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Expert Names 2 Flyers Prospects Under Pressure Heading Into Next Season
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- Expert Names 2 Flyers Prospects Under Pressure Heading Into Next Season
With how controversial their drafting has been, and with how little they have added externally this offseason, the Philadelphia Flyers are relying almost solely on internal development to take the next step in their rebuild.
That, in turn, places a lot of pressure on the young players the Flyers already have. Matvei Michkov , for example, is heading into a contract year, and expectations for Tyson Foerster will be greater after signing an eight-year contract extension earlier this offseason that will carry a $7.1 million cap hit once it kicks in.
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Elsewhere in the system, though, the Flyers will hope for (and need) development from their less-established prospects.
Recent trade acquisition David Jiricek is now playing for this third organization since being drafted by Columbus in 2022, and while he is the favorite to secure an NHL job with the Flyers this season, that could change with even a minor slip-up in preseason or training camp.
Kareem Elshafey of EliteProspects put together his list of 10 former first-round picks who are under the most pressure to perform next season, and Jiricek made the cut as the only defenseman of the group.
"There's a reason why he was drafted so high – he's a right-handed defender with size, offensive ability, and can defend in tight spaces well. However, the shortfalls in his game have been such a hindrance that it has caused those features to become irrelevant for the most part. His much-discussed skating deficiencies aren't exaggerated and are the source of lots of issues Jiricek has," Elshafey said of Jiricek.
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"In space, he's vulnerable to getting beat by opposing skaters because of the concerns regarding his acceleration, lateral quickness, and transitions in and out of pivots. It shrinks the margin of error dramatically, as one wrong step or decision isn't something he can easily recover from. Similarly, his defensive sense and decision-making have only compounded the problems in his own zone."
Now, Elshafey did note that Jiricek, despite being only 22 years old, can't keep bouncing around teams hoping for an opportunity based on his talent forever, but the Flyers have done well with this kind of thing before.
Ryan Poehling was a directionless former first-round pick before becoming a legitimately good bottom-six center in Philadelphia , and the Flyers were able to flip him and a draft pick for Trevor Zegras , who scored a career-high 67 points last season after becoming an outcast in Anaheim .
Jamie Drysdale was hurtling towards bust territory even after the Flyers traded for him, but steady, large gains year over year have made him one of the better two-way defenders in the NHL.
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Sean Walker was a throw-in in the Ivan Provorov trade, but the Flyers turned him into a machine before eventually flipping him for a first-round pick at the 2024 NHL trade deadline.
Dan Vladar was an unproven, injury=prone backup before last year, and now he is considered a top-10 goalie in the NHL by national media. Travis Sanheim would be a St. Louis Blue if it weren't for Torey Krug . The list goes on.
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Another Flyer on Elshafey's list is center prospect Jett Luchanko, who finds his way here under very different circumstances.
The 2024 first-round pick was widely considered a reach when he was drafted 13th overall two years ago due to his perceived lack of offensive ability and the availability of other options, namely Konsta Helenius and Zeev Buium , on the draft board.
Luchanko is likely to be a full-time NHLer at some point, but the arrow is pointing more towards bottom-six forward than top-six forward, and the young speedster is running out of time to show that this trend will shift.
"There are flashes of playmaking, and to a much lesser extent goal-scoring, but those plays are largely built on his skating, meaning there's not a whole bunch of variety in how he creates plays or space. Though Luchanko made the Flyers roster out of camp just a few months after being selected, it was clear that he wasn't quite ready for that. The same thing happened the following season, and since then, he's been just fine in the OHL and in a depth role at the World Juniors," Elshafey said of Luchanko.
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"It would be a surprise if Luchanko didn't become an everyday NHLer in some role due to his skating and never-ending motor, but whether he can produce enough offence to become a top-six forward is an entirely different question. Realizing that upside hinges on how much he can expand his offensive arsenal, and he'll have to take steps in that direction this season."
The Flyers do not expect to have Luchanko back in the NHL again unless, or until, he proves that he is one of their 12 best forwards. Meaning, he isn't going to stick on the roster as an extra who will rotate in on occasion.
The 19-year-old is turning pro this season and is more than likely going to spend the year with the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
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In 2025, Luchanko managed three assists in nine regular season games with the Phantoms, then added six assists in seven Calder Cup playoff games.
But, between those 16 AHL games, eight NHL regular season games, and an NHL playoff game, Luchanko has yet to score a goal, and that is the de facto biggest weakness in his game right now.
If he couldn't do it against players his age or younger at the junior level, it's unlikely Luchanko will flip a switch and do it against bigger, stronger, better, and more experienced players in the NHL, but time will have the final say.
Both Jiricek and Luchanko have clear paths to making a massive impact for the Flyers in the long run, but what happens next will ultimately be decided by them.
