215-pounder finished with 12 goals and 47 assists in 69 games and was named the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's top defenseman; he finished second in the league with a plus-39 rating.

"He's got quite a bit of offense in him, and he came a long way since the beginning of the year," said Nolet, a former Flyers winger. "He trimmed down and became a different player; he really matured as a defenseman and found his way."

Bourdon, who racked up 114 penalty minutes last year, said he thinks of himself as "a defenseman who can play physical and can create good offense."

He is aware of the style Philly fans enjoy watching.

"I know they like physicality, and I think I can fit in," he said.

Bourdon is probably at least two years away from playing in the NHL. Was he encouraged being drafted by a team short on defense?

"Everything is about your work and your desire. You can't control the situation in front of you," he said of the players he must climb over to reach the NHL, "but you can control what you do."

Later in the third round, with the 84th selection, the Flyers drafted 6-2, 195-pound goalie Jacob DeSerres, who finished first in the Western Hockey League with a .922 save percentage while playing for Seattle last season. DeSerres, who said he patterns his game after Roberto Luongo, Ryan Miller and Carey Price, had a 20-11 record and a 2.28 goals-against average last season.

"I couldn't have landed in a better situation," said DeSerres, mindful that the Flyers don't have an up-and-coming goalie in their farm system.

The Flyers also chose center Zac Rinaldo (sixth round, 178th overall), a hard-nosed type who had seven goals and 191 penalty minutes, and Joacim Eriksson (seventh round, 196th), a Swede who was the sixth-rated European goalie. The Flyers traded their other seventh-round pick (208th overall) to Anaheim for a 2009 seventh-round choice. The Ducks chose defenseman Nick Pryor, whose father, Chris, is the Flyers' director of hockey operations.

Friday's Umberger deal gave the Flyers two picks, including first-round defenseman Luca Sbisa (19th overall), and freed some cap space that could help them pursue a free-agent defenseman.

If San Jose's Brian Campbell proves too expensive to fit under the cap of $55 million to $56 million, the Flyers could try to sign Streit (62 points), another potential free agent and one of the league's few Swiss players.

Sbisa, who was born in Italy but grew up in Switzerland, was asked whether he would like to be teammates with Streit on the Flyers someday.

"That," he told WIP-AM (610) radio, "would be a good thought."

Holmgren said the Flyers were close to signing potential free agents Jeff Carter and Riley Cote.