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Flyers Assign Jett Luchanko To OHL

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For a second-straight year, Jett Luchanko’s time with the Philadelphia Flyers is cut short after only four appearances. Earlier today, Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff reported that the Flyers would be assigning Luchanko to the OHL’s Guelph Storm today, and Philadelphia subsequently confirmed the news.

Luchanko’s reassignment can’t be described as anything other than disappointing for the Flyers. The team drafted Luchanko with the 13th overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft, and he surprisingly made the team’s roster out of training camp last year.

Still, with little expectations of him sticking around, the team assigned him to OHL Guelph after going scoreless in four games with a -3 rating. He was mostly productive in his return to Guelph, scoring 21 goals and 56 points in 46 games as the team’s captain. Unfortunately, the Storm finished with a 21-38-5-4 record, missing out on the playoffs.

After another year of growth, Luchanko again made the Flyers’ roster out of training camp, this time under a new head coach. This time around, his performance was arguably worse.

Again being reassigned after four games, Luchanko again went scoreless with a -3 rating. He averaged nearly five minutes less a night under Rick Tocchet, primarily centering the team’s fourth line when in the lineup. Despite being reassigned today, Luchanko hasn’t suited up for Philadelphia since October 20th.

There was some concern earlier in the year about returning him to Guelph, largely because the team wasn’t expected to be competitive this year. However, although it’s still relatively early in the 2025-26 campaign, the Storm are 6-5-2-0 through their first 13 games, holding onto the final playoff spot in the OHL’s Western Conference.

Luchanko made it apparent that he’s not ready for much responsibility at the NHL level. Although he is likely better suited for developmental time in the AHL, he has not yet reached the age where that is permissible. Still, given that the team signed Tocchet to a multi-year deal this offseason, there might be some concern about Luchanko’s overall future in the organization, given his subpar first impression.

Rasmus Ristolainen Targeting December Return

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  • Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has not made his 2025-26 debut yet as he recovers from the season-ending surgery he underwent earlier this year, and today DailyFaceoff’s Anthony Di Marco reported that the player is targeting a return at some point in December. Ristolainen was the Flyers’ No. 2 defenseman by ice time last season, playing in 20:31 per night including a role on both special teams units. So far this season, right-shot blueliner Jamie Drysdale is playing nearly two additional minutes per night compared to what he played last season, likely in part due to Ristolainen’s absence. The Flyers have gotten off to a decent 3-2-1 start, and getting Ristolainen back in December should only boost their competitive chances.

Luchanko Could Get AHL Conditioning Stint To Delay Return To OHL

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With his usage being limited thus far, the odds of Jett Luchanko spending the full season with the Flyers are dropping.  However, Daily Faceoff’s Anthony DiMarco suggests that Philadelphia will at least look to drag the decision out a little longer by assigning him to AHL Lehigh Valley on a conditioning stint at some point.  While he’s ineligible to play for the Phantoms full-time, he is allowed to play on a conditioning stint for up to two weeks.  Luchanko won’t officially burn the first year of his entry-level deal until he plays in ten NHL games this season.  He’s at four so between his five games he can still play without starting the deal and a possible conditioning stint, he could remain with the Flyers for a while yet before returning to junior.

Matvei Michkov Benched Again Late In Flyers Win

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The Philadelphia Flyers completed a dramatic overtime victory over the Minnesota Wild yesterday, but not everything is going smoothly so far to start the season in Philadelphia. While the Flyers have compiled a decent 2-2-1 record to start the year, one of the more notable emerging storylines on the Flyers has been the usage of star second-year forward Matvei Michkov. According to The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz, the 2023 seventh-overall pick was once again benched by head coach Rick Tocchet late in last night’s game, with Kurz attributing the move to “too many ineffective shifts and careless plays with the puck.”

Michkov has struggled thus far under Tocchet, with just one goal and zero assists through five games. While he remains the Flyers’ top power play forward in terms of time-on-ice per game, his overall usage has declined from 16:41 per game last season to just 14:50 this year. While Tocchet’s usage of Michkov may ultimately help the young forward develop a more well-rounded all-around game, it’s also potentially fair to question whether taking this approach with Michkov, who is one of the Flyers’ most lethal offensive weapons, ultimately hurts the team’s chances to win more than it helps.

McKee Was A Finalist For Flyers Head Coaching Role

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  • Long-time NHL rearguard Jay McKee wound up being a finalist for the Flyers coaching job, relays Scott Wheeler of The Athletic (subscription link). He was linked as a speculative candidate if Philadelphia expanded its search but he wound up having a three-hour interview for the position.  McKee’s desire is not to be an NHL assistant first before moving to a head coaching role at the top level but he hasn’t ruled out going that route if an NHL head coaching job doesn’t materialize.

Evening Notes: Lycksell, Cooley, Zamula

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The Ottawa Senators assigned forward Olle Lycksell to the AHL’s Belleville Senators early on Friday. Lycksell appeared in two games with Ottawa this week, but sat out of the team’s most recent game on Thursday. He didn’t manage any scoring in those appearances.

Lycksell is in his first year in the Senators’ organization after signing a one-year, two-way, league-minimum $775K contract with the club on July 1st. He spent the last three seasons bouncing between the Philadelphia Flyers’ major and minor league rosters. He totaled 11 points in 45 NHL games, and 128 points in 134 AHL games with the Flyers. He’ll look to maintain near point-per-game scoring in the minors with Belleville. If he can, he could soon return to a depth role with Ottawa.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Utah Mammoth have a colossal extension looming when top center Logan Cooley hits free agency next summer. But despite minimal talks of an extension, Cooley’s agent, Brian Bartlett, told the Daily Faceoff that he’s not worried about getting a deal done. Bartlett emphasized that Cooley still has plenty of time to work something out. There’s no doubt Mammoth fan will be watching closely for Cooley’s next contract, after he posted 109 points in 157 games with the club over his first two seasons in the NHL. He’s likely to sign a hardy extension that should cement his spot as Utah’s top center.
  • The Calgary Flames are interested in acquiring a big-bodied, left-shot defenseman per Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco, who adds that Flyers defender Egor Zamula could be a prime target. Zamula played in 120 games with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen before beginning his pro career. Now, he’s found himself on the outside of Philadelphia’s daily lineup, despite mixed results. Zamula boasts a career stat line of 40 points in 157 games. He posted a career-high 21 points and plus-three in 66 games of the 2023-24 season, but fell to just 15 points and a minus-14 in 63 games last year. That dip in scoring could make him a relatively cheap acquisition, should Calgary swing a trade.

Flyers Reinstate Cam York From Injured Reserve

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Oct. 16: York has been reinstated ahead of tonight’s game against the Jets, the team announced. Emil Andrae was returned to AHL Lehigh Valley yesterday to open a roster spot.

Oct. 14: Although it’s not a complete guarantee, the Philadelphia Flyers are expected to welcome back one of their better defenseman tomorrow for practice, and potentially for their game on Thursday evening against the Winnipeg Jets. According to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, blueliner Cam York says there is a good chance he will return for Philadelphia’s next game.

The University of Michigan alumnus has been dealing with a lower-body injury since the preseason. Despite being on a day-to-day recovery timeline, York has already missed the Flyers’ first three games of the 2025-26 regular season. He’s currently on the team’s injured reserve and was eligible for activation yesterday.

York’s return couldn’t come at a better time. Philadelphia has started relatively slow out of the gates, earning a 1-1-1 record through their first three matchups with a +1 differential. Struggling to arrange consistent goaltending last year, it has actually been the team’s defensive pairings that have struggled the most to start the campaign.

According to MoneyPuck, Philadelphia has used four different defensive pairings to start the year, for those who have played more than 10 minutes of action. The combination of Jamie Drysdale and Adam Ginning has been the best to start, averaging an xGoals% of 50%, which is statistically neutral. Each of the other three has managed negative xGoals% to start the year, meaning that the rest of the defensemen are failing to provide any positive value.

Last season, the combination of Travis Sanheim and York yielded a 54.8% xGoals% across more than 870 minutes of ice time. Although he doesn’t offer much on the offensive side of the puck, York routinely blocks shots and has averaged a positive Expected +/- for the last three years. Head coach Rick Tocchet, who’s been largely disappointed by Philadelphia’s defensive core since the beginning of preseason, will have much more to work with when York returns.

Philadelphia Flyers To Reassign Emil Andrae

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Emil Andrae’s recent recall to the Philadelphia Flyers has ended after one game. Jackie Spiegel of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Andrae’s name is no longer listed on the Flyers roster on the NHL media site, which means he has been reassigned to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. 

Without a corresponding roster move, the move all but guarantees a return for defenseman Cameron York, which was reported on yesterday. The only item left on Philadelphia’s to-do list would be to activate York from their injured reserve, which will likely happen tomorrow.

Although his one-game recall won’t make a lasting impression on the Flyers’ front office, it likely won’t be Andrae’s last time in the NHL this season. He skated in 10:22 of Philadelphia’s win over the Florida Panthers on Monday, earning an 87.5% CorsiFor% at even strength.

Given that he’s on his entry-level contract, and thus exempt from waivers, Andrae is an easy choice for a readily available depth option. He skated in 42 games for the Flyers last year, scoring one goal and seven points while averaging 17:21 of ice time. His possession metrics were relatively positive, a rare quality for Philadelphia last year, though his defensive metrics left much to be desired.

His play with AHL Lehigh Valley indicates that there’s another level to his offensive game. Since debuting for the Phantoms in 2022-23, Andrae has scored 10 goals and 56 points in 97 games, becoming one of their most consistent blueliners over that stretch. Still, defensemen tend to take longer to develop, and Andrae is only 23 years old. Should he continue to get consistent reps in the AHL, he’ll have a better chance of cracking the Flyers roster out of training camp next season.

Matvei Michkov Seeing Fewer Minutes In Slow Start

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Having yet to record a point in the Flyers’ first three games, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic wrote earlier today on Matvei Michkov’s early season struggles. The ultra-talented Russian has been lightly benched at times by new Head Coach Rick Tocchet. Although this may raise some eyebrows, there are reasons for this outside of his play alone, as noted by Kurz. 

Philadelphia broke into the win column yesterday, pulling away late from the defending champion Panthers. While such a triumph could be encouraging, it is key to mention that Florida opted to start backup goalie Daniil Tarasov. As the Flyers sit at a bit of a crossroads this season, trying to etch a new identity with a roster that finally offers real youth, the 20-year-old Russian is their biggest piece for the future. Michkov led all rookies in goals in 2024-2025, with an impressive 63 points, all during a bit of a tumultuous season for the Black and Orange. 

Therefore, a scoreless first three games for Michkov isn’t ideal, along with falling ice time, down to 14:26. Interestingly, fellow young Russian Nikita Grebenkin appeared in Michkov’s place on a line with Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny in crunch time vs Florida. However, Tocchet emphasized that the swap was primarily to reward Grebenkin, who has made an impression so far. 

Additionally, there are other factors which have worked against Michkov, painting a picture perhaps a bit misleading. Tocchet mentioned that he has been getting up to speed from an ankle ailment over the summer, along with the fact that the Flyers have been highly penalized, often keeping their young star off the ice. Finally, Tocchet is wanting to implement an approach of balancing up-and-down the lineup, as the club searches for their identity. Philadelphia has made it clear that they will move into the future still leaning into their gritty playing style as always, but they will need to ensure it does not stunt the development of a potential offensive superstar. 

With all of this in mind, Tocchet’s utilization of Michkov will be interesting to monitor, but just three games in, it is still too soon to sound the alarms. With Michkov’s ability, it is likely just a matter of time. 

Flyers' May Assign Jett Luchanko Back To OHL

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According to a new article from Anthony Di Marco of the Daily Faceoff, the Philadelphia Flyers aren’t expected to retain Jett Luchanko for the duration of the season if he doesn’t rise out of a fourth-line role. While Philadelphia’s front office believes Luchanko could “hold his own” in a bottom-six role, they will need to see a breakout from him if they’re to keep him beyond the nine-game threshold, which would burn the first year off of his entry-level contract.

The breakout the Flyers were expecting to see hasn’t come yet. The former 13th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft has gone scoreless through his first two games of the season, averaging 8:15 of ice time. Still, it’s difficult to see a pathway upward for Luchanko even if he does perform better, especially if they’re adamant on keeping him at the center position.

There’s little chance of the Flyers breaking up the line of Tyson Foerster, Noah Cates, and Bobby Brink, which has become a solid identity line for the team. The Flyers could conceivably move Trevor Zegras back to the wing, though they were steadfast in their belief that he could be a center when they acquired him this past summer. Further, given his defensive value and play in the faceoff dot, they’re unlikely to isolate Sean Couturier to fourth-line minutes.

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