It takes three to five years after an NHL Draft for an organization to gain a reasonably reliable sense of how many picks in a given year have (or are likely to) become NHL regulars, which ones might provide system depth as fill-in callups and which ones either were not offered entry-level contracts or are otherwise not part of the plan moving forward. The 2018 Draft is the fifth since Ron Hextall became the Flyers' general manager.

Here are 5 keys to a successful 2018 Draft for the Flyers:

NOTE: The first three steps will be in place by the time the organization holds its final pre-Draft meetings in Dallas leading up to the first round of the Draft. The other two will primarily take shape over the two-day Draft itself, but the groundwork may be laid beforehand.

Over the course of his 49 years in the National Hockey League as a Hall of Fame player, general manager, team executive and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee, the legendary Bob Clarke has seen and done it all. Recently, the Flyers senior vice president reflected on the aspects of the NHL Draft.

Flyers general manager Ron Hextall met with the media at the Skate Zone in Voorhees on Thursday to discuss the organization's outlook on the upcoming 2018 NHL Draft. The Flyers contingent will travel to Dallas on Sunday and, over the next three days, conduct a series of meetings to finalize a strategy and set internal rankings ahead of the Draft's first round on Fri. June 22.

As expected, Hextall kept his pre-Draft intentions close to the vest. However, he did provide, in broad terms, some insights about how he views this year's Draft class and his overall philosophy on drafting and development.

Following are 5 top takeaways from Hextall's press conference, and some news and notes on other topics the GM touched upon.

The Philadelphia Flyers today released their 2018-19 preseason schedule, according to general managerRon Hextall.

The Flyers will play an eight-game preseason slate again this year, doing so entirely against the New York Islanders, the New York Rangers and the Boston Bruins. The preseason will begin with four games in four days, the first three of which will be against the Islanders in three different venues - Sept. 16 at Nassau Coliseum, Sept. 17 at the Wells Fargo Center and Sept. 18 at Barclays Center.

After concluding that opening run with a visit to the New York Rangers on Sept. 19, the Flyers will host the Islanders on Sept. 21 at PPL Center in Allentown, the home of the Flyers' AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. It marks the fourth consecutive preseason that the Flyers are making a visit to the Lehigh Valley.

After the busy start, the Flyers will play three more contests, two of which are at home. They'll welcome in the Bruins on Sept. 24 and then the Rangers on Sept. 27 before concluding the preseason on Sept. 29 in Boston.

"The LA and Columbus deals were closed within minutes of each other," recalls Flyers President Paul Holmgren, who was the general manger behind both deals. "We closed out the Richards trade with the Kings and, before we could even register the paperwork on the deal with the League, Howson was ready to finalize a deal for Carter."

The components of the LA and Columbus trades would shape the Flyers' roster for years to come. Less well-known, however, is the scouting back story of two deals. But let's start from the very beginning on how and why the deal was made...

Regardless of how many picks a team has in the NHL Draft or where those picks are located within each round, an organization's scouts prepare the same way each season. The process takes nearly a calendar year - starting from summertime tournaments involving Draft-eligible players such as the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament through the postseason NHL Scouting Combine and final internal pre-Draft meeting to determine the organization's rankings of the Draft-eligible players and finally ending after the final pick is made on the second day of the Draft.

Generally, by the time the final scouting meeting takes place, an organization has homed in on a few players it figures will eligible in the range of their first-round pick(s). 

However, just as within a hockey game itself, sometimes there are strategic changes on the fly in the final hours before Draft time or even on the Draft-floor itself. Often, the shifting of gears is precipitated by the organization making a trade that involves draft selections changing hands.

"It's kind of funny. When you acquire picks, especially first-round picks that are pretty early in the Draft, the scouts get really jazzed up because then they can really do their thing," said Holmgren.

Parts 1 & 2 of our series looked at the skaters available across both continents. Today, we round out NHL Central Scouting's list of the top two goaltenders that could be available to the Flyers in the first round and beyond.

PART 1: North American Skaters (click here)
PART 2: European Skaters (click here)
PART 3: NA & EU Goaltenders

NORTH AMERICAN GOALTENDERS

1. OLIVIER RODRIGUE (G)
TEAM/LEAGUE: QMJHL - DRUMMONDVILLE VOLTIGEURS
VITALS: 6'1" | 159 lbs
BORN: July 6, 2000 | Chicoutimi, QUE 

* Rodrigue tied for second in the QMJHL with 31 wins last season... He also posted a 2.54 goals-against average, .903 save percentage and three shutouts. In doing so, he helped Drummondville to a 44-20-4 record and 92 points to post the franchise's most wins in a single season in seven years.

* In the playoffs, he helped Dummondville to a five-game series win over Cape Breton in the first round before falling to Victoriaville in Round 2... He finished the playoffs with a 5-4 record to go along with a 2.50 GAA and .891 SV%. 

* Internationally, Rodrigue was part of Canada's Gold-medal winning team at the 2018 Ivan Hlinka Memorial, where he posted a 1.00 GAA and .942 SV%... He also made three appearances for Canada at the 2018 Under-18 World Championship where he was named among the top three players on his team after he recorded a 1.33 GAA and .949 SV%. 

 The Hockey Writers

"Although he doesn't boast immense size, Rodrigue's fiery demeanour and determination to succeed more than compensate for this perceived deficiency. A true battler in the crease and desperate to win each and every time he graces the ice, Rodrigue denies opposing shooters through strong positional play and the ability to react quickly to well-placed shots and dangerous scoring chances."

========================================================================================

Part 1 of our series looked at the prospects in North American leagues. Today, we take a look at who NHL Central Scouting ranks as the top eligible European skaters:

PART 1: North American Skaters (click here)
PART 2: European Skaters
PART 3: NA & EU Goaltenders (June 10)

1. RASMUS DAHLIN (D)
TEAM/LEAGUE: SEL - FROLUNDA
VITALS: 6'2" | 181 lbs
BORN: April 13, 2000 | Trollhattan, SWE

* Highly favored to be the No. 1 overall pick by scouts throughout the hockey world and a franchise defenseman… He is looking to become the second swedish-born player selected 1st overall in the NHL draft (Mats Sundin: 1989 Quebec). 

* As a 17-year-old, Dahlin recorded 20 points (7g-13a) in 41 games in Sweden's top pro league (SHL) and earned Swedish junior hockey player of the year honors… He won a silver medal with Team Sweden at the 2018 World Junior Championship, where he was named "Best Defenseman" and a tournament All-Star. 

Scouting Report - NHL Central Scouting

"Dahlin has the skating, skills and elite hockey sense that can dictate the style of play and the pace of a game with or without the puck. He finds ways to contribute in all situations, is ultra-competitive and a high-character person who leads by example."

========================================================================================

Two weeks out from the NHL Draft and the Flyers hold a unique, and fortunate position, by owning two first round picks that are both in the Top 20. Throughout the next three days, PhiladelphiaFlyers.com will get you accustomed to a group of players ranked by the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau that could don the Flyers Orange & Black by the end of the first round of the NHL Draft on June 22 in Dallas.

PART 1: North American Skaters
PART 2: European Skaters (June 9)
PART 3: NA & EU Goaltenders (June 10)

NORTH AMERICAN SKATERS

1. ANDREI SVECHNIKOV (RW)
LEAGUE: OHL - BARRIE COLTS
VITALS: 6'2" | 188 lbs
BORN: March 26, 2000 | Barnaul, RUS

* He ranked first among OHL rookies in goals (40) and overall points (72) in just 44 games last season with Barrie... He averaged 1.64 points per game, also placing first among rookies and fifth overall in the OHL... He posted 11 points (5g-6a) in eight postseason games with Barrie last season.

* Internationally, he recorded five assists in five games in his first World Junior Tournament in 2018 for Russia.

Scouting Report - NHL Central Scouting

"Svechnikov has a consistent and competitive power game that gets the puck through checks and to the net with speed and skill. He's able to create and finish scoring chances in a timely manner and quickly established himself in the OHL as an offensive impact player."