5. Jett Luchanko - Center - Guelph Storm
I recently posted the preliminary media/scout poll for 2024 and I was actually quite shocked to see how many of my contemporaries had Luchanko outside of the top ten. This tells me that he's being massively undervalued in the amateur scouting community right now. He's transformed himself from an excellent high energy checker as a rookie to a dynamic playmaker and offensive catalyst as a sophomore. Matt Poitras making the NHL this year had to have been such a blow to the psyche of Guelph players to start the year, but Luchanko was like "hold on, I got you." I love to see that from a younger player, stepping up to put a team on his back. Luchanko's got the speed, the tenacity, the skill, and the IQ to be a top six center at the NHL level. He's also a committed two-way player and has kept up the strong off puck play that he exhibited last year, despite being counted upon to be an offensive play driver. Really the only two things missing from Luchanko's game is a high end shot (it's a weakness) and strength to win battles consistently. He can be easily pushed off the puck/knocked off stride. But what I love is that it doesn't deter him from trying to work between the dots. He's like Thomas the Tank Engine. Once the strength and conditioning improves, he's going to be even more dangerous because we'll see him playing through contact.