The first in a two-part series.

The Flyers open the on-ice portion of training camp on Sept. 15 with rookie camp beginning on Sept. 11. General manager Ron Hextall will have some tough decisions to make. Before those calls have to be made, he sat down with Flyers reporter Dave Isaac to go over a variety of topics.

DI: Everybody knows you’ve got prospects coming and there will be competition for several spots in camp. Is there a particular roster battle you’re most curious about?

RH: No, not necessarily. I’m staying very open minded. Obviously in the end we’ve got to make the decision, but it’s really up to the players to compete for spots that are available. May the best man win. I’m excited about training camp because you saw (Travis Konecny) and (Ivan Provorov) last year and now all of a sudden this year is that next stage and the year after…it’s an exciting time for us and the organization and I’m sure all the kids.

PART II:Hextall on Claude Giroux, building a farm system

MORE:Why Matt Read has most to lose, Scott Laughton most to gain in Flyers camp

PROSPECTS:Why Flyers’ youth movement doesn’t mean a step backward

DI: You’ve got a lot more established bodies up front than on defense. I know you had talked about bringing a defenseman in on a tryout. Have you gotten anyone yet?

RH: No, we don’t have anybody yet. We have some feelers out there. We’ll see what happens there. We’re not going to bring someone in for the sake of bringing someone in. He’s got to be a guy that we feel can play if need be. We’ll see where it goes, but we’re continuing to monitor the market.

DI: At the same time, the only way a tryout player is getting a contract is if two rookies fall on their faces, right?

RH: If two rookies fall on their face, a combination of that player’s play as well. If it makes us a better team that’s a different story. We don’t want to close the door on our kids. We want to give them an opportunity. We’ve reached the point where kids have earned the right to get an opportunity. That’s where we feel a number of our kids are at.

DI: When you’re trying to read that market of players that haven’t caught on with anybody yet, are there players hesitant to sign in the NHL this season because they think they have a chance of playing in the Olympics since the NHL isn’t going?

RH: I haven’t heard that. I think if a player wants to play in the NHL, that trumps the shot of playing in the Olympics. That’s my opinion. It might be different with Euros. I think with North Americans it’s fair to say everyone wants to play in the NHL. Every player wants to play in the NHL. You play 82 games, the full season, plus the opportunity next year to play in the Olympics or have the opportunity for the Olympics — you might get hurt, who knows — the opportunity isn’t necessarily a shoo in. It’s an arrow in their arsenal, something that weighs in on them making a decision, but I can’t imagine it being an overwhelming factor.

DI: Alex Ovechkin was probably the most vocal among the NHL guys about still wanting to go to South Korea. Jake Voracek was a little outspoken also, saying he’d feel he was either letting the Flyers down or his country down. Theoretically, what would you tell a player who wanted to take a leave of absence to play in the Olympics?

RH: The rules are the rules. We’re gonna abide by the rules.

DI: Depending on who you had on your roster right now you’ve got about $5.1 million in salary-cap space. Things could change a little, but is that a number you’re comfortable with?

RH: We’re not gonna have $5.1. When we fill our roster it’s gonna be somewhere in the $2-3 million range, but that’s a number I’m certainly comfortable with. It gives you enough to call anybody up. I don’t like being restricted in who we call up. I don’t like to be restricted like, ‘If a guy gets hurt we’ve got to play one man down in terms of roster size.’ I like to be able to travel with 23 people, or at least have the option. I’d like to be able to call multiple guys up, not just a guy on a minimum contract.

DI: In the past couple years when you’ve been strapped by the cap, have you had to deal with a situation where you couldn’t afford to call up the guy you really wanted?

RH: Yeah, we’ve been in a position where we had to call up the guy making about $600,000 or less so we were restricted. I don’t like being in that situation. There’s times where you’re going to be, but it’s not the situation we certainly prefer to be in.

DI: One of the guys you signed in the summer took a while, Jordan Weal. I’m sure you didn’t want it to drag out like that, but Dave Hakstol seemed to indicate he’d be a key piece this season. What tells you that you can rely on a player with 37 career NHL games?

RH: You have to look at the whole body of work. When you look at Jordan’s work in the American League, then you look at the work he did in the National Hockey League last year. — and again, it’s a small window — you put that together with the American League stuff in the playoffs where he played at a high, high level. Your evaluation comes from the NHL, but also prior. We’re comfortable that Jordan can be a skill part of our team, a player that we can count on. He’s a very dedicated athlete. He totally bought in to being a pro athlete and doing everything he needs to do to be the best he can be. We’re comfortable Jordan can be a big part of our team.

DI: Another young guy who could make an impact is Nolan Patrick. He’s 100 percent healthy now, so what’s realistic for him if he makes the roster?

RH: First things first, Nolan is no different than any other player (Robert Hagg) or (Sam) Morin or (Travis) Sanheim or (Phil) Myers or (Cole) Bardreau or anybody else, Taylor Leier. Those guys all have to come in and show us they’re good enough to not only make the team but make us a better team. First things first, Nolan’s got to come in and he’s got to do the best job he can do, perform well to make the Flyers.

DI: But if he does, you don’t want him in a role where he’s only playing eight minutes a night.

RH: You don’t want any young player playing eight minutes a night in the National League rather than playing in the American League unless he’s spent enough time in the American League where you feel like he’s ready for that. There’s certain situations, depending on the upside of the player and what he’s done, where you say, ‘You know what? It’s OK to play this guy in a limited role because he’s accomplished what he can do in the American League and maybe he’s gonna be a role player.’ Your top-end guys, you certainly don’t want them coming here and playing seven or eight minutes a night. That’s not good for anybody.

Dave Isaac; 856-486-2479;disaac@gannett.com