Flyers Send NHL’s Youngest Player to Junior Team

After making the team out of training camp, the Philadelphia Flyers are sending their top prospect back to juniors.

Sep 26, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Jett Luchanko (17) during the second period against the New York Islanders at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Flyers are making some roster moves early in the season after a tough start. The team is off to a 1-5-1 start through seven games, putting them in last place in the Metropolitan Division.

The latest move announced by the Flyers sees the team returning the youngest player in the NHL back to his junior hockey team. The organization announced 2024 first-round pick Jett Luchanko, who sparked headlines by making the lineup out of training camp, was returned to the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

Transaction: We have returned forward Jett Luchanko to his junior team, the Guelph Storm (OHL). https://t.co/peYmMyH6ej

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 26, 2024

The move comes after Luchanko made his official NHL debut in the Flyers' season open against the Vancouver Canucks. He played in four of the first seven games for the team, skating an average of 14 minutes a night. He failed to record a point in any of those games, but was quite productive during the preseason.

The good news for the Flyers is that this move preserves Luchanko's entry-level contract. Because he played less than nine games, it doesn't qualify as a season towards his entry-level deal, meaning he will still have three more seasons under this current deal.

The good news for Luchanko is he now will get to play huge minutes in the OHL for the Storm. It's what earned him a first round draft selection this past summer, and some more fine tuning will hopefully lead to him sticking around in Philadelphia full-time in 2025 and beyond.

Last season, he was the top player for the Storm. He played in 68 games, scoring 20 goals, adding 54 assists, and finishing with 74 points. He also pitched in seven points over seven appearances at the World Junior Championships for Team Canada.

The Flyers will now look to gain traction in their division without their top prospect. After stumbling out of the gate, they will need a solid team effort to pick up victories and ascend the standings. They still have another star rookie, Matvei Michkov, in the lineup and scoring at a strong rate and a group of promising players still in their lineup.

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