We all expected this year’s Philadelphia Flyers training camp to be about Matvei Michkov. The young Russian phenom coming to North American two years earlier than expected and is poised to set the NHL on fire and compete for the Calder Trophy — and generally, make the Flyers worth watching.
But something we did not fully expect was 18-year-old Jett Luchanko to take the world by storm and have fans frothing at the mouth to make the team and be on the ice on October 11 during the Flyers’ season opener in Vancouver. Just months after being selected 13th overall by the Flyers at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, and weeks after turning 18 years old, the London, Ont. native is putting on an impressive display through rookie camp and then now in the fully fledged, NHL training camp.
His first taste of professional hockey went off without a hitch. During the first preseason game, Luchanko was centering a line with Joel Farabee and Bobby Brink, two young wingers who should have long-term positions in the NHL. That was the first test for Luchanko and he exceeded any expectations. The young center finished with two assists, two shots on goal, and that line finished with the highest on-ice shot attempt share and expected goals share on the Flyers. They were simply outstanding, and the rookie played a massive part.
And instead of treating that performance as a fluke, the Flyers are testing Luchanko once again during Thursday’s preseason game against the New York Islanders.
Luchanko is getting an upgrade. No shade on Farabee and Brink, but now the 18-year-old center will be in charge of a line with Travis Konecny and Tyson Foerster — the wingers that captain Sean Couturier will possibly start the season with. Oh, and Luchanko is also featured on the Flyers’ second power play unit.
That is certainly one way to see if he is ready or not. While we don’t yet know exactly what kind of competition the Flyers are facing tonight — if the Islanders will be icing Mat Barzal and the other top players on that team, or not — to have the young rookie with bona fide, top-level NHL talent is something of note. It isn’t the typical spot for a rookie of his caliber.
We often see the freshly drafted teenager be shoved down the lineup, and partnered with AHL veterans who might have got a cup of coffee several years ago. Instead, the Flyers are giving a true opportunity for Luchanko to show that he might deserve a nine-game tryout or something of that ilk.
If he plays well enough through the remainder of preseason, he might just make the team out of camp. The Flyers will have nine games to have him play before he can be sent back to the OHL and have it not affect his contract — pushing the first year of his deal to next year and basically extending the uber-cheap contract by a year.
And we know that head coach John Tortorella loves him. As featured in a behind-the-scenes video the Flyers published, Tortorella really pushed to give Luchanko a solid look and he is certainly doing that.
Over the next couple of weeks, we will either see the young rookie rise to the occasion and force the Flyers to put him in the opening night lineup, or for him to slightly dwindle as the realities of playing in the NHL come to the forefront and he is sent back to Guelph before the season starts.
