After a four-game stint with the Philadelphia Flyers, forward Jett Luchanko has been sent down to the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The 18-year-old center was selected 13th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Transaction: We have returned forward Jett Luchanko to his junior team, the Guelph Storm (OHL). https://t.co/peYmMyH6ej
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 26, 2024
Luchanko being sent back to the OHL is really no fault of his own. The Flyers have one of the worst records in the NHL, sitting at a frightening 1-5-1 with a six-game losing streak. Instead of being a healthy scratch here and there yet only playing middle-six minutes when he’s on the ice, Philadelphia feels it’s best for the youngster to have a full-time role in juniors. He’ll certainly get quality usage with his OHL team, the Guelph Storm.
Though he didn’t register any points, Luchanko was one of the Flyers’ best performers in terms of on-ice metrics. At even strength, he finished fifth among forwards in expected goals percentage (xGF%) at 48.8. He is a solid special teams player, too, as he was utilized on the power play in the regular season and the penalty kill during the preseason.
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If the Flyers got off to a better start, it’s possible that Luchanko would still be on the team. They aren’t exactly very deep at center, so this is a pretty sizable loss. The team’s goaltending and finishing rates are low and essentially bound to improve, but the Flyers may still have one of the worst records in the NHL by the time the 2024-25 season ends. They’re not giving up on the new campaign in October, but they also just made their roster worse. Philadelphia has been outscored 16-7 without Luchanko in the lineup.
