There wasn’t a rookie lap for 19-year-old Matvei Michkov earlier than his extremely anticipated NHL debut on Friday evening in opposition to the Vancouver Canucks – it was a rookies lap. That’s as a result of Michkov had some firm, courtesy of a good youthful counterpart in 18-year-old Jett Luchanko. The group’s most up-to-date first-round decide acquired off to a powerful begin in coaching camp and did sufficient all through the preseason to persuade the group’s decision-makers to maintain him round.
“Going into coaching camp, I by no means thought he had a lot of an opportunity, extra of an outdoor probability, small exterior probability, to be trustworthy. However he’s blown us away from day one,” mentioned Flyers normal supervisor Danny Brière on Monday. “The velocity is one factor that actually jumped out, top-end NHL velocity already, at such a younger age, that’s spectacular. Then you definately begin watching him play and it’s simply the element, all of the little particulars in his recreation, the way in which he helps everyone, the way in which he makes gamers round him higher was very spectacular.”
Luchanko is the fifth Flyer of the wage cap period to play for the group in his draft-plus-one season. One in all them is a defenseman (2008 first-rounder Luca Sbisa), however the different three are all facilities, which makes for simple factors of comparability. As Brière mentioned, not each prospect develops the identical, which is price noting. However by measuring Luchanko in opposition to those that adopted comparable paths earlier than him, we will acquire extra perception into the professionals and cons of giving such a younger participant an NHL look this early.
Nolan Patrick, 2017-18
The Profile: Nolan Patrick was one of many high gamers within the 2017 NHL Draft. For some time, he was the consensus No. 1 decide, however an injury-plagued 2016-17 season and the late rise of Nico Hischier dropped him to second general, the place the Flyers took contemporary off a lottery win that moved them 11 spots up within the choice order. He nonetheless scored at a powerful price when wholesome in his last junior season (46 factors in 33 video games). However his 102-point marketing campaign the season prior solidified him as a well-rounded, dynamic prospect.
The First 9 Video games: All three gamers we’ll be had been Canadian Hockey League (CHL) prospects, as is Luchanko. CHL prospects can play as much as 9 NHL video games in a season earlier than burning the primary 12 months of their entry-level contract. It nonetheless takes loads to earn that look, however there’s an enormous distinction between merely incomes the transient trial and a everlasting position proper out of the gate. Present Flyer Owen Tippett was one among many prospects to be despatched again to junior after his trial run in his draft-plus-one season with the Florida Panthers in 2017-18 – he didn’t play within the NHL once more till 2020-21.
Patrick, nonetheless, made the group with no {qualifications}. It took three video games to get his first level and one other to attain his first aim, although he solely added one help within the subsequent 5 contests. His 5-on-5 play was regarding, as his 40.26% anticipated objectives share (xG%) was the worst of any common (though the Flyers did outscore the opposition 6-2).
The most important concern, which sadly grew to become an indication of issues to come back, got here in that ninth recreation. Patrick suffered a concussion, lacking three weeks with what could be the primary of many accidents that prevented his NHL profession from actually getting off the bottom.
The Lengthy-Time period: Patrick stayed wholesome the remainder of the season after that hit, and his recreation step by step progressed. After the All-Star break, Patrick scored 21 factors in 33 video games and pulled his head above water at 5-on-5 (50.36 xG%). Like many of the roster, he didn’t produce a lot within the group’s first-round exit to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Although issues didn’t work out long-term, Patrick’s rookie season was strong.
Scott Laughton, 2012-13
The Profile: Scott Laughton is arguably essentially the most just like Luchanko, with one essential asterisk. Their scoring profiles had been pretty comparable – Laughton scored 53 factors in 64 video games for the Oshawa Generals, whereas Luchanko tallied 74 factors in 68 video games final season for the Guelph Storm. Nonetheless, junior scoring is far greater now than it was a decade in the past – in Laughton’s draft season, two gamers reached 100 factors and 14 cleared 80, in comparison with 5 and 23 final season, respectively. Laughton was additionally a later first-round decide to make the soar proper to the NHL, going No. 20 general, whereas Luchanko was picked No. 13.
Nonetheless, Laughton had extra time to get pro-ready earlier than his audition got here. A lockout delayed the beginning of the 2012-13 NHL season till mid-January, giving Laughton an additional half-season within the Ontario Hockey League to hone his abilities earlier than his first coaching camp with the Flyers. Luchanko, in the meantime, didn’t have that luxurious, making him about six months youthful than Laughton after they made their NHL debuts. That will not look like a lot, however it may possibly make an enormous distinction in a sport as bodily as hockey at such a younger age.
The First 9 Video games: It wound up simply being the primary 5 video games for Laughton. He didn’t rating any factors and, like Patrick, ranked final amongst regulars in xG%. The Flyers despatched him again to junior, and he wouldn’t play one other recreation for the group till November 2014.
The Lengthy-Time period: Laughton performed properly upon returning to the Generals earlier than taking an enormous step offensively in his last junior season, going from 56 to 87 factors whereas additionally making Workforce Canada’s World Juniors roster. Nonetheless, he struggled to ascertain himself as a full-time NHLer, going from 71 video games with the Flyers in 2015-16 to simply two the following season. The additional time the Flyers gave Laughton within the American Hockey League finally did him good, as he’s been a bottom-six staple since 2017-18 and extra not too long ago grew to become a part of the group’s management group.
Laughton was most likely by no means going to be a very elite NHL scoring ahead and has had profession. However given how lengthy it took him to turn into an impactful NHLer after his preliminary look, it’s honest to marvel if his transition could have been smoother if it had come later.
Sean Couturier, 2011-12
The Profile: The Flyers acquired the No. 8 decide within the 2011 Draft the day earlier than it started within the blockbuster commerce that despatched Jeff Carter to the Columbus Blue Jackets. With all the primary seven choices having strong to spectacular careers, drafting a bust would have been powerful. However they prevented that after which some by choosing their future captain, Sean Couturier, contemporary off consecutive 96-point seasons within the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, taking part in 68 video games in 2009-10 and 58 in 2010-11 whereas possessing the defensive instruments that will ultimately make him a Selke Trophy winner.
The First 9 Video games: Couturier did one thing not one of the different gamers on the record did – soar onto a roster anticipated to compete for the Stanley Cup. The Flyers had 106 factors in 2010-11 and put up 103 in Couturier’s rookie season. Although he had his “Welcome to the NHL” second early, he tallied a good 4 factors in his nine-game trial.
Extra telling, he was third among the many group’s regulars with a 58.82 xG%, and the Flyers outscored opponents by a 5-1 margin with him on the ice at 5-on-5. He was additionally the group’s second most-used penalty-killing ahead, displaying his versatility and hockey IQ. The one space he actually struggled in out of the gates was the face-off dot (41.5%).
The Lengthy-Time period: A Flyer did lead the NHL in rookie aim scoring that season, but it surely was the undrafted Matt Learn with 24 tallies. Couturier had 27 factors however completed simply barely behind Learn in Calder Trophy voting as a consequence of his stellar two-way play, even discovering his identify on the Selke Trophy balloting.
In time, Couturier’s offensive got here round, as he become a respectable star in 2017-18 when he registered 76 factors and completed second in Selke voting. He remained that participant for the following few seasons earlier than accidents threw a wrench in issues beginning in December 2021. Then once more, it took till 2017-18 (Couturier’s seventh NHL marketing campaign) to clear the 40-point mark. Maybe extra time in junior would’ve led to a faster scoring bump in his NHL profession.
Jett Luchanko, 2024-25
Whereas Luchanko didn’t have a jaw-dropping first recreation, all of the hype about his proficiency within the particulars of the sport did present up. His 56.16 xG% was second on the group to solely Tippett, though he couldn’t get better within the center rapidly sufficient to stop a Vancouver aim within the second interval. He confirmed potential however wasn’t overwhelmingly wonderful by any stretch.
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Associated: What to Anticipate From Flyers’ Jett Luchanko’s Season
If the Flyers are hoping for Luchanko to take the quickest path to reaching his ceiling, a transfer again to junior would most likely be sensible. Laughton and Couturier each struggled to take the following step for a number of seasons and Patrick’s second season was primarily a carbon copy of his first. But when they imagine the advantages of being part of the group’s lauded tradition and growing chemistry with the group’s different younger expertise take precedence (the Flyers managed the entire play within the transient 1:39 he performed at 5-on-5 alongside Michkov), Luchanko may gain advantage from the trial by fireplace strategy.
“He is likely to be right here sooner or later or he may very well be right here the entire season, there’s nothing assured,” Brière mentioned. “We’re taking it day-to-day. However he’s been actually spectacular and to this point he’s earned the rights to begin with [the Flyers].”
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