By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 
When Nico Hischier went to the Devils with the first overall pick, all eyes went to Nolan Patrick.
It was a no-brainer pick for GM Ron Hextall, but he still had to make it. He did.
Patrick, the Brandon Wheat Kings captain and standout forward, was selected by the Flyers with the second overall pick, giving the Flyers a top-of-the-line center.
"I didn’t know where I was going to go, but I kind of had a feeling I was going to end up in Philly, and that’s a place I’d be really excited if I had a chance to go there," Patrick said. "It’s tough to put into words right now, but it’s a special day for me and my family."
"I believe Nolan is a really good young man," Hextall said. "Works hard and wants to be a National Hockey League player. We couldn't be more excited to have him on board."
Unlike with previous drafts, there was no clear-cut No. 1 pick. Patrick had been projected to be the first overall pick for most of the year, but Hischier surged late to become to top pick. That's not something that Patrick is concerned with.
"No, not at all. I think me and Nico are completely different players," Patrick said. "I think he might be a little more offensively dynamic than me, and I think I might be a little more defensively than him. I think we’re just completely different players, so they wanted him, and it’s not like I’m sitting here mad wishing I went to Jersey. They didn’t want me, so it doesn’t matter too much to me."
One of the storylines that followed Patrick around was his injury history. Even with all of the injuries, Patrick put up 20 goals and 46 points in 33 games with Brandon this season. But there was a rumor circulating hours before the draft that the Flyers were "extremely concerned about his injury history. Hextall shot down the rumor after the selection.
"We gathered a lot of information," Hextall said. "There's some stuff out there you want to prove wrong. We did. We're comfortable with the injury history part of it."
Patrick's focus was not on the injuries either. He looked at the injuries as a way to deal with adversity at a young age and feels it made him a stronger person. That said, his goals have shifted to making an NHL roster in October. It may feel like a foregone conclusion, even with Hextall's tendency to mold and develop even the best prospects, but Patrick is going to be putting in the work to make the decision easier for the Flyers.
"Just a good summer of training, getting bigger and stronger," Patrick said. "Everyone in the NHL can skate and they’re strong players, so that’s my main thing.
"I think after a good summer of training, that’s my goal."
Patrick brings a combination of size, speed and skill to the Flyers with an attentive eye on two-way play and thriving in all situations. The Flyers may not have gotten the player that some feel was the best all-around player — with Hischier going first overall — but they got a type of player that is still a rarity.
"The big, prototypical power centerman, hard to find," Hextall said. Well, he and the Flyers found one on Friday night.
