NHL Draft: Round #1 (12th Overall) Flyers select Jett Luchanko, C, Guelph Storm (OHL)

[flyercanuck]

7 hours ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

They aren't thinking next year. They're thinking two to three years down the road. That's what this pick is.

 

That's what EVERY draft pick, other than the top one or two, should be. 

 

That's why I had zero issue with taking Michkov last year. Sure he had the talent to likely play in the NHL this season, but whoever else we took likely wouldn't have made the team until Matveis contract was up...or later.

[flyercanuck]

These are Luchankos numbers at the combine. I know the combine isn't what makes or breaks hockey players, it doesn't. But this is impressive, and he's also one of the youngest doing it...

 

Pro Agility – Right Time (sec): 4.23 (t-2nd)
Mean Power Output (watts/kg): 12.9 (1st)
Peak Power Output (watts/kg): 16.2 (21st)
Fatigue Index: 42.3 (7th)
Juhasz % Body Fat: 7.2 (t-7th)
Vertical Jump (inches): 24.63 (2nd)
Squat Jump (inches): 18 (8th)
No Arm Jump (inches): 21.11 (4th)
Left Hand Grip (lbs): 172 (1st)
Right Hand Grip (lbs): 175 (1st)

 

Again, I like Luchanko as a player, and theres potential there for him to be something. I wonder if Briere may have been gunshy to go the NCAA route again with the top pick after the Quitter Gauthier experience. 

[flyerdog]

something that I read about him is that he was able to learn to play differently and adapt his game as the situation called for...and was eager to do so...implying that he does not have a prima donna attitude, maybe this was the intangible that made him so appealing? especially after Cutter.....

 

(maybe they were worried about protesters outside the arena if they drafted Buium)

Edited June 29 by flyerdog

[Brewin Flames]

13. Philadelphia Flyers
Jett Luchanko, C

Team: Guelph (OHL) | Rank: 26

DOB: 08/21/06 | Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 180 | Shot: R

2023-24 stats: GP: 68 | G: 20 | A: 54 | P: 74

 

Scouting notes: Luchanko has all the makings of a dream bottom-six role. Given the offensive instincts and abilities he has shown this season, Luchanko has a better ability to drive play than many believe. He's an excellent two-way player, a rare feat for a very young player in a draft class.

 

The combination of production, development and a later birthday give Luchanko a projection closer to middle six than bottom six.

 

Luchanko was the main beneficiary of Matthew Poitras' move to the Bruins, allowing him to become the primary driver on both sides of the puck. His skating takes the pace of the game to another level, forcing his opponents to play at speeds in which they are uncomfortable. His ability to dictate the play is eye-opening, beating defenders clean with his speed while being a royal pain to deal with on the forecheck and backcheck. He is in the middle of everything that happens, showing off a detail-oriented game that includes awareness, shiftiness and skill that scouts love. -- Doerrie

 

Team fit: Trading down to No. 13 earned some extra draft capital. But they also landed a center in Jett Luchanko that adds to a future that already includes Noah Cates, Joel Farabee, Tyson Foerster and Matvei Michkov. Even with that many forwards, the Flyers were still in need of a center. That made Luchanko or Konsta Helenius an option.

 

The last time they drafted a center in the first round was in 2018 when they took Jay O'Brien, who they did not sign (and earned a compensatory pick this year for it).

 

Prior to that, It was 2017 when they took Nolan Patrick with the second pick and Morgan Frost at 27. Patrick was traded, while Frost remains with the club. Luchanko gives the Flyers someone who projects as a two-way option who could be anchoring one of the lines of a rebuild that took a significant step forward in 2023-24. -- Clark

[mojo1917]

41 minutes ago, AlaskaFlyerFan said:

I was wondering the same.  Not necessarily the NCAA connection, but the Team USA connection.  Quitter and Zeev were teammates this past World Junior. 

I wonder about this too.

Maybe they're waiting for that roster to turn over before they pick a USDP player again.

 

@flyercanuck I thought they were going Helenius tbh.

 

I had also heard they really liked Michael Hage, but he got snapped up earlier than they could pick him.

 

We know they tried CBJ, OTT, I can't imagine Danny didn't at least call BUF and kick those tires. 

Metro teams aren't likely to deal with the Flyers so moving back to CAR or up to NJD was unlikely. 

 

I was disappointed in the moment. But I wasn't on the Conn.  They kept the powder dry for next year's draft and added another bullet.

They still have their prospects. In short they did no harm. There are still a lot of picks to take some swings on players this year.

 

I don't think they're as good defensively as they turned out to be last season. Maybe they get a top 5 and can do something with the Colorado and Edmonton picks when the pool is deeper.

 

I think I'll like Luchenko. Seems like they took a swing on him.

[flyercanuck]

3 minutes ago, mojo1917 said:

I wonder about this too.

Maybe they're waiting for that roster to turn over before they pick a USDP player again.

 

@flyercanuck I thought they were going Helenius tbh.

 

I had also heard they really liked Michael Hage, but he got snapped up earlier than they could pick him.

 

We know they tried CBJ, OTT, I can't imagine Danny didn't at least call BUF and kick those tires. 

Metro teams aren't likely to deal with the Flyers so moving back to CAR or up to NJD was unlikely. 

 

I was disappointed in the moment. But I wasn't on the Conn.  They kept the powder dry for next year's draft and added another bullet.

They still have their prospects. In short they did no harm. There are still a lot of picks to take some swings on players this year.

 

I don't think they're as good defensively as they turned out to be last season. Maybe they get a top 5 and can do something with the Colorado and Edmonton picks when the pool is deeper.

 

I think I'll like Luchenko. Seems like they took a swing on him.

 

Hage went after the Luchanko pick. 

 

As I've said several times, I like the player. I'm not knocking the player, at all. But he's not really moving us into contender category, he's just more of the mediocre type pick that doesn't move the needle, especially when you see what several other teams did in the first round. Teams that are actually rebuilding, not just treading water. 

[mojo1917]

16 minutes ago, flyercanuck said:

Hage went after the Luchanko pick. 

I know this, I think both players were targets for #32.

I really think the guys they wanted in that top tier were gone when they picked. So I think they shifted to who did they like better between Jett and Hage, take that guy and hope the other falls to them. That way they at least get one player they were high on.

 

 

I will be so interested to hear what the thought process was. I heard they wanted Catton, Dickenson, Demidov, or Yamenchuk- when they were all picked, I think that caught them by surprise.

I doubt we get all of the truth but that's my hunch.

 

Especially with Buffalo, did that guy tell Danny to **** off we're not moving and then take Grier's offer? 

. 

 

 

Edited June 29 by mojo1917

[RonJeremy]

3 hours ago, flyercanuck said:

 

The 2025 pick is top 12 protected. Pretty likely we get it. Deeper draft, worst that can happen is we pick at the same spot. This is a no brainer move, right?

 

But we do move another year down the road, so another asset should have been coming our way. I swear this is ingrained in Flyer management...always make the deal better for the other team. 

 

So, going into this draft, with picks 12 and 32, everyone raise their hand who would have been happy to hear we'd walk out of round one with...Jett Luchanko! 

 

And teams we should be looking at on how their rebuild is going?

 

SJ walks away with Celebrini AND Dickinson

Chicago with Levshunov and Boisvert and Vanacker

Montreal Demidov and Hage

Utah Iginla and Beaudouin

 

Anyone else feel their GMs are playing chess and ours are playing checkers?

NJ also walked away with a great player to go with all the other good young guys they have. If you compare the young talent levels of the teams you listed and the Flyers, we are not even close. All the teams that have sucked like us for several years have really high end prospects and we only have Michkov because we didn’t suck enough to get top five picks like those teams did. Overachieving cost us a shot at some franchise dmen, we just missed by a couple of picks. Sometimes just one or two picks is a huge difference. A few years ago the Islanders got Dobson at 12 we got Farabee at 14, this year we missed out on Dickinsin by one pick. If we sucked properly we would have those guys and our first pair would be set.Luchenko is only 17  has solid size and tremendous speed, so let’s hope he turns out to be good.

[jammer2]

I guess Edmonton has top 12 protection for next years 1st, but if they choose to trade their 2026 first rounder the 2025 pick reverts to Philly with no attachments. 

 

 Really no place to go but up in giving up the 32 pick for a future 1st. The player Edmonton took O'Rilley was widely considered bottom six material and apparently Flyers scouts concurred. Flyers did a solid job here. 

 

 After initially being bummed, I'm warming up to the Luchenko pick. The combo of work ethic, skating and being 17 all work in the Flyers favor.

 

  Helinus may have been safer, but this pick was made with Michkov in mind, and assuring his future C could keep up with him. If the upside is indeed a better skating Richards, Flyers did great and MAY have selected their future Captain. 

 Agree with FC here...why didn't somebody want to move up to select Buium? A d man many ranked 4th...but no interest at 12?? That seems like a missed opportunity, but on the whole, Flyers did well with the hand given to them. 

 

[flyercanuck]

15 minutes ago, jammer2 said:

After initially being bummed, I'm warming up to the Luchenko pick.

 

Luchanko is a good player. He's got potential. The thing is everyone else is loading up with several blue chippers to go with the blue chips they already have, and we're taking reaches at mid - draft to go with our one, single, solitary blue chip.

 

Wonder how this all plays out in 5 years? Likely watching SJ and Chicago etc hoist cups while we hope GM Scott Laughton can build a champion with the 14th pick in the draft.

[ruxpin]

4 hours ago, flyercanuck said:

 

It'll be interesting to see how Buium turns out knowing we could have had him. 

 

Luchenko isn't O'Brien. This kid is a damn good hockey player. I was disappointed we didn't grab Buium when he fell to us, but I like Luchenko. Just think we could have added another asset and traded back more.

 

I think this was the sole thought when i drew the comparison. So, i overstated quite a bit   I mean, it's not like the his is still in prep school or whatever the craziness was around O'Brien.  So, yeah, not entirely fair.

 

But my frustration is around your bolded point. They couldn't have found someone 19-20 that really wanted a stud defenseman that could have given them more than a future "flyers acquire [player] for [flyer player] and a third?"

 

Is there the legitimate possibility they believed there was another team in the mid teens that was gunning for him?

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

So, I've read some comparisons in which Luchanko's game has been compared to that of Elias Lindholm, Sebastian Aho and Nico Hischier. If he turns out like one of the three, how many would be upset?

[ruxpin]

52 minutes ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

So, I've read some comparisons in which Luchanko's game has been compared to that of Elias Lindholm, Sebastian Aho and Nico Hischier. If he turns out like one of the three, how many would be upset?

 

If I'm still alive by then -- i ain't getting any younger -- I'll love it and will remind the three people still on this site that i was terribly wrong.

 

(I didn't dislike the player. I don't know enough. I just thought we should have traded back and acquired more assets in the process).

Edited June 29 by ruxpin

[flyercanuck]

13 minutes ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

So, I've read some comparisons in which Luchanko's game has been compared to that of Elias Lindholm, Sebastian Aho and Nico Hischier. If he turns out like one of the three, how many would be upset?

 

If he turns out like McDavid, I'll be even happier.

 

Odds are....

 

Thing is, wannabe Nico Hischier isn't turning the Flyers into a cup contender...they need something more like McDavid/Draisaitl/Barkov/Celebrini/Bedard. Everyone but the Flyers brass can see this. But instead, we get a player who, if all the stars line up, will get to watch someone elses superstar hoist the cup. 

 

Good player. Just not what this franchise desperately needs.

Edited June 29 by flyercanuck

[ruxpin]

1 minute ago, flyercanuck said:

 

If he turns out like Mcdavid, I'll be even happier.

 

Odds are....

 

If he's Kevin Hayes....

[SCFlyguy]

2 hours ago, Brewin Flames said:

a future that already includes Noah Cates, Joel Farabee, Tyson Foerster and Matvei Michkov.

This future looks a lot like the last 15 years: not making the playoffs or one and done.

[ruxpin]

2 hours ago, mojo1917 said:

I don't think they're as good defensively as they turned out to be last season.

 

Agree. So they leave a top defenseman who they were lucky as hell to have drop to them on the table.  It's mind numbing.

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

Wow. Tough crowd. I get it, but I'm going to be optimistic about this. As a 50 year old man who's watched a lot of Flyers games and has seen a lot of management miscues, I see what they're trying to build. And while adding a legitimate superstar is nice, I think building with serious depth through lines 1 to 4 isn't a bad idea either. 

 

What concerns me isn't their drafting. I'm more concerned about player development, something that hasn't been adequately addressed since they promoted John Stevens when he was the Phantoms Head Coach. Brad Shaw has done a great job with the defensemen on the big club, but neither Lehigh Valley or the big club has done a great job with the forwards.

[ruxpin]

5 minutes ago, jammer2 said:

There is something we don't know

I haven't yet narrowed it down to just one thing. YMMV

[ruxpin]

9 minutes ago, flyer4ever said:

There is no plan. There is no proactive, fresh thinking asset management. It's just reaction and bandaids. They acquired The Wild 3rd next year so they could pass on a legit #1 or #2 dman, and claimed it was a boost in draft capital, yet they gave away draft capital to acquire Eric Johnson, all whilst retaining all the under developed forwards that have stagnated in the dysfunctional, nepotistic system. They grossly over paid Kevin Hayes and Sean Couturier, yet they balked at a deal to draft at #4. You have to pay to play.

As for the "culture", having a neanderthal coach humiliate young men in front of their families is not culture, it's a red flag. Having a coach in the minors who hasn't "developed" anything is red flag #2. 

How many seasons have to go by before someone sees that this old boys club MO doesn't work. The level of arrogance, ignorance and stubbornness is mind boggling. 

 

Yeah, i laughed at the third. Because you just know at some point it's a throw in for a deal to trade for an $8M/yr 31 year old meh defenseman when we could have drafted better at #12 for at least 3 years of well-less money. 

 

I think jammer's theory may make some sense because I really thought Buium might be the better pick for San Jose and they, too, left him (I'm not convinced that Dickinson wasn't the better pick, though). We knew we wanted the project kid, so i have to believe (please let me believe!) that calls were made to the late teen/early 20 pick teams and no luck. 

 

If that's the case, why not? What was preventing teams from biting?

 

Equally or more troubling is if the calls weren't made. It's even a louder, WHY NOT? 

 

has anyone ever simultaneously been a gm in multiple sports? Would Howie Roseman be willing?

Edited June 29 by ruxpin

[FD19372]

Is there a way to sue an NHL organization for gross negligence or just flat out malpractice?Let me check. LOL.

[flyercanuck]

33 minutes ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

Wow. Tough crowd. I get it, but I'm going to be optimistic about this. As a 50 year old man who's watched a lot of Flyers games and has seen a lot of management miscues, I see what they're trying to build. And while adding a legitimate superstar is nice, I think building with serious depth through lines 1 to 4 isn't a bad idea either. 

 

What concerns me isn't their drafting. I'm more concerned about player development, something that hasn't been adequately addressed since they promoted John Stevens when he was the Phantoms Head Coach. Brad Shaw has done a great job with the defensemen on the big club, but neither Lehigh Valley or the big club has done a great job with the forwards.

 

Depth is great, when you already have foundational pieces. It's pretty dumb to build depth, and then add key parts, when you're supposedly rebuilding. These are the years we should be picking high, not middle of the pack. 

 

Like I mentioned...we got Luchanko, who's a good player. SJ got Celebrini AND Dickinson. The odds that BOTH of those players end up better than Luchanko are pretty solid.

 

I agree with you on development

[ruxpin]

1 hour ago, jammer2 said:

Just read Flyers didn't want Buium because York, Drysdale among others are small and Flyers didn't want to be stuck with a small defense core. I respect that. Danny also said the tie went to Center position. 

 

That's pretending this should have been a tie. 

 

I mean, draft the defenseman and decide who to move later. Or by then, Drysdale will be LTIR.

 

OR trade back. I haven't seen an explanation for that yet, but I'm not exactly expecting one.

Edited June 29 by ruxpin

[OccamsRazor]

7 hours ago, flyercanuck said:

It'll be interesting to see how Buium turns out knowing we could have had him. 

 

Not really. It pisses me off never even thought they would have even had a shot at him.

 

So when they did and they didn't well goddamn that is mal practice in my eyes.

 

7 hours ago, flyercanuck said:

Luchenko isn't O'Brien.

 

Sorry but that just isn't as encouraging as that should be. This organization will never truly change.

 

Always trying to prove they are the smartest guys in the damn room. They don't want to win a Cup they just want someone to laude them as draft experts more than the true goal.

[OccamsRazor]

7 hours ago, flyercanuck said:

SJ walks away with Celebrini AND Dickinson

Chicago with Levshunov and Boisvert and Vanacker

Montreal Demidov and Hage

Utah Iginla and Beaudouin

 

Anyone else feel their GMs are playing chess and ours are playing checkers?

 

Just pisses me off. WTF are the Flyers even doing??????