Photo Credit: Our very own Michael Reaves
The Flyers first round selection of Jett Luchanko, “The Speedster” is exactly what the doctor ordered. One can watch tape after tape on him. Other teams had their eyes set on Luchanko, as well, and the main reason is his speed. That part of the game cannot be taught, you either have speed or don’t, “One man Power Play break in,”Oliver Bonk said of Jett Luchanko when Developmental Camp opened. “That’s what we called him in London because they would just sling it back to him, one-against-four, and he would skate it every time. He’s a special player.”
Bonk is very familiar with playing against Luchanko in the OHL. “It’s an unbelievable feeling to be selected by the Flyers. Unbelievable feeling,” said Jett Luchanko. “I’m excited to be a Flyer and glad to be a part of this historic franchise.”
Luchanko turned 18 on August 21, 2024. He stands at 5’11 and weighs in at 187 pounds. This is somewhat of a raw build for a pro hockey player and gives him a bit of room should he want to add strength next Summer. Luchanko, is a native of London, ON, CAN, and really is making a name for himself at training camp. Not only is he excellent at the skating drills, he’s ramping things up physicality wise. He is proving he can handle himself against men.
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He had a wonderful game against the Washington Capitals. Luchanko played well at both ends of the ice, and he created offense. He made some nice little poke checks, back checked well, any registered two assists. Luchanko is elusive, and that was made evident on a Sunday afternoon.
Has he popped after the Washington Capitals game? No, but that doesn’t mean he’s playing bad either. He’s playing solid defensively, and isn’t turning the puck over at high rates. Luchanko is back checking well, but he is finding out the game is much tougher against NHL’ers. He needs to develop more size and strength for physicality purposes to win board battles.
“He’s had a good camp. What he’s getting is what he deserves,” Flyers’ Head Coach John Tortorella said after practice today. Tortorella also said tonight’s roster will be mostly NHL’ers, while Thursday’s will not feature as many. Could this be Luchanko’s last chance at impressing?
Luchanko says he wants to further developing his shot. He has elite speed, now couple that with a good shot and he becomes that much harder to play against, “It’s definitely something that I want to work on and get better at.” Luchanko said at Developmental Camp. “For me, it’s just trying to work on the total package.”
Flyers’ Head Coach John Tortorella said that he wanted to see Luchanko in some exhibition games, pluralized. Here in a few days, they will have a tough decision to make, either send Luchanko back to the Guelph Storm, or keep him up with the big club for at the very least a nine-game tryout, before they burn a year of his ELC (Entry-Level-Contract). He made it through a few rounds of roster cuts, with transpiring Friday or Saturday.
These are some good, tough decisions to make. On one hand, it would be great to see him further develop in the OHL for a full season, but at the moment he is earning a rightful nine game tryout. There really isn’t anything to lose on the Flyers end if they choose the nine game tryout route. Luchanko would get his NHL debut out of the way, and maybe he could help elevate this team on the road for the first five games.
Now more on the player in Luchanko. The Flyers ended up coming away with the guy they wanted all along, per Danny Briere. Luchanko was one guy the Flyers wanted, and had eyes for as Briere noted to our very own Vasili Gianarakos after the first round was complete. They loved his shot, hands, size, and more importantly his skating abilities.
Luchanko has a high motor, and can turn the jets on when he wants to. He has a high-end hockey IQ, which cannot be taught. His vision of the ice is impeccable. “Jett’s a player we are really excited about. A centerman who brings speed, very smart and very detailed at both ends of the rink. As he gets stronger, he’s going to be more and more dynamic. We’re really excited about his potential,” said Brent Flahr, Vice President and Assistant General Manager following the draft.
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Flahr continues, “He can play in every situation, whether it’s in Guelph or Team Canada. He’s a leader. Coaches rave about him on both teams. We just think it’s the tip of the iceberg with him. He’s a player that we highly coveted.”
This young man can score too, it’s not just about his skating abilities. Yes, he’s an elite skater, but he has good hands too. He netted 20 goals last season, so he has the knack for the net a bit. Let’s see where this goes from here.
