Prospect Info: Round 1, Pick 13: Jett Luchanko, C, Guelph (OHL)

[AndHeMissedTheNet]

I'd like to clear something up. I don't think anyone here wants Jett to fail. I know I sure don't. I hope he can indeed become a useful player for the Flyers. But when you're so bereft of skill at every position, you CAN'T be picking for need and you CAN'T be picking for safe. Most "safe" prospects end up busting because they have no standout traits. When a potential top pair dman falls into your lap and you haven't developed a top dman in almost 60 years, you don't pass on that. I wouldn't have even been upset if they took Eiserman.

i don't see how this is a safe pick at all.

 

[mja]

No. This is one of those situations where this is no room for interpretation. The correlation is either non-existent or minuscule.

For those skeptical of what I’m saying (not you), please remember that you’re talking to a lunatic who keeps a personal database of high school track times for CFB athletes for betting purposes. I’m not against testing in any way.

I was going to @ you but decided it was unnecessary.

 

[Sizzle Chest]

After passing on Buium, I was sick to my stomach and grumpy. After sleeping on it, I recall the announcers at the draft being baffled because they could not figure out the Flyers’ trade partner because no one in the room was on the phone. Two key points: Buium fell to 12 and every team knew they had the option to trade a 1st, a 3rd + but none did. So there is that.

Luchanko was obviously Philly’s guy all along. No choice but to cheer for him. It’s not his fault the Flyers reached for him. Several others went higher that expected. These kids are 17 & 18. Hard to project. I was grumpy about the Bonk pick but that looks good right now.. Time will tell if I become less grumpy.

 

[mr figgles]

i don't see how this is a safe pick at all.

He probably means safe as in he’ll be in the NHL in some capacity, even if it’s as a career bottom 6.

After passing on Buium, I was sick to my stomach and grumpy. After sleeping on it, I recall the announcers at the draft being baffled because they could not figure out the Flyers’ trade partner because no one in the room was on the phone. Two key points: Buium fell to 12 and every team knew they had the option to trade a 1st, a 3rd + but none did. So there is that.

Luchanko was obviously Philly’s guy all along. No choice but to cheer for him. It’s not his fault the Flyers reached for him. Several others went higher that expected. These kids are 17 & 18. Hard to project. I was grumpy about the Bonk pick but that looks good right now.. Time will tell if I become less grumpy.

I feel like it’s pretty obvious that Luchanko was their consolation prize, when Grier jumped them for Dickinson.

 

[iceman42]

i don't see how this is a safe pick at all.

He's a safe pick because his profile have him at least being a bottom 6 player in the NHL. He's a classic high floor/low risk player. The problem is that you don't take those players, unless your the Flyers, at 13.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

After passing on Buium, I was sick to my stomach and grumpy. After sleeping on it, I recall the announcers at the draft being baffled because they could not figure out the Flyers’ trade partner because no one in the room was on the phone. Two key points: Buium fell to 12 and every team knew they had the option to trade a 1st, a 3rd + but none did. So there is that.

Or they didn’t want to move down as far as the teams that were offering more, which is a giant chunk of the reasonable options. Minnesota likely moved up because they knew there would be interest in the pick. Remember, the Flyers specifically chose an option that allowed them to make the same pick they were already going to make.

What we see is just a tiny fraction of what actually happens.

 

[AndHeMissedTheNet]

He's a safe pick because his profile have him at least being a bottom 6 player in the NHL. He's a classic high floor/low risk player. The problem is that you don't take those players, unless your the Flyers, at 13.

When you have a player as young as he is with the sort of athletic potential that he has, i don't think you can necessarily assume that he's a lock to be a bottom 6 guy. Oh he could be that, for sure. He could also be something much worse - a guy who never pans out at the NHL level at all. But he could also develop into something much more.

 

[Tripod]

It may be false hope, but the only thing I can cling to is Sam Con. comparison to Giroux and Suzuki.

Oh, and he has a good 1st name for a hockey player.

 

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

I'd like to clear something up. I don't think anyone here wants Jett to fail. I know I sure don't. I hope he can indeed become a useful player for the Flyers. But when you're so bereft of skill at every position, you CAN'T be picking for need and you CAN'T be picking for safe. Most "safe" prospects end up busting because they have no standout traits. When a potential top pair dman falls into your lap and you haven't developed a top dman in almost 60 years, you don't pass on that. I wouldn't have even been upset if they took Eiserman.

Luchanko has a few stand out skills though. His skating is elite. There's no doubt about that. His lateral movement, his edging, his starting and stopping and getting into high gear is elite. His passing skills are also elite. I'd also say his situational awareness is elite too. He knows when to press on offense and when to get back on defense. I love some of the comparisons I've read for Luchanko. Elias Lindholm, Sebastian Aho and Nico Hischier were just done of the names I've seen. I'm not saying here's going to be as good as them, but that's some good comparisons in terms of the style of game he plays.

Once again, maybe it's just me being overly optimistic, but I think carrying that mediocre Guelph team, his performance at the under 18 (where coaches raved about him) and his testing at the combine, maybe there's a lot more there than meets the eye.

I'm more or less wondering what they're going to do with those six top 60 draft choices next year because you know that they'll either package done of those picks with a player that they want to lose or they're going to make a deal for a top six center (Zegras?).

 

[mr figgles]

Luchanko has a few stand out skills though. His skating is elite. There's no doubt about that. His lateral movement, his edging, his starting and stopping and getting into high gear is elite. His passing skills are also elite. I'd also say his situational awareness is elite too. He knows when to press on offense and when to get back on defense. I love some of the comparisons I've read for Luchanko. Elias Lindholm, Sebastian Aho and Nico Hischier were just done of the names I've seen. I'm not saying here's going to be as good as them, but that's some good comparisons in terms of the style of game he plays.

Once again, maybe it's just me being overly optimistic, but I think carrying that mediocre Guelph team, his performance at the under 18 (where coaches raved about him) and his testing at the combine, maybe there's a lot more there than meets the eye.

I'm more or less wondering what they're going to do with those six top 60 draft choices next year because you know that they'll either package done of those picks with a player that they want to lose or they're going to make a deal for a top six center (Zegras?).

That Edmonton first is going back to Edmonton for Draisaitl’s rights.

 

[FatTugboatFlahr]

After watching a couple games of his games, I like the player.

Does Guelph have a single guy who can breakout the puck? Looks like Hakstol's Flyers.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Luchanko has a few stand out skills though. His skating is elite. There's no doubt about that. His lateral movement, his edging, his starting and stopping and getting into high gear is elite. His passing skills are also elite. I'd also say his situational awareness is elite too. He knows when to press on offense and when to get back on defense. I love some of the comparisons I've read for Luchanko. Elias Lindholm, Sebastian Aho and Nico Hischier were just done of the names I've seen. I'm not saying here's going to be as good as them, but that's some good comparisons in terms of the style of game he plays.

Once again, maybe it's just me being overly optimistic, but I think carrying that mediocre Guelph team, his performance at the under 18 (where coaches raved about him) and his testing at the combine, maybe there's a lot more there than meets the eye.

I'm more or less wondering what they're going to do with those six top 60 draft choices next year because you know that they'll either package done of those picks with a player that they want to lose or they're going to make a deal for a top six center (Zegras?).

I don't want to dissuade you from your opinions. This has nothing to do with Luchanko.

It should be an internal red flag if you're describing multiple abilities as "elite" for a player in the mid 1st by consensus board. Something is off there. He probably has zero elite skills. That's ok. So do a lot of very good NHLers.

The same goes for those comps. Everyone says they mean it stylistically instead of as an evaluation, but they still pick Aho instead of Sam Gagner.

 

[CutOnDime97]

The pick is fine, only reason to be upset is passing on Zeev. I guess they didn't rate him highly as they should have seen him plenty at Denver. Also would've loved to grab Hutson/Basha/Frej at #32.

 

[Random Forest]

I also think it’s a testament to Luchanko that he’s the kind of player that grows on you the more you watch him. Bonk and Gauthier, for examples, did not really grow on me (though I didn’t mind either of the picks at all, my opinions of them are more or less unchanged from draft day). I suspect the forum will warm up to Luchanko in ways it didn’t for other disappointing picks.

His draft profile may read “middle six center”, but watching him play, there are tools that indicate he’s not just a two way, low upside player. There’s real vision and poise with the puck to his game that the usual two way, low upside pick doesn’t really have.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

I always had the strongest grips at the showcases I went to too. People thought it was from a lot of wrist curls. I didn't have the heart to tell them.

"Fat-bottom girls, you make the rockin' world go 'round."

 

[OrangeAndBlackMetal]

Like the player. Don’t like the value at 13. I think you could have dropped another 5-6 spots and still gotten Jett if he was their guy. A few teams paid pretty hefty prices to move up that amount of spots. We’ll see. He could explode next year for 130 points and we’ll forget about this. However, the value doesn’t look good right now.

 

[TheKingPin]

I think I flat out prefer Luchanko to Eiserman and definitely to Yakemchuk. Like RF said, Buium is just the elephant in the room. (Moving back again would have been nice too.)

Good to hear you like him over Eiserman. I like what I see too.

Or they didn’t want to move down as far as the teams that were offering more, which is a giant chunk of the reasonable options. Minnesota likely moved up because they knew there would be interest in the pick. Remember, the Flyers specifically chose an option that allowed them to make the same pick they were already going to make.

What we see is just a tiny fraction of what actually happens.

That long delay was no way about 3rd to drop one spot. They were trying to move further back imo.

It may be false hope, but the only thing I can cling to is Sam Con. comparison to Giroux and Suzuki.

Oh, and he has a good 1st name for a hockey player.

I see Giroux as well.

I also think it’s a testament to Luchanko that he’s the kind of player that grows on you the more you watch him. Bonk and Gauthier, for examples, did not really grow on me (though I didn’t mind either of the picks at all, my opinions of them are more or less unchanged from draft day). I suspect the forum will warm up to Luchanko in ways it didn’t for other disappointing picks.

His draft profile may read “middle six center”, but watching him play, there are tools that indicate he’s not just a two way, low upside player. There’s real vision and poise with the puck to his game that the usual two way, low upside pick doesn’t really have.

Yes his highlights aren’t of a 2 way player. If he can do what his highlights show plus defensive play which sounds like is very aggressive and designed to create turnovers - with his passing and vision I see Michkov on break ways every night. Still should have taken Buium but Jett will be a good player.

 

[bobbythebrain]

And of course my fellow toxic flyer comrades hate this pick without knowing anything about him.....if you read the material about this young fellow, you will realize he comes highly rated.....this is not a long shot by any means.....I know this might be impossible for some of you to believe, but the people that do the drafting for the Flyers may know a thing or two more about this craft then you fellows......Lets at least take a wait and see attitude before most of you condemn this pick based on pure ignorance....


Indeed....I have to rate the Flyers board as the worse in the HF community.......I get better information on Flyers news on other forums that are just a tad more mature ......I swear, if we were to win the Cup, many here would be grumbling about that.....

Jay O'Brien says hi

 

[FLYguy3911]

Honest question because I have no idea, does this stuff translate well to NHL projectability?

As Jojo said no not really. Honestly I prefer to take a players who test relatively poorly but have good on ice scouting reports. You're drafting 18 year old kids. If you can get them faster, stronger, more explosive through strength and conditioning, there is probably more value in that. The more physically developed players may not hold the same physical advantage as they age.

I know this might be impossible for some of you to believe, but the people that do the drafting for the Flyers may know a thing or two more about this craft then you fellows.

 

[FatTugboatFlahr]

As Jojo said no not really. Honestly I prefer to take a players who test relatively poorly but have good on ice scouting reports. You're drafting 18 year old kids. If you can get them faster, stronger, more explosive through strength and conditioning, there is probably more value in that. The more physically developed players may not hold the same physical advantage as they age.


View attachment 889283

Now do Ratcliffe.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

His draft profile may read “middle six center”, but watching him play, there are tools that indicate he’s not just a two way, low upside player.

To me, i's a vital top of the organization skill to understand when terms like Middle 6 Center is a positive and when it's a negative. It gets used as a middle ground and I don't think it's almost ever that.

Same goes for "Top 4 Defenseman".

 

[BritainStix]

When you have a player as young as he is with the sort of athletic potential that he has, i don't think you can necessarily assume that he's a lock to be a bottom 6 guy. Oh he could be that, for sure. He could also be something much worse - a guy who never pans out at the NHL level at all. But he could also develop into something much more.

You have managed to write so many words without saying anything at all.

So he could be a good player, or a bad player, or a middling player.

 

[Beef Invictus]

I'm starting to think that my thoughts about how this organization is run aren't just confirmation bias.

It's actually pretty hilarious how every time we get the lecture about how we are too negative, the team almost immediately proves the lecture wrong.

 

[Beef Invictus]

This is what I don't understand. We're not short of above average defensive forwards, or 2nd pairing defenseman. We lack true star power all over the lineup. We had a chance at 12 to take a real chance at a potential star defenseman, I don't understand why we have played it safe here.

Once you accept that the Flyers management committee is hopelessly incompetent you'll understand.

 

[Canfly]

I was hoping Sennecke was going to be available but he ended up being picked a lot higher than expected.
Can only hope now that Jett can steadily improve over the next couple of years and become our #2 centerman.