Hextall on the clock in the NHL draft on Friday

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Dan Marr, director of the NHL's Central Scouting service, says that after blue-chip centers Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel are drafted Friday night, the talented prospects expected to be selected between Nos. 3 to 10 are evenly ranked.

"It's like a jar of jelly beans," he said during the NHL's scouting combine earlier this month. "Throw them up and they'll scatter. You take your pick and you'll be happy."

Which "jelly bean" is the sweetest in the mind of Flyers general manager Ron Hextall?

Hextall, whose team picks seventh and 29th in the first round Friday in Sunrise, Fla, isn't showing his hand.

There are rumblings that the second-year GM is trying to trade up to No. 3, which is owned by Arizona. Hextall, however, claimed he is unlikely to move up because he believes there's not much difference between the quality of players who are drafted third or seventh.

McDavid and Eichel, regarded as superstars in the making, will undoubtedly be selected 1-2, respectively, by Edmonton and Buffalo.

After that, it's a crapshoot.

Arizona is expected to select center Dylan Strome or defenseman Noah Hanifin. Both of those players, along with speedy center Mitch Marner, should be chosen in the first five picks.

That would leave New Jersey, which drafts sixth under new general manger Ray Shero, with choices such as defensemen Ivan Provorov and Zach Werenski, and forwards Kyle Connor, Lawson Crouse, Mikko Rantanen, Pavel Zacha, and Mathew Barzal.

The Devils reportedly are leaning toward selecting a forward.

The Flyers are loaded with gifted defensive prospects, but if Provorov is available at No. 7, he may be too good to pass up. Regarded as a future top-pairing defender, Provorov combines speed, physicality, and intelligence.

"There's defensive challenges, offensive challenges, and he meets them all and exceeds them because he's so smart," said Craig Button, the former Calgary general manager who is now a TSN draft analyst.

Among the forwards who could be available at No. 7, wingers Crouse, Connor, and Rantanen may be the best fits for the Flyers.

"It's all a waiting game as of right now," said the 6-foot-4, 211-pound Crouse, who had two interviews with the Flyers. He later said, "I'm counting down the hours."

The Flyers have drafted seventh overall three times in franchise history, taking left winger Bill Barber in 1972, center Ken Linseman in 1978, and right winger Ryan Sittler in 1992.

Barber, arguably the best player ever selected at No. 7 by any team, scored a franchise-record 420 goals and went into Hockey's Hall of Fame. Linseman had an impressive 14-year NHL career (807 points in 860 games), and Sittler had an injury-plagued minor-league career and never played in the NHL.

The Flyers' Jake Voracek, who was named as the NHL's first-team right winger on Wednesday, was drafted No. 7 overall by Columbus in 2007.

Other notable players picked at No. 7: St. Louis' Bernie Federko in 1976, Edmonton's Jason Arnott in 1993, Winnipeg's Shane Doan in 1995, and Nashville's Ryan Suter in 2003.

Mikko Rantanen, who said he was excited that fellow Finn Kimmo Timonen won his first Stanley Cup, had a second interview with the Flyers on Thursday. . . . The Flyers' prospects will compete on the Trial on the Isle July 8 in Stone Harbor, N.J., starting on the 96th Street Beach at 9 a.m.

The Flyers need to build their farm system with forwards and goalies, but it wouldn't be surprising if they selected a defenseman with their first pick in the NHL draft. The first round is Friday, and Rounds 2-7 are Saturday. Here is how the Flyers' first three picks may go in the annual crapshoot.

Round 1 (seventh overall): Defenseman Ivan Provorov, come on down. If the 6-foot-1, 201-pound defenseman is still around, general manager Ron Hextall and scouting director Chris Pryor will be hard-pressed not to select him. Scouts say Provorov is a player who will someday control games and could be ready to play in the NHL immediately.

If Provorov is gone, big-bodied wingers Lawson Crouse and Mikko Rantanan would be terrific fallback options.

Round 1 (29th overall): Right winger Daniel Sprong. The 6-foot, 180-pound Sprong would give the Flyers some much-needed speed and scoring. He led Charlottetown (QMJHL) with 39 goals and 88 points last season. If the Flyers take a forward with their first pick, defensemen Brandon Carlo or Oliver Kylington would be a great choice if available at No. 29.

Second Round (61st overall): Goalie Matej Tomek. No offense to Tomek, but goalie Daniel "Darth" Vladar would be the choice here if he is available. That's not expected to happen, so unless the Flyers move up in a deal, the talented Tomek would be a soild pick.

Tomek has committed to North Dakota, where new Flyers coach Dave Hakstol spent the last 11 seasons as the head coach. - Sam Carchidi EndText