Flyers make the right call, send Jett Luchanko back to Guelph Storm

It was a decision that had been brewing since Jett Luchanko became the youngest player in Flyers' history to make his NHL debut. Would he make it past the nine-game trial? Or would he be sent back to juniors?

After being a healthy scratch in the last three games, the decision was becoming obvious by the day. And the Flyers came to a head before Saturday afternoon's game. Luchanko was loaned back to the Guelph Storm for the season.

"He had a very good camp, he made us better and that's why he was in the lineup. At the same time, we know where we are," Danny Briere said before the game against the Wild. "It's tough at times to be patient because you want to ice the best team possible right away. But we feel for his development and to have the best Jett Luchanko, he needs to go play a lot of minutes, he needs to go learn to be the guy."

It was a surprise to see Luchanko make the team out of training camp, just two months after his 18th birthday. But he impressed with his maturity and work ethic, despite the fact that he didn't necessarily stand out. He forced the Flyers' hand and debuted on opening night.

While he didn't look completely out of place, he also didn't give Philadelphia enough to keep him around and burn the first year of his entry-level contract.

It was the right decision for the team to make. But it may not have been all about Luchanko's play.

Jett Luchanko heads back to juniors

When asked about where the Flyers were when it came to Luchanko, Tortorella made it clear that it was more about the mess the team was currently in than the play of the young forward.

"In the mess we're in right now at the start of a year, I'm not looking for an 18-year-old to try to get us out of it." Tortorella said after Friday's practice.

It's why Luchanko had not appeared in a game since Oct. 19, including the back-to-back against the Capitals. In trying to focus on his development and what is right for him, asking him to learn in the state the team was in would be a recipe for disaster. Tortorella wanted to focus more on his veterans to help bring the team back into the fight.

Instead, the Flyers are making sure that he is able to develop in the best way possible. He is not on this team to be a fourth-line player or someone who has to fight for his ice time. Going back to Guelph, he can be the guy for that team and play in more situations.

There's also a chance that he could be sent to a contender in the OHL as his current team is not expected to be one of those. Imagine Luchanko joining up with Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk in London.

That would be a win for the Flyers as well since that could mean more offense for Luchanko. If he can build more confidence in juniors and for Team Canada possibly, he will come to Philadelphia next season even more ready to play in the NHL.

There's no guarantee that he will make the big club as he could return to the junior level for one more season. But the Flyers have liked what they have seen and will have a close eye on what Luchanko does next.