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Jett Luchanko Makes Flyers Roster After Final Cuts

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Jett Luchanko, Philadelphia Flyers

At least for now, 2024 first-round pick Jett Luchanko has made the Philadelphia Flyers roster, as final cuts to the training camp squad were made on Friday afternoon.



Luchanko, 18, seemingly made the cut over other hopefuls, such as Olle Lycksell, Anthony Richard, Adam Ginning, and Emil Andrae.

This is especially notable given that Lycksell and Richard, the two likeliest players to make the Flyers roster, have to pass through waivers in order to be assigned to the AHL. That’s a big risk to take if Luchanko is only getting a nine-game tryout.

Rodrigo Abols, Oscar Eklind, Samu Tuomaala, Andrae, Ginning, Helge Grans, Hunter McDonald, Alexei Kolosov, Cal Petersen, and Cooper Marody (AHL) were the ten players assigned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Friday, while top prospects Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk were returned to the OHL London Knights.

After these cuts, the Flyers roster sits at the maximum 23 players, which obviously includes Luchanko.

So, how do things look now?

Flyers Roster

Matvei Michkov – Sean Couturier – Travis Konecny

Owen Tippett – Morgan Frost – Tyson Foerster

Joel Farabee – Jett Luchanko – Bobby Brink

Scott Laughton – Ryan Poehling – Garnet Hathaway

Cam York – Travis Sanheim

Nick Seeler – Jamie Drysdale

Egor Zamula – Rasmus Ristolainen

Extras: Noah Cates, Nick Deslauriers, and Erik Johnson

Sam Ersson, Ivan Fedotov

If the Flyers have questions about Luchanko’s ability to produce offense, he’ll be in a pretty good spot to develop those instincts on a line with Joel Farabee and Bobby Brink.

Those three have been a prominent combination throughout training camp and the NHL preseason, and they played particularly well against the Washington Capitals early on in the exhibition slate.

Luchanko’s inclusion on the roster is not necessarily a shock in the sense that, despite his young age, he is still good at the things he was good at when he was drafted.

Those things include his defensive stick, defensive positioning, forechecking, anticipating plays, faceoffs, and winning puck battles. If you’re good at most of those things like Luchanko is, that makes you a third- or fourth-line center in the NHL.

For Luchanko to become more than that, he has to utilize his speed and improve on the other side of the ice. In that sense, the freshly-turned 18-year-old was actually a safe pick. He is, at worst, what he is right now.

Flyers head coach John Tortorella is in the business of winning games, and he clearly felt that Luchanko, as he is right now, can help the Flyers do that. And that’s how we got here today.

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Not Offsides

A little surprised that he made it over waiver-necessary Lycksell who had a good pre-season, but they obviously really wanted Luchanko to make the team. It would help to validate the pick.

Andrae, now drafted four years ago, still doesn’t make it despite Briere specifically mentioning him as a reason they passed over Buium.

Romus

Does seem strange that the kid made it….I do like him, but like to see him really do well in the OHL for a season….and he still will be 18-years old for the full season down there. Perhaps it is only for the nine games and then he gets sent back down.

As for Emil Andrae at 5’9″ …he is an undersized defenseman…but has great offensive skills and mobility with grit. He is a Torey Krug clone for the most part. But to dress the three diminutive d-men of York, Drysdale and Andrae for a game really puts the team in a bind when they have to play down low in their defensive zone in front of Ersson or Fodotov. The bigger opponent forwards by the third period will have worn them down. Though each will be paired with a big d-man like a Sanhiem, Risto , Zamula, Seeler or Johnson…but still that will puts more pressure on those big guys in their defensive zone. On the PP the three are outstanding….however in 5-on-5 the three of York, Drysdale and Andrae can be exposed during a game

GMan

Unless there are injuries, the elevation of Andrea which would cause this exposure would only come into play if the team traded Risto.

BIGE88

Andrae is an offensive guy . He would need to replace york , Sanheim or drysdale .

risto is defensive . No way they are doing that and going for a cup in 3 years

I don’t want Andrae . He’s not for playoffs in this league due to size alone . Briere is just saying what he needs to say

BIGE88

I don’t want Tory krug types. Chara had to literally hood him up in playoffs . Krug got run over constantly in big boy hockey . Krug , Faulk and all those junk offensive d man is why binnington and blues can’t stop anyone . That top line of Avalanche literally runs the blues over at will when parayko isn’t out there . Blues dumped all their size and defensive defenseman post cup and that’s half the reason they are bottom 10 team since

BIGE88

Lykcell is a nothing burger . I have watched him enough in big boy hockey and can’t get it done . He’s just not even a 4th liner fo playoffs . Can’t snipe and isn’t big enough

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