Flyers need to be offensive in draft

The Flyers won't pick until 18th in the first round of the NHL draft on Friday, but based on their history and the fact that this is a deep draft, expect them to come home with a player who will be a major contributor down the road.

You don't need Scotty Bowman bloodlines to realize the Flyers must get bigger and faster if they want to compete with Pittsburgh, Washington, and the league's other elite teams.

"We're going to have some emphasis on skill and size," general manager Ron Hextall said. "Hopefully, combined, but that's a tough thing to grab."

Their first pick will likely be a forward - Julien Gauthier, Max Jones, Kieffer Bellows, Luke Kunin, Riley Tufte, and German Rubtsov are among…