C Jett Luchanko - Guelph Storm, OHL (2024, 13th, PHI)

[Hockeyville USA]

His CHL stats don't impress me, that's the one thing I can say for sure. I mean PPG+ isn't terrible but it's pretty common when kids are 1.5PPG+ at this age.

74 points in 68 games is solid, but as you said, unspectacular. The question now is, can he explode like Tyler Toffoli did in his D+1 and be above 90 or 100 points in 60-65 games? We will see

The best thing about this pick is that I don't like it, and I am usually wrong about players we draft.

I thought Robert Hagg and Ginning were steals. I hated the Giroux pick. I hated the Tyson Foerster pick. I liked the Rubtsov pick.

I did like the Couts pick, but generally, I am usually wrong, so maybe there is hope.

How much do you deep dive into the CHL, USHL, and various European Pro & junior leagues? Foerster was a good pick that day, Giroux was a great gamble to take that day. Rubtsov & Ginning were low ceiling picks, while Hagg was thought of highly in the public, but his stats suggested lower ceiling too.

Luchanko is a reach at 13 but he could still be a very good player. He needs to explode in his D+1 and put up big time numbers, over 90 points preferably.

 

[Pantokrator]

74 points in 68 games is solid, but as you said, unspectacular. The question now is, can he explode like Tyler Toffoli did in his D+1 and be above 90 or 100 points in 60-65 games? We will see


How much do you deep dive into the CHL, USHL, and various European Pro & junior leagues? Foerster was a good pick that day, Giroux was a great gamble to take that day. Rubtsov & Ginning were low ceiling picks, while Hagg was thought of highly in the public, but his stats suggested lower ceiling too.

Luchanko is a reach at 13 but he could still be a very good player. He needs to explode in his D+1 and put up big time numbers, over 90 points preferably.

Oh I was just reading basic reports. There were always people I liked more, but very little research on my part.

 

[LGB]

Robert Thomas/Wyatt Johnston vibes

He is quite similar to Thomas when he was drafted. Luchanko is going to be an NHL player, and a good one at that. Great skater, great compete, great hockey IQ.

Why do you see Thomas as a comp? I don't see it at all. Only similarity I see is some good passes off the wall.

 

[Tatar Shots]

Why do you see Thomas as a comp? I don't see it at all. Only similarity I see is some good passes off the wall.

Both players were plus skating centers who transported the puck really well. High compete guys who were both really good defensively. Both players flashed high hockey sense all over the ice. Both of them had shots that were underutilized and in need of improving. Similar size profiles as well where you wish they were just a tad bit bigger. Both were also among the youngest in their draft year.

 

[Our Lady Peace]

Guelph lost a ton of talent including Poitras and Pastujov before this season and Luchanko was down the depth chart with 14 points in 46 games that year. I will say he shot up the roster and his stats showed, the same way Robert Thomas in his D-1 got a better look once that 2016 Knights team dismantled after losing Tkachuk, Marner and Dvorak

This season a few of their top scorers took steps back but Luchanko added to his point total by 60 and led the team with 74

One underrated part about his offense is his hands + feet deception and how he utilizes that with his vision, playmaking, and shot. Defenders have a hard time reading him

 

[LeBrun is a Clown]

There’s a bit of Giroux in his game with that motor of his, starter to watch a bit more of him today

 

[Nabrules]

Guelph lost a ton of talent including Poitras and Pastujov before this season and Luchanko was down the depth chart with 14 points in 46 games that year. I will say he shot up the roster and his stats showed, the same way Robert Thomas in his D-1 got a better look once that 2016 Knights team dismantled after losing Tkachuk, Marner and Dvorak

This season a few of their top scorers took steps back but Luchanko added to his point total by 60 and led the team with 74

One underrated part about his offense is his hands + feet deception and how he utilizes that with his vision, playmaking, and shot. Defenders have a hard time reading him

Do you know if the Guelph supporting cast gets better next year?

 

[Our Lady Peace]

Do you know if the Guelph supporting cast gets better next year?

Karabela, Namestnikov, Buchinger, and Grundner I'm unsure of if they're coming back for an overage season or not. Buchinger has already signed his ELC and may be going to play AHL Springfield

Hoping that Paquette takes a step forward but he never ending up getting drafted this year. Late '05 birthday

I don't think the team's outlook isn't too great next season and Luchanko may be a trade candidate post-WJC. That's assuming he's selected, and I'm only speculating at this point. If the overager '04s come back then they might be decent

 

[Nabrules]

Karabela, Namestnikov, Buchinger, and Grundner I'm unsure of if they're coming back for an overage season or not. Buchinger has already signed his ELC and may be going to play AHL Springfield

Hoping that Paquette takes a step forward but he never ending up getting drafted this year. Late '05 birthday

I don't think the team's outlook isn't too great next season and Luchanko may be a trade candidate post-WJC. That's assuming he's selected, and I'm only speculating at this point. If the overager '04s come back then they might be decent

Doe Cam Allen bounce back in your opinion?

 

[Our Lady Peace]

Doe Cam Allen bounce back in your opinion?

In a way I think he's bound to, but I hope he sees consistent top pair time. Spent a number of games on the 2nd pair and plagued with inconsistent play imo

 

[Nabrules]

I also think he will have a big year next year. Huge fan of this player. 12th on our list. No huge weakness in his game and one of the smartest players in this draft class.

Any concern Guelph will be a horrible team which could stunt his big plus 1 year Mark?

 

[saintunspecified]

There’s a bit of Giroux in his game with that motor of his, starter to watch a bit more of him today

I see him much more like Trocheck, just less of a dirtbag.

 

[smartty18]

Any concern Guelph will be a horrible team which could stunt his big plus 1 year Mark?

I’m a Storm fan and go to a ton of Guelph games. You can see I was one of the guys earlier on calling for him to be a massive riser and 1st rounder possibly.

I expect him to have a big year next season and put up 90-100+ pts and probably make the world juniors team.

He already led the team in points on a very inept offensive team and expect them to hopefully be better in that regard next season, can’t see it being worse.

I expect him to take on a bigger role which will help his point totals.

 

[Nabrules]

I’m a Storm fan and go to a ton of Guelph games. You can see I was one of the guys earlier on calling for him to be a massive riser and 1st rounder possibly.

I expect him to have a big year next season and put up 90-100+ pts and probably make the world juniors team.

He already led the team in points on a very inept offensive team and expect them to hopefully be better in that regard next season, can’t see it being worse.

I expect him to take on a bigger role which will help his point totals.

Thanks for the insight! Please keep your update posting coming whenever you go to games this upcoming year!

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

The best thing about this pick is that I don't like it, and I am usually wrong about players we draft.

I thought Robert Hagg and Ginning were steals. I hated the Giroux pick. I hated the Tyson Foerster pick. I liked the Rubtsov pick.

I did like the Couts pick, but generally, I am usually wrong, so maybe there is hope.

Where's the Fonzie "I was wrrsssh" GIF when you need it?

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Any concern Guelph will be a horrible team which could stunt his big plus 1 year Mark?

If Guelph starts slow I'd imagine he'd be traded to a team hoping to win the league and compete for the Memorial Cup. Usually these deals happen around the holidays.

 

[Peasy]

Love this kid and think he has a lot of potential and is just scratching the surface. His A1 to A2 ratio is very high. Hes generating most of the offence where his points are coming from. Rarely is he getting free A2 assists. He really doesnt have much offensive help, he was the guy as a 17 year old all year.

Hes very young for this draft class. He is extremely strong and athletic. He might be the smartest player in this draft and it looks like he might be at the tip of the ice berg in terms of development curve.

He has everything you look for in a player that is going to have a big break out next year.

Not surprised in the slightest he went top 15.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I see him much more like Trocheck, just less of a dirtbag.

Good comparison, but how is Troch a dirtbag? Don’t get where that’s coming from.

 

[Sasso09]

Why do you see Thomas as a comp? I don't see it at all. Only similarity I see is some good passes off the wall.

I think Robert Thomas is a bullseye comparison, they are essentially clones. Both also amongst the youngest players in the draft that weren't supposed to go in the 1st and were drastic risers at the end.

One of our fav prospects at Upside:

Jett Luchanko - Upside Hockey 2024 NHL Draft Prospect Profile​

bit.ly/JettLuchanko

sounds like you guys didn't like him at all, one of your favorite?

"3rd liner, inconsistent defense, late 2nd round" how are you tooting your horn on this call?

 

[frontsfan67]

74 points in 68 games is solid, but as you said, unspectacular. The question now is, can he explode like Tyler Toffoli did in his D+1 and be above 90 or 100 points in 60-65 games? We will see


How much do you deep dive into the CHL, USHL, and various European Pro & junior leagues? Foerster was a good pick that day, Giroux was a great gamble to take that day. Rubtsov & Ginning were low ceiling picks, while Hagg was thought of highly in the public, but his stats suggested lower ceiling too.

Luchanko is a reach at 13 but he could still be a very good player. He needs to explode in his D+1 and put up big time numbers, over 90 points preferably.

You’re very likely to see that happen. Very talented player. Guelph should be better this year and I assume with an NHL camp experience and his high motor, he is only going to get better.

May get a team Canada invite for their bottom 6. So if he does go there gotta remember he will be missing a bunch of games. I’d look at ppg over total points in this league personally. For instance Connor McDavid in his draft year only played 47 games but put up 120 points. Quinton musty last year played 15 games less than David Goyette on his own team and got 4th in league scoring, where as Goyette played every game and got first. But musty had a 1.92 ppg and Goyette got a 1.72-suggesting musty is the better scorer.

Luchanko 4th in total points and points per game among 17 year old skaters in the O’ behind Parekh, Greentree, and Vanacker.

Luchanko has a good 2 way game and forwards Greentree and Vanacker who were above him in points- do not play a 2 way game. Parekh is sub par defensively as of now but that’ll be the biggest thing he works on in the off season.

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

I think Robert Thomas is a bullseye comparison, they are essentially clones. Both also amongst the youngest players in the draft that weren't supposed to go in the 1st and were drastic risers at the end.


sounds like you guys didn't like him at all, one of your favorite?

"3rd liner, inconsistent defense, late 2nd round" how are you tooting your horn on this call?

I’m a big Luchanko fan but I don’t see the Thomas comparison. Thomas is a far superior passer, one of the best in the NHL.

 

[Kshahdoo]

I’m a big Luchanko fan but I don’t see the Thomas comparison. Thomas is a far superior passer, one of the best in the NHL.

Thomas isn't 18 though, and his CHL stats weren't as good as Luchanko's. The difference isn't that big of course, so you can say both players are pretty close if you take just CHL stats.

 

[emptyNedder]

I’m a big Luchanko fan but I don’t see the Thomas comparison. Thomas is a far superior passer, one of the best in the NHL.

Usually agree with your prospect takes. But I think when you look at the number of assists Luchanko had--20 more than the any other forward on his team and 3rd among draft-eligible players in the OHL--it inidicates an excellent facilitator if not pure passer.

 

[Isaac Nootin]

I mean PPG+ isn't terrible but it's pretty common when kids are 1.5PPG+ at this age.

1.5PPG+ is not "pretty common" for draft eligible players. Nobody in the OHL hit that mark this year, and I'd say with almost certainty that no other draft eligible player CHL wide hit that mark either.

 

[Hockey Know it all]

He's 17....not counting 1st or 2nd overalls, how many kids are 1.5 PPG at 17? In the OHL....let's see.....none.

I mean yeah, it’s his age 18 season and Draft year. Of course he is going to be either 17 or 18.