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As NHL draft nears, Flyers' future about to improve

The Flyers will land an impact player with the No. 2 pick in the draft Friday night.

Nico Hischier (left) with his CHL Rookie of the Year award, and Nolan Patrick with his Top Draft Prospect award.
Nico Hischier (left) with his CHL Rookie of the Year award, and Nolan Patrick with his Top Draft Prospect award.Read moreAP

CHICAGO — Scouts and predictors are divided on which player New Jersey will pick at No. 1 in the NHL draft Friday night.

Nolan Patrick, whose father (Stephen) and two uncles (James Patrick and Rich Chernomaz) played in the NHL, has the better pedigree but is coming off an injury-plagued junior season. The 6-foot-2, 199-pound center is a power player and a terrific scorer and passer who plays at his best in clutch situations.

Nico Hischier is a 6-1, 179-pound center whose only flaw is his work in the faceoff circle. He is more dynamic than Patrick, has great speed and remarkable vision, and is a stellar passer and scorer.

As a bonus, both are strong defenders who play a 200-foot game.

Nolan or Nico?

It will be decided when the NHL draft starts at 7 p.m. at the United Center in Chicago.

The Flyers, of course, have the No. 2 pick.

Nolan or Nico?

"They're different in the way they approach the game," said Craig Button, the TSN draft expert who ranks Hischier slightly above Patrick. "But you can't go wrong with either one."

Button said the fact that Patrick has slipped to No. 2 in some mock drafts has less to do with his injuries this season (he is now totally healthy) and more to do with Hischier's rise.

In terms of their style of play, Button compares Hischier to Henrik Zetterberg (326 goals, 904 points in 1,000 career games), and Patrick to Eric Staal (353 goals, 846 points in 1,011 career games).

Whichever center the Flyers land, it will make their future unexpectedly brighter. They advanced from No. 13 to No. 2 in the draft lottery, which is the only reason they will select such an impact player.

There have been rumblings that New Jersey is also interested in defenseman Cale Makar. But if the Devils decided on Makar, they would probably trade down (to Dallas?),  and the team that received the No. 1 pick would undoubtedly select Hischier or Patrick.

Miro Heiskanen is another highly regarded defenseman in the draft.

Other coveted centers include Cody Glass, Gabe Vilardi, Martin Necas, and Casey Mittelstadt. Elias Pettersson and Nick Suzuki are among the top-rated wingers.

Some have suggested that Flyers general manager Ron Hextall might trade down in the draft to acquire a young NHL player and a couple of high draft picks. On Thursday, however, Hextall said he didn't plan on dealing his No. 2 overall pick.

Breakaways. Arizona traded defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, a Sewell, N.J., native, and its first-round draft pick (No. 7 overall) to the Rangers for forward Derek Stepan and goalie Antti Raanta. … The Coyotes and Flyers came to the draft looking to add a goalie. … Arizona also dealt Connor Murphy, the son of Flyers assistant Gord Murphy, and Laurent Dauphin to Chicago for Niklas Hjalmarsson. … Rounds 2-7 will be held Saturday starting at 10 a.m. … The Flyers have 11 picks overall, including two in the third round and three in the fourth.