Ron Hextall

In Ron Hextall's time as GM, the Flyers have selected two defensemen and four forwards in the first round, all listed as centers. So Friday night presented a first from the Flyers, a natural winger being selected in the first round.

With the NHL Draft getting underway in a few hours, here are six targets for the Flyers with their two first-round picks.

With two more picks available in Friday's first round, the draft remains a priority for the Flyers. Things have changed with the makeup of the roster and the way this team has been built to this point. But not much has changed about the approach. The draft is still the foundation of future success.

Wayne Simmonds is entering the final year of his contract in 2018-19 and the decision on his future in Philadelphia is a big one the Flyers will have to address in the next year. With that in mind, it could have the gritty forward on the trading block, according to one report.

Assuming the Flyers hold onto both picks, the team has a great chance to build their prospect pool even more. It is reportedly a deep draft, and recent history suggests that good prospects and potential future NHL stars can be had in the middle of the first round.

In his pre-draft media availability on Thursday, Hextall did say that right now, the plan is to keep and use both picks.

Assistant GM Chris Pryor certainly has an understanding of the importance of the NHL Draft and its role in Hextall’s plan for building a championship-caliber team. With the draft quickly approaching, Pryor discussed the team’s approach to the draft and the scenarios that come on the night of the first round.

Sam Morin left Game 4 of the Phantoms series against Charlotte and it was confirmed that he is out with a torn ACL. The timeline for his return puts him on track to be available around February 2019, several months into the upcoming season.

The Flyers have signed forward David Kase to an entry-level deal, GM Ron Hextall announced on Friday.

While this is an offseason where the Flyers will have some cap flexibility and be able to push forward in their building process, much of what is already part of the roster has been built through the draft. That will not change this season either, now that the Flyers have two picks and the potential to strike big again at the 2018 Draft.