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The Flyers first round selection of Luchanko 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 back at Developmental Camp. “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.”
“I see Jett Luchanko, really, really good guy. Tomorrow we are ready,” Matvei Michkov said of Luchanko in English yesterday. The two formed instant chemistry with Luchanko saying this of Michkov, “He’s an unbelievable player. I’m really excited to share the ice with him. I’m excited to play with him tomorrow, as well.”
Luchanko turned 17 on August 21, 2023. He stands at 5’11 and weighs in at 187 pounds. This is somewhat of a raw build for a pro hockey player, but he did say that he added some weight this past summer. Luchanko elaborated on it, and said that he did not want to put too much weight on, too fast. It must have helped because he was flying all over the ice yesterday, and even Lehigh Valley Phantoms Head Coach Ian Laperrière alluded to that by saying, “He’s got the right name because he flies out there.” That’s pretty heavy praise from a renown Head Coach that Laperrière is, only after seeing him on the ice for the first time in person.
The young 17-year-old Luchanko, is a native of London, ON, CAN, and fans got a real taste of the speedster yesterday, “The way he plays, the way he works. He’s a complete player first of all. He’s very young still,” said Flyers’ General Manager Danny Briere back at Developmental Camp. “What he did and how he got better and better as the season went on. We feel that ‘yes, he’s a center.’ We feel he’s just starting to tap his potential. We’re really excited about him.”
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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. You can just see the instant chemistry that both he and Michkov displayed yesterday. Whether, it was rushes up the ice, or practicing the Power Play. Both players had chemistry with one another, and it was great to see.
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 that was made evident yesterday, and he 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. Luchanko needs to get bigger and stronger to withstand the rigors of an 82 game season, but that will come in time. He’s one to two years from being an impact player with the Flyers organization.
“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.” – Brent Flahr, Vice President and Assistant General Manager following the draft.
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Flahr continued, “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. Now it’s about development with the Guelph Storm and the Flyers organization, but it’s looking up after a great first session at rookie camp.
