And some have been traded in deals the Flyers may wish they had never made: Justin Williams and Joni Pitkanen.

Here is a look at the club's first-round picks since 1998:

1998: Forward Simon Gagne (22d overall). The Flyers hit the jackpot with this shrewd selection, getting a solid two-way player who has averaged 40.7 goals in each of his last three full seasons. (He missed most of 2007-08 with a concussion.)

1999: Goalie Maxime Ouellett (22d overall). A bust of a pick, especially when you consider that Martin Havlat (29 goals for the Blackhawks last season) was chosen four picks later. Ouellett played in 12 NHL games.

2000: Forward Justin Williams (28th overall). Williams was a terrific selection, but the Flyers gave up on him too soon and dealt him to Carolina (for Danny Markov), where he excelled before being traded to the Kings last season.

2001: Defenseman Jeff Woywitka (27th overall). He had the size (6-foot-3, 215) but little else. Woywitka never played with the Flyers and was sent to Edmonton in 2003 for Mike Comrie.

2002: Defenseman Joni Pitkanen (fourth overall). Pitkanen, part of a five-player deal in which the Flyers landed Joffrey Lupul in 2007, had a steady season with Carolina (32 points, plus-11) in 2008-09 and finally seems to be reaching his potential.

2003: Forwards Jeff Carter (11th overall) and Mike Richards (24th overall). Talk about a spectacular draft. Carter blossomed into a star by finishing second in the league with 46 goals last season, while Richards continued to emerge as an elite two-way player (30 goals, including a league-high seven shorthanded tallies).

2004: No first-round pick.

2005: Forward Steve Downie (29th overall). His undisciplined play caused the Flyers to include him in a trade with Tampa Bay last season for Matt Carle. Advantage, Flyers.

2006: Forward Claude Giroux (22d overall). He burst on the scene after a midseason call-up last season, scoring nine goals and adding 18 assists in 42 games - and dazzling fans ("Gir-Roooooooo," they chanted when he touched the puck) with his eye-opening moves. His teammates call him "G." And, yes, greatness seems in the cards.

2007: Forward James van Riemsdyk (2d overall). He has been compared to a young John LeClair, but he probably will start the coming season in the AHL. Then again, he could be part of a deal that would bring Jay Bouwmeester's rights to the Flyers.

2008: Defenseman Luca Sbisa (19th overall). The speedy Sbisa, then 18, stunningly made the Flyers' roster out of training camp last season before being sent to juniors for more seasoning. He's still developing, but he looks like a star in the making. - Sam Carchidi