Top prospect for Pittsburgh Penguins' archrival traded just days after junior demotion

For the second consecutive year, Flyers center Jett Luchanko has been sent back to junior weeks after making Philadelphia's opening night roster. This year, however, he won't be finishing the season with the OHL's Guelph Storm.

The team dealt their captain to the Brantford Bulldogs for draft-eligible center Layne Gallacher and four draft picks.

A trade was inevitable. It's uncertain if the 2024 No. 13 pick will stick with the Flyers next season, but this is his final year in junior hockey. In 2025-26, he'll play either in the NHL or with the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

With Guelph hosting the 2027 Memorial Cup and needing to build a contender for that run, moving Luchanko for future assets made strategic sense.

The Storm haven't won a playoff round since their 2019 championship and missed the postseason entirely last year.

Luchanko was professional regarding both his demotion and the trade. Although he played in only 11 of Guelph's 24 games, he ranked third in team scoring with 17 points (2 goals, 15 assists).

One of the OHL's top playmakers since his draft year, Luchanko has produced 104 assists in 125 games since the start of 2023-24, ranking 13th leaguewide. His 1.18 points per game in that span sits 18th among players with at least 100 games played.

Though many viewed the 5'11" center as a reach at 13th overall, the Flyers thought enough of his development to provide him two separate four-game stints in the NHL.

Each yielded no points and a minus-3 rating, along with four shots, eight hits, a 48.3% faceoff mark, and an average of 11:31 per game.

Luchanko's route remains unclear, but his growth and Brantford's aspirations mean he will be followed closely.