The Philadephia Flyers traded back their 12th overall draft pick to The Minnesota Wild. Philadelphia got Minnesota’s 13th overall pick and a 2025 third-round pick. The Flyers selected center Jett Luchanko of the Guelph Storm / OHL. The 17-year-old center wasn’t on many people raiders as he was projected to go late first round or early second round.
Flyers General Manager Danny Briere said the team needed centers during last week’s media availability. Luchanko exhibits all the right skills to be a solid playmaker. While his scoring is low—last season, he scored only 20 goals—he makes up for it with assists, of which he had 54. With a 74-point season in 68 games, Luchanko will be able to help his linemates score.
Following his draft, Luchanko expressed his excitement about joining the Flyers’ organization. He said his cousins live in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, which is only 20 minutes away from Philadelphia. Besides the excitement about coming to Philly since he has family close by, he also shared about the moment he was selected: ” It was great, especially having my family besides Michael Buffer and I do all that (make the pick announcement). That was an unbelievable experience I’ll never forget.”
When asked about his game, Luchanko highlighted his speed and hockey IQ as his main strengths. He also acknowledged the need to work on his consistency. When it comes to role models, Luchanko quickly pointed to Flyers’ forward Travis Konecny. He explained, “He’s from a similar area to where I’m from. I played on the minor team that played against him, so I see his name on the wall everywhere. I think he’s someone I think I play a similar game to, and I’ve always followed his game closely. I do like to watch him as well.”
Philadelphia traded its second first-round selection to Edmonton in exchange for Oiler’s first-round pick in either the 2025 or 2026 NHL Draft; more on that to come. The remaining rounds will continue tomorrow at 11 a.m.
