Will Jett Luchanko’s latest NHL stint with Flyers end soon?

As the Philadelphia Flyers continue to plug along through the beginning of the 2025-26 season, a major question lingers. The Flyers have retained 2024 first-round pick Jett Luchanko in the NHL to this point, and while he has not played in every regular season game to this point, the team is hanging on to him for the time being. 

Speaking with a team source Monday morning, the Flyers are considering sending Luchanko to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms on a conditioning stint. While it hasn’t been confirmed to me, it appears returning him to the OHL’s Guelph Storm is an option the Flyers are delaying as long as possible. 

The Flyers dressed Luchanko (his fourth game this season) Monday night versus the Seattle Kraken, and he was once again deployed as the fourth-line center. Playing just 8:58 per game, Luchanko has not been able to force his way into the top nine, a place I was told he would have to be if he were to stick in the NHL. He has no points thus far. 

Though it should not come as a surprise, a team source told me that Luchanko needs to be more assertive with the puck. Luchanko has built up somewhat of a reputation as a player who is reluctant to shoot the puck; said reputation has clearly spilled into the Flyers’ front office. I do think the Flyers could stand to add a stable fourth-line pivot, but I’m told that they are not currently looking to add such a player at this juncture; Rodrigo Abols has held that spot when Luchanko hasn’t played, to this point.

In an ideal world, Luchanko would be playing with the Phantoms full time – a rule that would allow such a thing next year is coming the NHL’s new collective bargaining agreement. Unfortunately for the Flyers, they are caught in an unfortunate middle point with Luchanko, keeping a player around who is (probably) not ready for the NHL but also far past the point of Canadian junior hockey. 

The Flyers have played solidly to this point, sporting a  3-2-1 record through six games. If the Flyers would want Luchanko to steal a top-nine job among the forwards, it would’ve (presumably) come at the expense of captain Sean Couturier or Christian Dvorak to maintain his center position. Speaking with team sources, neither player’s role seems to be at risk to Luchanko to this point.

This is not to say the Flyers’ forwards have been perfect, as Travis Konecny and Matvei Michkov are arguably the team’s best and have been incredibly underwhelming through the first six games. Konecny did break his drought on Monday, registering his first goal of the season in light of a new linemate. Head coach Rick Tocchet swapped Owen Tippett (who scored his fourth and fith goals Monday evening) and Michkov heading into Monday’s game, but the sense I get speaking with those close to the situation is that there is no top-nine forward at risk of losing his job to Luchanko. Overall, the Flyers have seen solid chemistry from their top-nine forwards with no obvious spot being available.

Luchanko has not blown the doors off by any stretch, but the Flyers are doing their best to keep him around. I do think – reading the tea leaves, that is – he will ultimately be returned to the Storm, but the Flyers are making their best effort to keep him under their control as long as possible. The Flyers want Luchanko under their watch as long as they can stretch it, but they won’t do so at his expense once his runway runs out under the current rules of the CBA.

Flames like Egor Zamula

As I reported last Friday on X, the Calgary Flames are looking for a left-shot defenseman and have interest in Flyers defender Egor Zamula. Speaking with a Flames source, those in Calgary’s front office do like Zamula going back to the player’s time with the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL. 

The Flames are looking to move bodies on their back end with one-way contracts off their roster, I’m told, and Jake Bean and Daniil Miromanov are two names I’ve heard the Flames would like to clear off their books. The Flames waived Miromanov on Monday, and according to Wes Gilbertson, the team has been targeting a top-four, left shot rearguard going back to the summer. 

From a Flyers’ perspective, I’m told the team would want a third round pick for Zamula. Would that price vary if they were to take back a contract? Perhaps, but that is the value for Zamula strictly as a player from Philadelphia’s perspective. That being said, I don’t get the sense that any deal is imminent or that the Flyers are in a hurry to move Zamula.

Zamula, 25, carrying a $1.7-million AAV, is signed until the end of the 2025-26 season. 

_____

Recently by Anthony Di Marco

• Who stays and who goes if the Sabres are forced to blow it up?
• Will Jett Luchanko stick with Flyers all season? It’s complicated
• A journeyman career prepared Jeff Tambellini to flourish in Lightning’s front office
• How will the Flyers use their cap space after trading Ryan Ellis?
• Which rookies will make the 2025-26 Flyers’ opening night lineup?
• How the Blue Jackets can build on last season’s near playoff miss