Versatile forward Travis Konecny gives Flyers some depth

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SUNRISE, Fla. — Travis Konecny had an inkling something might go down with the Flyers on Friday night at the NHL draft.

On Thursday, a member of the Flyers' organization spotted him in the lobby of a hotel and whispered in his ear that the club might try to move up to grab him in the first round.

The Flyers did, dealing their pick at No. 29, plus their second-round pick (No. 61), to Toronto for the 5-foot-10 center turned right wing. The Leafs held the 24th pick (see story).

“I was expecting anything,” said Konecny, who captained the Ottawa 67's as a 17-year-old this past season. “I’m really happy with the Flyers. It was one of the teams I watched growing up.

“I got a chance to see their fans last year at the draft. I just can’t express the way I feel right now. I am really excited.”

He’s now 18 and helps fortify the wing, where the Flyers lack organizational depth.

“Being a captain is reflective of the way he played,” Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said. “He’s got speed. He’s got skill. Again, the captaincy is because of the character he possesses.

“He has the heart of a lion and that is huge for us. The Philadelphia Flyers are about character. The size he is, if he didn’t have huge character, he wouldn’t be in the position he is right now.”

Kopecny has grit to go along with that speed and was ranked 14th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.

He was the OHL’s Rookie of the Year this past season.

“We all know where the game is right now — speed,” Hextall said. “Tremendous will with a high skill level to go with it.”

The Flyers bypassed a number of bigger wingers — Mikko Rantanen and Lawson Crouse among them — to take coveted defenseman Ivan Provorov at No. 7 (see story).

Rantanen went to Colorado at No. 10 and Crouse went next to Florida.

Hextall admitted there were a couple of wingers he still wanted and felt he was losing out on any chance of getting Konecny, who weighs just 175 pounds.

“We didn’t think we had a chance and we got a call [from Toronto] and we acted on it quick,” Hextall said. “We were talking about moving up and didn’t find anything and it came together at the last minute.

“We were also looking at the possibility of moving back and we had two guys on the board we really liked.”

Konecny played center at the start of his career but switched to right wing, where the Flyers feel he will be an NHLer.

Hextall was equally impressed that they got Provorov with their top pick to start the night off (see story).

“We added a top prospect on defense with elite hockey sense,” he said. “A real good competitor, a 200-foot player.”

Ironically, Konecny and Provorov played at the top prospects game as teammates.

“It’s going to be fun,” Konecny said. “I was happy to see him go to Philadelphia. I never thought we’d end on the same team. It’s going to be exciting. He was a really good guy.”

Rounds 2-7 will be held on Saturday.

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