On April 28, the 2017 NHL Draft was not looking like an especially exciting one for the Philadelphia Flyers’ organization. Yes, general manager Ron Hextall had stockpiled an impressive number of picks, but in terms of immediate high-end talent, they likely weren’t going to add a franchise-changer with a mid-first round pick in a draft generally viewed as a “two-player” draft.
Then, the lottery happened.
With only a 2.4% chance of it occurring, Philadelphia somehow jumped up to the No. 2 pick in the draft, opening up a clear path to acquiring either Nolan Patrick or Nico Hischier, the two prizes of the class.