VOORHEES, N.J. — Now matter how his profession unfolds, Jett Luchanko will perpetually be referred to as the Flyers prospect who was first launched by the booming, mellifluous voice of boxing announcer Michael Buffer on the NHL draft on the Sphere in Las Vegas in June.
One week into his first NHL coaching camp, it’s honest to surprise how quickly one other legendary announcer — Lou Nolan, the Flyers’ P.A. man since 1972 — is likely to be belting out Luchenko’s identify too.
The Flyers made their first cuts of coaching camp on Wednesday morning and promptly rearranged themselves into two distinct teams. One options all of the locks to make the NHL roster. Luchanko is in that group because the lone particular person who has by no means performed an NHL recreation. Bubble gamers Olle Lycksell and Adam Ginning, each aiming for a depth NHL position, additionally stay with the first group.
Basically an NHL group and AHL/junior group now. Notables on NHL nonetheless are Luchanko, Lycksell and Ginning pic.twitter.com/qLGMEVZJev
— Kevin Kurz (@KKurzNHL) September 25, 2024
Nobody stated it explicitly on Wednesday, however nobody needed to — Luchanko has impressed sufficient in camp that he’s going to decorate for not less than one or two extra preseason video games, and the door has not been shut on making the opening-night roster.
To be clear, that also appears unlikely. The Flyers are nonetheless trying primarily in the direction of the longer term and have made it an organizational precedence to not rush gamers; they’ve 4 established NHL facilities on the roster (5 should you embody Noah Cates) and, relying on what occurs with Ryan Johansen’s contract termination, merely won’t have the cap area to suit Luchanko even when they needed to.
However, once more, the door continues to be open.
“We’re simply going to let it play out,” coach John Tortorella stated on Monday when requested about Luchenko’s rapid future. “He’s had an excellent camp. … Simply let him play. He’s going to play some extra exhibition video games. Very thrilling so far as what you see proper now.”
Luchenko began opening some eyes in rookie camp two weeks in the past, when Phantoms coach Ian Laperriere talked about he was “very impressed” by what he known as Luchanko’s “mature recreation.”
Joel Farabee skated on Luchanko’s left wing within the Flyers’ preseason opener in Washington on Sunday, a 6-2 win over the Capitals during which Luchanko notched a pair of assists. With Bobby Brink on proper wing, they have been the Flyers’ best line in opposition to a weak Washington lineup.
“Jett, as a middle, it’s not simple to step into an NHL recreation, even when it’s simply preseason, and play with NHL guys,” stated Farabee. “He’s accomplished a very good job in my view of simply being accountable and letting his instincts take over and never pondering an excessive amount of.”
There additionally Luchanko’s health, which is among the causes he shot up the Flyers’ draft chart because the eventual No. 12 choice. Tortorella spoke on Wednesday about how he was handed a 25-page printout within the morning from somebody on the Flyers’ coaching employees detailing the conditioning stage of every participant.
Naturally, that’s vital to a man like Tortorella, who places such a premium on skating and moving into correct bodily form from Day 1.
“He’s in elite situation,” Tortorella stated. “You’ll be able to see that, the quantity of skating we’ve accomplished, he simply retains going. He’s a powerful child. Larger than I assumed he was, if you stand up shut with him. He’s simply dealt with himself very well.”
Concerning all of the skating to date, Luchanko stated, “It’s positively loads. It hasn’t been too unhealthy. Clearly everybody’s actually quick, and good right here. I believe I’ve managed fairly properly right here, and hopefully it retains going.”
Previous to the beginning of camp, Flyers common supervisor Daniel Brière made clear he didn’t need to be closed-minded relating to younger gamers arriving with the mindset of eager to make the group. On the similar time, Brière’s tone and physique language strongly recommended it was most likely not one thing they have been severely contemplating for numerous causes. For one, there simply don’t appear to be any openings on the roster now with the sudden arrival of Matvei Michkov.
“It’s extra than simply are they prepared, however what in regards to the future, too?” Briere stated. “You need to think about what’s greatest for his or her growth, what’s greatest for 3, 5, seven years down the highway if you discuss guys which can be 18 or 19 years previous.”
One play particularly on Wednesday supplied a reminder that Luchenko actually hasn’t gone up in opposition to NHL-level competitors but. Throughout a two-on-two drill within the offensive zone, after digging round for a puck within the nook Luchenko shortly pivoted and pushed a go in the direction of the entrance of the online, in search of Jamie Drysdale. A break up second later he was peeling himself up off the ice, having simply been bodied by 6-4, 208-pound defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.
Requested about that second, Luchanko stated: “These guys are not any joke in terms of the energy facet of it, they usually’ve been doing it for awhile.”
Towards the Capitals, Luchenko spent most of his time on the ice in opposition to Washington middle Ethen Frank and defensemen Ethan Bear and Alexander Alexeyev — marginal NHL gamers, or, in Frank’s case, a profession AHLer to date. Whereas Tortorella was completely happy to see some offense from Luchanko and others, he cautioned in opposition to studying an excessive amount of into that recreation based mostly on the inexperience and youth within the Capitals roster that night time.
Preseason recreation rosters, after all, will turn into extra NHL-heavy as the subsequent few days and weeks go by. The Flyers host the Islanders on Thursday and Bruins on Saturday — two groups anticipating to make the playoffs in 2024-25. Luchanko will certainly play in not less than one, if not each video games.
If he struggles, it is going to make the Flyers’ determination simple. The prospect will return to Guelph within the OHL, with a chance to play huge minutes and on the highest energy play unit, whereas aiming for a spot on the Canadian world juniors group, too.
And he’ll get to work on different components of his recreation. At growth camp in July, Flyers assistant common supervisor Brent Flahr and participant growth director Riley Armstrong indicated they’d wish to see Luchanko enhance his decision-making, whereas including a little bit extra end to his recreation and capitalizing on his scoring possibilities.
Luchanko admitted “there’s positively nonetheless extra work to be accomplished” in that space of his recreation on Wednesday, and that it’s at “the highest of the listing.”
For now, he’ll get to proceed to work on that and different areas of his recreation in camp with guys that may very well be his Flyers teammates ahead of perhaps anybody anticipated.
“We’ll see the place it goes,” Tortorella stated, “and attempt to do the very best factor for the child when the time comes.”
(Picture: Geoff Burke / Imagn Pictures)
