EDMONTON, AB - OCTOBER 15: Philadelphia Flyers Center Jett Luchanko (17) attacks the offensive zone on a power play the first period of the Edmonton Oilers game versus the Philadelphia Flyers on October 15, 2024 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. (Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire)
Flyers 2024 first-round pick Jett Luchanko might have played his last game in the OHL.
Luchanko’s junior team, Guelph Storm, ended its season on Sunday with a 2-0 shutout victory over the Kitchener Rangers. The team did not make the OHL playoffs, meaning Luchanko’s OHL season is over.
Now, the Flyers are faced with a decision. Luchanko is eligible to play next season in the OHL. However, that will not be the case. It’s more likely than not that Luchanko will join the Flyers organization in one way or another. The main question is, which part of Eastern Pennsylvania will Luchanko report to?
It’s a big decision for the Flyers. He can only play in the AHL this season because his OHL season is completely over. Next season, his only options are the OHL or the NHL because he will still be just 19 years old. That said, this may be his only chance to play in the AHL until the 2026/27 season.
Jett Luchanko this season: 21 goals, 35 assists, 56 points in 46 games played
Where will Luchanko Go?
I still believe Luchanko will be with the Flyers for the full 2025/26 season, so why rush him back to the NHL? It’s not like the Flyers are playing for anything this season.
It’s not doing him any favors by keeping him Guelph, so the call to Pennsylvania should be almost certain.
Luchanko played four games in the NHL this season, so he can only play five of the remaining 10 games without canceling the slide rule. He could play every remaining AHL game, and it would not matter.
If the Flyers were to bring Jett to the NHL, that would be their final non-emergency call-up for the remainder of the season. Unless the Flyers do not have enough eligible skaters on their roster, they cannot make any more call-ups from the CHL or AHL.
If Luchanko were to go to the Phantoms, he would get the opportunity to join a team in the middle of a playoff hunt. He would get the chance to play in meaningful games in a league that’s a brief step up from the OHL.
It’s certainly a tough choice. On one hand, Luchanko would immediately be a top-nine center on an NHL team that has little depth at the position. He would make an impact and could help the Flyers win games in the final stretch.
On the other hand, why rush things with a top prospect? You would either waste time that he could be playing elsewhere, sitting him to save his ELC, or you burn a year off by playing him in each of the remaining 10 games. Or he could get valuable playing experience, but his Flyers return waits.
Where would you send Jett Luchanko?
Writer’s Opinion
If it were up to me, I would let Jett Luchanko play the rest of the season in the AHL with the Phantoms.
I said it earlier: it’s not like the Flyers are playing for anything. What’s the point of wasting in wasting a year of his contract?
Instead, I would actually be entertained by watching Luchanko playing on a Calder Cup playoff team. With Luchanko, possible NCAA signings, and the newly acquired Nikita Grebenkin, the Phantoms would get some reinforcements and could actually make a run.
I think it would better benefit Luchanko to get meaningful time on a team in the hunt for a championship rather than a team playing to end the season. Playing in the AHL this season will not hurt his chances to make the Flyers next season. To me, it just makes more sense for him to report to Lehigh Valley.
The Flyers can officially assign Luchanko to either the NHL or AHL on Monday (March 24th), so look for an update soon.
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