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Flyers likely to take forward with top pick

When the offense-challenged Flyers select 18th overall in the first round of the NHL draft next Friday, it is likely they will select a forward.

When the offense-challenged Flyers select 18th overall in the first round of the NHL draft next Friday, it is likely they will select a forward.

But general manager Ron Hextall insisted they would take the best player available and cautioned that there is danger in picking a player based on the team's most pressing needs.

"If you look at the history of the draft, there's a lot of players in the first round that don't play in the league or don't play many games in the league," he said during a news conference at the Skate Zone in Voorhees on Thursday. "So if you start getting specific and trying to fill needs, you can miss."

But the fact the Flyers are loaded with quality defensive prospects makes it likely they will set their sights on forwards. They have 10 picks in the seven-round draft — it will be held next Friday and Saturday in Buffalo — and have five selections in the first three rounds.

As for the first round, "we want to take the player that's got partially the best chance of playing and partially the best player," Hextall said.

Hextall said there were "a lot" of gifted forwards in the draft and "some good 'D' as well."

With the 18th selection, "we're going to get a good player, certainly better than a lot of years at 18," he said. "We've just got to make the right pick."

Julien Gauthier, Max Jones, Kieffer Bellows, and Luke Kunin are among the talented forwards who could be available when the Flyers make their first pick. Hextall acknowledged he is also trying to make a deal to move up in the draft.

A year ago, the Flyers selected Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny in the first round. They are regarded as the Flyers' best defensive and offensive prospects, respectively.

"I talked to Dennis Patterson about it," said Hextall, referring to one of the Flyers' top scouts, "and he doesn't think he's seen drafts back-to-back as good as these two. Last year was obviously a bumper draft. Is it as good as last year? No. But is it an average draft? We don't believe so."

Hextall conceded that if he is considering a forward and a defenseman and they were equal in ability and upside, he would lean toward the former.

"In a perfect world, maybe we pick one goalie, two or three defensemen, and the rest forwards," he said of the team's 10 selections.

Breakaways. Hextall would not comment on whether the Flyers were in the running for highly touted forward Jimmy Vesey, a 2012 Nashville draft selection who can become a free agent Aug. 15.  ...  All of the assistant coaches will return for the 2016-17 season, Hextall said.  ...  Hextall said Matt Read had minor thumb surgery Wednesday and would be ready for training camp.

scarchidi@phillynews.com

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