By Jesse Larch, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
After the Flyers received a franchise-changing moment of luck at the NHL's annual draft lottery, the future of the Orange and Black is looking brighter than ever.
The Flyers draft position jumped 11 spots, as they moved from the 13th overall selection all the way to second overall for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, guaranteeing a top player in what was considered a very thin draft after the first few selections.
The draft has been quite deep in recent years, including last year, when the Flyers had 10 selections. We will look at how each of those selections fared in their first year as a part of the Flyers organization.
C German Rubtsov (1st Round, 22nd overall)
German Rubtsov had an up-and-down year in 2016. Rubtsov began the year in the KHL with Vityaz Podolsk. Rubtsov did not enjoy any success in the KHL, where he posted zero points in 15 games.
Unhappy with his role, Rubtsov made the move to North America where he suited up for Chicoutimi of the QMJHL. Once Rubtsov began playing in the QMJHL, his fortunes quickly changed.
The Russian two-way forward shined with 22 points in 16 games, including nine goals and a plus-11 rating. Rubtsov was the fourth member of the Flyers 2016 draft class to play in the World Junior Championships last season, leaving with a bronze medal.
Rubtsov signed his entry-level deal with the Flyers on March 2 of this year.
C/RW Pascal Laberge (2nd Round, 36th overall)
Pascal Laberge may have the highest ceiling of all of the players that the Flyers selected in 2016. Laberge has good size, to go along with a sound two-way game emphasized by board play and smooth hnds that help him score goals and set up his teammates.
Unfortunately, Laberge was the victim of a cheap shot early in the season and suffered a serious concussion. It took Laberge a while to get back to his true self on the ice, and he finished the season with 32 points in 46 games for Victoriaville of the QMJHL one year after scoring 68 points in 56 games.
Laberge is a case where the injury had more to do with the drop off in production than the player.
G Carter Hart (2nd Round, 48th overall)
Carter Hart was the top-rated goaltender in the 2016 draft class, and his play has certainly backed that up. The Flyers have plethora of strong goalie prospects, and Hart may be the best of the bunch.
Hart has dominated the WHL for three seasons now, and he posted his best season of the three this year. With the Everett Silvertips, Hart posted career-highs in goals against average and save percentage, with a 1.99 GAA and a .927 save percentage over 54 games.
Hart also backstopped Canada to a silver medal in the World Junior Championships.
RW Wade Allison (2nd Round, 52nd overall)
The theme of the Flyers 2016 draft was forwards with size, and Wade Allison is a prime example of that.
Allison already possesses NHL size, at 6'2" and weighing over 200 pounds. He made his NCAA debut last season with Western Michigan University. Allison scored 12 goals and 29 points in 36 games in his freshman season, while accumulating 53 penalty minutes.
Allison will need to cut back on his penalties before he can take the next step in his development. If he does that, Allison may reach his high ceiling as an NHL goal scorer.
LW Carsen Twarynski (3rd Round, 82nd overall)
Carsen Twarynski cause a lot of analysts to scratch their heads when he was selected in the third round, and he did not do enough to dispell that criticism last season.
Spending time with the Calgary Hitmen and the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL last season, Twarynski produced 43 points in 64 games.
Twarynski is known for a high-motor game, and Flyers scouts are familiar with him from when they scouted Travis Sanheim and Radel Fazleev who both played for Calgary as well, but Twarynski's ceiling appears to be as a bottom-six forward.
C/LW Connor Bunnaman (4th Round, 109th overall)
Connor Bunnaman is another late round pick who the Flyers have to be feeling good about.
Bunnaman played for the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL, where he led his team in goals last season with 37 in 64 games. Bunnaman was one-dimensional, with 15 assists and a minus-five rating, but his size, listed at 6'3" and 214 pounds, makes him an exciting prospect.
Fans will get a closer look at Bunnaman next season, as he signed an entry-level deal with the Flyers on April 21 of this year and he should appear with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms next season.
D Linus Hogberg (5th Round, 139th overall)
Linus Hogberg was the first of two defensemen selected by the Flyers in 2016. Like his countryman and fellow Flyers prospect David Bernhardt, Hogberg split last season between the Swedish Hockey League and its junior league.
In junior, Hogberg played 11 games and scored nine points. Hogberg did not fare as well as Bernhardt in the men's league, playing in more games (35), producing less points and a lower plus/minus rating.
Hogberg was also not selected for the World Junior Hockey Championship.
C Tanner Laczynski (6th Round, 169th overall)
Tanner Laczynski is a player that the Flyers might not see a return on for quite some time, with him completing his freshman season at Ohio State this season, but if his first season is any indication, the Flyers may have found a great value in the sixth round.
Laczynski was a key contributor in his first season at Ohio State, with 32 points in 34 games and an equally impressive plus-20 rating.
Laczynski play got him recognized by the United States Hockey , when he competed for the red, white and blue in the World Junior Championships. Laczynski had one goal and one assist through seven games in a checking role, as the US went on to win the tournament.
C Anthony Salinitri (6th Round, 172nd overall)
Anthony Salinitri is a speedy centerman with a knack for making plays. He likes to play in all three zones, but he will need to add size before he has a chance to play in the NHL.
Salinitri spent last season with the Sarnia Sting of the OHL. Salinitri posted career-highs in goals, assists and points in his fourth season in the OHL. Over 66 games, Salinitri had 28 goals, 30 assists, and 58 points.
Salinitri did struggle defensively, with a minus-19 rating.
D David Bernhardt (7th round, 199th overall)
The Flyers only selected two defensemen with their 10 picks in the 2016 draft, including with their last pick. David Bernhardt is a large defender, standing 6'3" tall and weighing 200 pounds.
Bernhardt split the season between Djurgårdens IF of the Swedish Hockey League and Djurgårdens IF J20, a team in Sweden's junior hockey league.
In juniors, Bernhardt shined with 21 points in 21 games. Bernhardt's size served him well once he was called up to the Swedish Hockey League, the highest level of professional hockey in Sweden. He appeared in 27 games for Djurgårdens IF, scoring two goals and seven points. Bernhardt also showed tremendous discipline by only receiving four minutes in penalties and posting a plus-seven rating.
Bernhardt also competed for Sweden in the World Junior Championship. Bernhardt had three assists in seven games and a plus-six rating as Sweden lost in the bronze medal game to Russia.
The Flyers future is already bright with many promising prospects in the pipeline, and on June 23rd the Flyers will welcome another top prospect into the fold.
