One of the favorite bar discussions amongst writers gathered for the NHL draft revolved around the all-time best and worst of first-round picks.
Players who were touted as future superstars and turned into busts. Players such as Alexandre Daigle and Pat Falloon.
Ironically, both were first-round selections who eventually played for the Flyers.
Then there are players who become absolute stars no one could have predicted it. Or maybe there was something about them that scared people off.
For instance, were it not for diabetes, Bobby Clarke surely would have been a first-round choice by some club in 1969.
The Flyers initially bypassed him before scout Gerry Melnyk lobbied hard at the draft table with general manager Bud Poile to take Clarke in the second round.
Imagine if that had never happened. Would the Flyers have ever won a Stanley Cup?
NHL
Anyway, going into Fridays draft at CONSOL Energy Center, heres a look back at the Flyers top five best and worst first-round picks.
Again, keep in mind the reason Clarke, Ron Hextall, Chris Therien and others who had long, productive or outstanding careers as Flyers are not among this group is they were not first-round selections.
The five best first-rounders
1972Bill Barber
Only two players really stand out from that first roundBarber and legendary Canadien Steve Shutt, who would win five Stanley Cups. Shutt was taken at No. 4 overall while the Flyers tabbed Barber at No. 7. Last summer, our readers voted Barber as the all-time No. 1 left wing in Flyers history during CSNPhilly.coms All-Time Flyer Team contest. Barber, the all-time goal leader as a Flyer (420), won two Cups as a player and one as scout with Tampa Bay.
1979Brian Propp
Voted No. 4 by CSN readers in last summers all-time left wing list, this 14th overall pick remains the second-leading goal scorer in Orange 'n Black history with 369 goals. Among the players in that first round were Ray Bourque, Brad McCrimmon, a future Flyer and Propps teammate with the Brandon Wheat Kings, plus Mike Gartner.
1982Ron Sutter
One of six Sutter brothers (and were not including future offspring) to play in the NHL, this fourth overall pick was also a two-year Flyer captain. Still among the franchises top 10 for scoring by a centerman with 360 points over eight years, some of which were accompanied by brother Rich, who was drafted by Pittsburgh at No. 10.
1998Simon Gagne
Roger Neilsons favorite Flyer, Gagne was a genuine jewel deep in the first round22nd overall. It was a talented draft, too, with Vinny Lecavalier, Brad Stuart, David Legwand, Alex Tanguay, Robyn Reghr, Jiri Fischer and Scott Gomez. Gagne is among the top 10 all-time in goals (259), games played (664), and scoring by a left wing (524 points). Were it not for concussions, who knows how great he would have been.
2006Claude Giroux
Though the Flyers vehemently deny it now, they didnt back then. "G" was not the guy the club was aiming for. The Rangers Glen Sather tabbed defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti at No. 21one pick before the Flyers. So shocked was Bob Clarke when he went to the podium, he forgot who the club was picking and had to call out to the draft table. Best thing that ever happened as Giroux already has established himself as an elite player with future captain written all over that No. 28 jersey. He is unquestionably the most exciting Flyer pivot since Eric Lindros.
The five worst first-rounders
1985 - Glen Seabrooke
A center, he was taken with the 21st and last pick in the first round. Seabrooke played less than 20 games as a Flyer over three years and then was gone. Among others on the board the Flyers could have chosen were Joe Nieuwendyk, who would become a Hall-of-Famer and multi-Cup winner.
1987- Darren Rumble
A defenseman, he was taken 20th overall and would play just 18 games as a Flyer, though he was traded in between and ended up playing with four NHL clubs. Among the players the Flyers could have had that draft: John LeClair and Eric Desjardins, who would eventually come here. How about Theo Fleury and Stephane Matteau?
1988 - Claude Boivin
A left wing, he was taken 14th. Clarke seriously considered moving up in that draft to take either Rod BrindAmour or Teemu Selanne, but held pat. Boivin might be the worst all-time first-round pickhe played less than two years here. Among the players still there: Tie Domi, Mark Recchi, Rob Blake, Tony Amonte, etc., although some of those players would become Flyers down the road.
1992Ryan Sittler
A left wing, he was chosen seventh overall. This was a draft floor decision because the Flyers had intended to use the pick as part of the deal for Eric Lindros, then ended up making a selection when Quebec started playing games with the Rangers, forcing the Flyers to draft. Sittler didnt have his fathers great genes, and never played in the NHL. He bounced around the minors. Guys on the board? Sergei Gonchar, Martin Straka, Jere Lehtinen, Ian Laperriere and Stephane Yelle.
1999Max Ouellet
The Flyers became the first team in modern NHL draft history to select a goalie with their first-round selection twice in three years with their 22nd pick. They had taken Jean-Marc Pelletier in 1997. Clarke was hoping to draft defenseman Nick Boynton, but Boston grabbed him with the 21st pick. Ouellet played all of two games before going to Washington as part of the busted Adam Oates deal some years later.
Among the players left on the board: Martin Havlat, Jordan Leopold, Mike Commodore and one player a lot of NHL clubs regret not drafting -- Henrik Zetterberg.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net