Flyers 2017 mock draft: More than just No. 2 pick in Rounds 1-4

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Nolan or Nico.

After weeks of debate, it's the 2017 NHL draft eve. Round 1 kicks off Friday in Chicago. The Flyers have 11 picks in total, including the third-round pick from Boston via the Zac Rinaldo trade.

The Flyers have the No. 2 overall pick. They'll select whomever the Devils do not draft at No. 1. They won't decide between Nolan Patrick or Nico Hischier.

Seven of the Flyers' 11 picks fall in the first four rounds. They have one in the fifth, one in the sixth and two in the seventh. Will they make all 11 picks? My bet is no.

With enough ammo, we could see general manager Ron Hextall move up in the middle rounds. This mock draft does not take trades into account. We're only mocking Rounds 1-4.

Each team has its own internal rankings that differ from Central Scouting's rankings and those of experts who study the draft. Mock drafts are good fun but largely a guessing game.

Here is our only look at how we think the NHL draft could shake out for the Flyers.

First round (second overall): Nolan Patrick, C, 6-3/198, Brandon (WHL)
Whether it's Patrick or Hischier, it's a win-win situation for the Flyers. The optics here are simple: the Flyers jumped 11 spots during the draft lottery to be in this position; it doesn't matter which one comes to Philly, either will be a significantly better option than at No. 13.

With that said, I still believe the Devils will ultimately draft Hischier, leaving Patrick for the Flyers. Patrick has three years under his belt in the Western Hockey League and may be ready to graduate to the professional ranks, but that will be settled in training camp.

Patrick checks all the boxes as a true 200-foot player who might not necessarily excel at any one aspect of the game but does everything well. Brandon GM Grant Armstrong said the Winnipeg, Manitoba, native "won't let anybody down," and his uncle, James Patrick, knew from when his nephew was 8 years old, he was destined for big things in hockey.

Second round (44th overall): Marcus Davidsson, C, 18, 6-0/191, Djurgårdens IF (SHL)
Hextall said recently if the Flyers keep all 11 picks, they'd prefer to draft seven forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender. With a system heavy on D-men and goalies and a forward-heavy draft, the Flyers should stick with the forward route in the second round.

Brynäs IF center Jesper Boqvist would be an exciting option here but I don't see him falling to the Flyers at No. 44. Still, the Flyers stay in Sweden with Djurgårdens center Davidsson.

Davidsson is a two-way playmaking pivot known for his speed and work ethic. He scored nine points in 45 games last season in the SHL — eighth-best among junior-aged players. He models his game after Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog. He would be more of a long-term pick than receiving immediate dividends. He still needs more seasoning.

Third round (75th overall): Josh Brook, D, 18, 6-1/191, Moose Jaw (WHL)
With four picks in the first three rounds, I wouldn't be shocked if the Flyers draft a defenseman in the third round. They should add a right-handed shot in Brook here.

Brook, who finished as the 13th-best North American defenseman by Central Scouting, plays a strong positional game with good size. He emulates Penguins blueliner Kris Letang.

He's touted as a smart defender who also has offensive upside. He doesn't project to be a piece to build around but could fit well on a third pair with second-pair potential. In 69 games last season for Moose Jaw, Brook scored eight goals and 40 points.

Third round (80th overall, from BOS): Nick Henry, RW, 18, 5-11/190, Regina (WHL)
With the Rinaldo pick, the Flyers add their first natural winger into the mix in Henry, who registered 35 goals in his rookie season with Regina last season in the WHL.

Henry likens his game to Bruins forward David Krejci. He's a good skater with a decent shot that he'll benefit to utilize more often but has solid playmaking skills to boot.

He's not a big winger but in today's game, size isn't necessarily as important as it used to be. He'll need to add more muscle, though. The skill is there as evidenced by 1.13 points-per-game clip in his first year in the WHL. He'll end up being a solid prospect.

Fourth round (106th overall): Evan Barratt, C, 18, 5-11/187, USNTDP
The Flyers have three straight picks beginning with this pick — my prediction is they won't make all three — and they will bring the Penn State commit into the fold here.

Barratt is a Philly-area kid and a product of the USNTDP. He was born in Bristol, Pennsylvania, a town in Bucks County. He's an underrated prospect with good vision and playmaking ability and a high ceiling. Has defensive flaws but that's an area he'll need to work on at PSU.

The 18-year-old scored 18 goals and 56 points in 63 games for the USNTDP U-18 team in 2016-17, where he served as an alternate captain. He added 24 points in 26 USHL games.

Fourth round (107th overall, from TB): Kirill Maksimov, RW, 18, 6-2/201, Niagara (OHL)
Maksimov shot up from 185th in the midterm rankings to 66th on Central Scouting's final North American skater rankings and comes with plenty of upside as a middle-round pick.

The Moscow, Russia, native benefitted from a midseason trade from Saginaw. He scored 15 goals and 22 points in 29 games with Niagara and just 16 points in 37 games with Saginaw.

A speedy winger who forechecks well, Maksimov's draft stock has been helped with his strong second half and may get him into the third round, but this is a safe spot for him.

Fourth round (108th overall, from NYI): Tobias Geisser, D, 6-4/200, EV Zug (Swiss-2)
With five forwards in their first six picks, the Flyers go back to the blue line here with Geisser, a big mobile left-handed shot who will be a long-term project.

Geisser spent time in both the Swiss A and B league last year. He scored 10 points in 34 games with EV Zug of the Swiss B league and had one assist for Zug in the Swiss A league.

He has a ton of tools to work with, but will definitely have to get stronger and then adjust to the North American game once he comes overseas whenever that would be.

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