As the Philadelphia Flyers began the rookie version of camp, there was one big name not present on the ice. Jett Luchanko, who has been dealing with a groin injury since the early parts of summer, was not able to join his teammates on the ice.
Luchanko was unable to participate in development camp in July. There was hope that he would be able to be a full particpant in rookie camp after seeing team doctors and trainers a few days prior to camp.
But when players came onto the ice on Thursday morning, Luchanko was not part of the group. Panic began to spread as this is expected to be an important few weeks for the young forward. Due to the NHL and CHL not allowing 19-year-olds into the AHL until next season, it was NHL or back to Guelph for Luchanko.
However, Guelph recently named a new leadership group. And Luchanko's name was not on it. Could this mean the Storm believes that he won't be back in the OHL? Or that maybe a trade might be in the works to bring him to a contender? No one knows. However, it would be difficult for Luchanko to return to a team that has just relinquished his captaincy.
The Flyers calmed some concerns during the on-ice session. Luchanko's absence was purely precautionary as the team gets him ready for the start of training camp next week. They did not specify whether he would participate in either of the two games this weekend, but the assumption is that he will not.
Injury update: Flyers prospect Jett Luchanko was held out of on-ice activities (precautionary) on Thursday at rookie camp. Luchanko is expected to be available for the start of training camp next week.
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) September 11, 2025
Even still, there have been a few other concerns regarding Luchanko's availability. If he suffered the injury around the end of the AHL playoffs and before development camp, shouldn't he be healed by now? Depending on the type of injury, recovery can take from a few weeks to a few months.
It's been just over two months since development camp. If Luchanko isn't at 100 percent, why put him out on the ice? Considering how big this training camp will be, it's only fair that he can be at his absolute best. So missing a few days of rookie camp isn't the biggest deal.
Sure, it would've been nice to see him out there. But what could we really have gleaned from these next couple of days? Luchanko should be standing out against the majority of players at rookie camp. That wouldn't tell us anything. It's what he does against better talent.
And it sounds like the Flyers will get the chance to see that with the expectation that Luchanko will be ready next week. As camp ramps up and preseason games begin, the real test will come. But for now, there shouldn't be too much concern about a few missed days of rookie camp.
If Luchanko isn't ready for training camp, then let the worrying begin.