Luchanko center of attention for Flyers’ roster possibility

Jett Luchanko

      VOORHEES, N.J. – Now that the exhibition season is over, the Flyers can turn their thoughts to which players might survive Monday’s final roster cut.

      Currently, it looks like freshman center Jett Luchanko, who just turned 18 in August, could be in the opening night lineup on Oct. 11 in Vancouver.

      Coach John Tortorella said not much has been decided yet but Luchanko did skate with the veterans in practice on Friday at the Flyers Training Center so that could be working in his favor.

      “He has a maturity about him,” Tortorella said. “We know he’s 18 but he carries himself in a different way. He’s a bright player, a good 200-foot player. No final decisions have been made. We keep having discussions on it.”

      If Luchanko were to make the roster, he would be the youngest player in Flyer history to do so.

      “I think he deserves where he’s at,” Tortorella said. “Especially for his position at center. The speed he brings you through the middle of the ice is pretty intriguing. He has a lot to work on as any 18-year-old kid will have. Where it all falls I don’t know but I think he deserves to be with us right now.”

      The Flyers players have the weekend off but the coaches will be in fairly constant talks getting ready for regular-season play. That includes roster decisions.

      “We’re having discussions daily,” Tortorella said. “There will be some guys going to the American (Hockey) League today. It’s just a constant conversation.”

      >Lycksell in the mix?

      Olle Lycksell continues to catch the eyes of the coaching staff with his responsible two-way play.

      “He’s had a good camp,” Tortorella said. “Each time he was called up last year he seemed to be more comfortable. He scored down there, can he score at this level? He does things down there, can he do them at this level? I don’t know but he just keeps banging away.

      “He just goes about his business. Did some good things on the power play, too.”

      >Training camp gets high marks

      In addition to finishing the preseason schedule with a 4-3 mark, the Flyers looked energized during training camp.

      “I thought the camp was good,” Tortorella said. “I thought they came in ready. We got a lot accomplished. We did even more (video) tape as far as our concept during camp than we have before. I thought it was a pretty productive couple weeks.”

      >Seeler still sidelined

      Defenseman Nick Seeler remains sidelined after blocking a shot on the leg which left him with some nerve issues.

      “It’s day-to-day,” Tortorella said. “Nothing real serious.”

      >Power play improving?

      No one needs to be reminded the Flyers have finished last in the NHL on the power play three straight seasons, including last year’s somewhat humiliating 12.2 percent.

      Things have looked a little better in the preseason but that isn’t saying much.

      Tortorella plans to spend time working on the power play in practice next week.

      The coach plans to bring in special advisors such as John LeClair and Patrick Sharp to help with the process.

      “I want to see how it (committee format) works,” Tortorella said. “I’ve never done it. I think we have some good minds in there. Hopefully it will help.”

      Is Tortorella optimistic now that Russian prospect Matvei Michkov is on board and defenseman Jamie Drysdale is healthy again after offseason sports hernia surgery.

      “I’m anxious to see how Jamie handles it,” Tortorella said. “He’s very good laterally. Does ‘Z’ (defenseman Egor Zamula) improve? I would like to concentrate on Z and Jamie as far as running the top.

      “Michkov brings you a whole different element. How will players play with him. We really haven’t done much work with our units. It needs to get better. That needs to kick in a few more goals this year to help try to find our way. Hopefully we can find the right combination. I think Michkov is going to be involved in all of them.”

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About Wayne Fish 2587 Articles
Wayne Fish has been covering the Flyers since 1976, a stint which includes 18 Stanley Cup Finals, four Winter Olympics and numerous other international events.