Section 215
Fansided

Philadelphia Flyers take advantage of two solid first-round picks in 2018 NHL Draft

By Dan Parzych

DALLAS, TX - JUNE 22: Joel Farabee poses after being selected fourteenth overall by the Philadelphia Flyers during the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 22, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - JUNE 22: Joel Farabee poses after being selected fourteenth overall by the Philadelphia Flyers during the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 22, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

After selecting Joel Farabee and Jay O’Brien, the Philadelphia Flyers took full advantage of having two first-round picks in the 2018 NHL Draft.

As exciting as it was to see the Philadelphia Flyers squeeze their way into the playoffs this past season, it was absolutely frustrating to see the team lose the way they did to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Despite two impressive wins that made it seem like there was hope, allowing the Penguins to score at least five goals in each of their four wins that series shows the Flyers were way overmatched.

Instead of a team that seemed capable of making a surprise run, Philadelphia made it clear they were still a work in progress.

Related Story: 3 reasons Kawhi Leonard trade seems more likely for Sixers

With that being said, the good news for the Flyers is the team was fortunate enough to land two first-round picks (No. 14 and No. 19) thanks to the St. Louis Blues. And while there was plenty of speculation that Philadelphia may end up making a trade with one of the selections, the team has plenty of reasons to be excited about Joel Farabee and Jay O’Brien.

Some hockey fans will argue the Flyers should have focused on defense in the first round, but it’s tough not to love the potential surrounding Farabee and O’Brien as two of the top offensive prospects from this year’s class.

While Farabee will be attending Boston University, O’Brien is taking his talents to Providence College, meaning both players will be joining two top programs that should help with the development process. In the long run, these two prospects seem like they will be worth it for Philadelphia.

Now that the first round is officially in the books, it will be interesting to see how the Flyers make out on Saturday since the team will have numerous options to consider, especially when it comes to defense.

The city of Philadelphia has some of the best hockey fans in the NHL, and Ron Hextall realizes the importance of having a strong Saturday to take advantage of any potential prospects in the final six rounds.

Next: Grading top NFC East picks in 2018 NFL Draft

For a team that has already received high praise in recent years for having top prospects in development, it will be interesting to see what kind of talent the Flyers add on the final day of the draft to add even more excitement to the mix.

Home/Philadelphia Flyers