Jett Luchanko’s season began the same as last year’s: on the Flyers roster. But his stint ended almost exactly as it did last season.
Four games, no points, one shot on net. Luchanko averaged 8:58 of ice time in a fourth line role. The numbers last season are nearly identical. Four games, no points, three shots. However, he averaged 14:03 of ice time as he was given more of a chance up the lineup.
After staying with the Flyers for eight games, he was sent back to Guelph. Even with a less than stellar team, Luchanko should have a much larger role and could earn himself a spot on Canada’s roster for the World Juniors. That should’ve been how it went in the first place, not weeks into the season.
The Flyers made it clear that they wanted to have a much closer eye on Luchanko’s development. And while this part is only speculation, that likely played a large role in why he made the team out of training camp. The rule allowing 19 year olds to play in the AHL won’t go into effect until next season. Starting in the AHL with the chance to earn a call up would’ve likely been the best thing for Luchanko.
The Flyers would’ve been able to keep eyes on him and have him develop with their staff. And when they felt he was ready, they could bring him into the fold in a larger role. But that wasn’t an option. It was NHL or back to Guelph.
Having missed development and rookie due to a lingering groin injury, Luchanko already came into main camp behind the eight ball. There was an expectation that he would need to find a way to force himself up the lineup. With a brand new coaching staff in front of him, Luchanko had the chance to wipe the slate clean and start fresh.
As he worked through the fist week of the preseason, it was clear he needed time to work back into things. And while he did get better as time went on, he still wasn’t showing off offensively. Often he would pass up shooting opportunities, almost as if he didn’t trust his shot. He was also outplayed by the likes of Rodrigo Abols and Nikita Grebenkin.
But when rosters were submitted, Luchanko was on the final roster and not Abols. It was almost as if the Flyers used having to send Luchanko back to Guelph as a reason to keep him in the beginning. While that is also speculation, his eventual return makes that thought more valid. Why send him down a few weeks into the season instead of after the preseason?
Danny Briere shed some light on things and even mentioned that they hoped Luchanko would get back to the player they saw with the Phantoms at the end of last season. He was one of the team’s best players and posted nine assists in a combined 16 games between the regular season and postseason. But he was only allowed to play there because his junior season was over.
Now, there was a way that the Flyers could’ve cheated the system in a sense to get Luchanko AHL games. If a player is scratched for five consecutive games, they are allowed to be placed on a conditioning stint. So the Flyers could’ve sat Luchanko a few more games and then hoped that he found his offense again in the AHL.
They could’ve brought him back and given him at least five more games to prove that the Flyers could be comfortable burning the first year of his contract. But here’s the thing, Luchanko hadn’t necessarily given them a reason to give him more time to prove himself. And with Abols and Grebenkin continuing to prove that they deserved the spots over him, the decision needed to be made.
It should’ve been made at the end of training camp. Delaying the inevitable with Luchanko was a disservice to him. It didn’t cost him developmental time because it was good for him to be around and learn from NHL veterans. He did show improvement when looking into the underlying numbers.
It was a smaller sample size based on ice time, but Luchanko drove play at a better rate than his stint last season. It was a small improvement as he posted a 44.44 CF% after a 37.66 CF% the year before. The shots for and against were more even as well (10 for and 11 against). The team was outscored 3-0 with Luchanko in the ice, though. That doesn’t fall completely on him, but it’s still not great.
There could be an argument that Luchanko wasn’t going to do much in a fourth line role. How could he work his way up the lineup in the spot he was in? Well, Grebenkin spent time on the fourth line and still found a way to impress and earn more ice time. So it was possible.
The thing is that there was never really a spot for Luchanko to begin with. He wasn’t knocking Sean Couturier and Noah Cates out of a spot, and both have started off the season strong. With the addition of Christian Dvorak as well, space was limited.
But it shouldn’t have come to that either way. Luchanko should’ve been sent back regardless of the team wanting a closer look and regardless of who his team was. Playing fewer than nine minutes a game was never going to be good for him. And being in and out of the lineup didn’t help either. If he had knocked down the door and forced their hand, this would be a different story.
Guelph is out to a respectable 6-5-2-0 start. Getting Luchanko back should give them a boost. And if the Flyers are worried about his situation, they could always try to push for a trade to a contending team. But keeping him in the NHL simply to have a closer look at him wasn’t the answer.