Flyers hit a home run in Chuck Fletcher’s first NHL draft as team’s GM | Sam Carchidi

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The Flyers didn’t select the little player most of their fans seemed to want, a player who was regarded as the best pure scorer in the draft.

Instead of the sexy pick in the first round – right winger Cole Caufield, who scored a ridiculous 72 goals in 64 games this season for the U.S. National Team Development Program -- Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher thought outside the box.

And hit a home run.

He got Cam York, the defenseman he wanted, even though he traded down three spots. He also picked up a second-round pick in the deal Friday with Arizona. On Saturday, Fletcher used that pick to move up in the draft and get Bobby Orr Brink, an elusive right winger who may not have quite the upside of Caufield, but has the ability to be a quality NHL sniper some day.

Brink will refine his game – and get stronger and improve his skating -- at the University of Denver, an NCAA power that reached its 17th Frozen Four last season, before turning pro.

Fletcher moved up 11 spots to No. 34 on Saturday by dealing his second-rounder and one of his third-rounders to Nashville. That move, which should be applauded from Conshohocken to Cape May, netted Brink.

In 43 USHL games this season, the highly competitive Brink scored 35 goals.

“He’s going to a great program in Denver, but what he did this year in the USHL is amazing for a first-year kid,” Fletcher said.

»READ MORE: Flyers pick seven new prospects, here’s what you need to know about them

The general manager sounded giddy. Maybe it’s because he has known Brink and his family for a while and has seen the kid progress over the years. Brink had been a big name while starring at a Minnesota high school when Fletcher was the Wild’s GM.

Or maybe Fletcher was just excited because Brink can be the Flyers’ version of Caufield, who went to Montreal one pick after Philly took York.

Like the 5-7, 163-pound Caufield, the 5-8, 165-pound Brink will be matched against much bigger players when he does reach the NHL.

“Obviously, he’s a little undersized,” Fletcher said, “but the effort and the compete are oversized.”

The Flyers got two players – York and Brink – whom they had ranked in their top 20.

“To get two players like that, considering I traded a second-round pick last week [in the Justin Braun deal], we’re excited,” Fletcher said.

In the third round, the Flyers took a big righthanded defenseman, Ronnie Attard, who had 30 goals in 48 USHL games and, according to Flyers draft guru Brent Flahr, plays with a mean streak. They took a promising puck-moving defenseman, Mason Millman, in the fourth round.

Three of the Flyers’ first four picks were used on defensemen. It wasn’t by design, Fletcher said.

“It just broke that way,” said Fletcher, who talked to several agents who represent his prospective restricted free agents at the draft and implied he made the most progress with defenseman Travis Sanheim.

“Our focus wasn’t just on defensemen. It’s the old cliche – it’s the best player available. And we were very happy to get those players.”

During the draft, new Flyers coach Alain Vigneault met with the media and seemed pleased with the work of Flahr and Fletcher. Some coaches get involved in the drafting process. Is Vigneault one of them?

»READ MORE: Flyers’ GM Chuck Fletcher’s first pick in NHL draft continues trend of unpredictability | Sam Donnellon

He took his thumb and fingers and made a zero. He said he is not qualified to make suggestions

“Chuck’s got a great staff that I just met for the first time,” he said. “I have full confidence [in them]. I don’t see any of the players, so I don’t get involved. These guys are the experts.”

It will take a few years, or longer, to find out if what they did this weekend was fruitful. Based on draft expert Craig Button’s ratings, they did better than most teams.

Button, the former Calgary GM, had York as the draft’s 16th-best prospect and Brink at No. 20. In essence, the Flyers got two first-rounders and bolstered both their offense and defense.

They wouldn’t have made as big an upgrade to both units if they had picked Caufield.

That said, it had to be tempting.