Ron Hextall set the foundation for a solid future during his time as Flyers GM. It all began with what he did in the 2014 NHL Draft.
Just a few months into his tenure as Flyers General Manager, Ron Hextall was set to take on his first and biggest task. The team was coming off a first-round exit at the hands of the New York Rangers. At a crossroads heading into the offseason, it would be important for Hextall to set the team up well going forward.
He had six picks going into a draft that was held in Philadelphia that year. The team originally held two picks in the third round but traded one of them to the New York Islanders. That trade saw Andrew MacDonald come to the Flyers.
A second trade with the Islanders saw the Flyers acquire Mark Streit. The Flyers acquired their third-round selection when they traded Andrej Meszaros to the Boston Bruins. Sent as a conditional pick, Philly was able to use that in the 2014 Draft.
The Streit trade was the only one made after Hextall took over. The other two were made under the guidance of Paul Holmgren before he accepted a different position with the team.
The 2014 Draft has produced three NHL players for the Flyers with a chance for a fourth. Those are pretty solid results.