Jett Luchanko : In-Depth Analysis

Jett Luchanko is a right-handed center, 5’11 and 187 lbs. His identity was easy to identify, but playing with a moribund team like the Guelph Storm, it was his ceiling that represented a challenge to adequately gauge. He finished first in points on his team with 74 pts in 68 games.

From the start, it was his intelligence without the puck that stood out to me. Part of me is tempted to say that he is the smartest player in the entire draft without the puck.  His reads of the game are of a high level, he always identifies, in complex situations, which player to cover, which of his defenders needs support, the moments to cover a teammate who has had to leave his position, the open-ice that can be used, etc. His work without the puck in the neutral zone is also remarkable in the way he makes the center of the ice a non-viable option for the puck carrier. It’s slightly complicated to explain, but he nullifies the options in the center, while applying enough pressure on the puck carrier to confine him to the outside.

Anywhere and at any time on the ice, he bothers his opponents. They never have time to be able to slow down the game, observe the situation and take a decision as a result of their processing of information. Luchanko’s pressure is still imminent and very strong. He forces them to rush their plays and get rid of the puck.

More importantly, it’s not simply his positioning or his sense of responsibility that I like about Luchanko, but his state of mind from the moment he steps on the ice. During his defensive backcheck, he does not put pressure on the puck carrier with the simple aim of seeing the latter rush his play, he has the clear intention of stealing from him by any means necessary. As if he was going to recover something that belongs to him. He has the mentality of a shark on the ice.

From my first viewing, even if his offensive potential had not yet revealed itself to me, I had no other choice than to insert him in a favorable position on my list. There is no better way to predict the future than to look at the past. We quickly realize by consulting old drafts that players with profiles similar to Luchanko (extremely intelligent, responsible and hardworking) often have a greater chance of establishing themselves in the NHL and producing there (following winning the confidence of the coaches) than many other players whom we had estimated with more potential and upside. Prospects are too often judged based on individual skills and not on their understanding of the game. Just think of a player like Luke Evangelista in the 2020 draft. He is already better established within his team than many prospects selected in the top 20, or even top 10, which in the end risks becoming complementary pieces, even if they had specific qualities which stood out from the crowd at the time.

And then, as I continued to watch him, I quickly realized that Luchanko is a formidable playmaker. Mainly during power plays where he is used at the point, he was the author of several of the most beautiful plays that I saw. He can do the job of a quarterback on the power play as well as many defensemen. If I praised his intelligence without the puck, I must do the same when he is in possession. Watching him lead the PP gives the impression of watching a chess player at work, moving each pawn as he pleases.

His ability to make cross-ice passes is definitely among the elite in this draft. The most fascinating thing is the execution behind these passes. The passes are very lively and precise, but I pay particular attention to how brief the motion of his stick is. We are talking about passes of almost 55 feet distance (or even more) here and he only needs a quick touch to reach a teammate. The information processing that precedes these passes is just as spectacular. It only takes a fraction of a second to spot the openings.

When I realized the offense he could bring, I started to see some parallels with Vincent Trocheck. The comparison is not 100% accurate, because Luchanko is much faster, but I mainly had in mind play creation, two-way responsibility, leadership on the ice and above all, the type of career where he discreetly established himself on a 2nd line and accumulated seasons of 60 pts without anyone really talking about it.

On the other hand, to achieve this type of production, Luchanko will have to improve his goal-scoring ability. In his case, it’s not that his scoring skills are insufficient, it’s more a question of volume. Number 7 of the Guelph Storm takes too few shots on net. For what it’s worth, his shot is pretty average, but he still has the potential to score his share of goals in the NHL.

There are some things he does well as a shooter.

I really like how he uses ‘Pump Fakes’ when used at the point on the power play. He will step forward putting weight on his stick giving the impression that he is loading a shot, as soon as the defenseman kneels in position to block the shot, Luchanko removes his weight from his stick, gains ground and repeats the process until he is happy with his shooting location.

In addition, he demonstrates good scoring instincts when he finds himself alone in front of the goalkeeper. These situations arise when Luchanko is at full speed, having just made an impressive rush to the net. He plays a game of patience with the goalkeeper and lets the latter make the first move (by kneeling or attempting the pokecheck) and Luchanko chips the puck over his shoulder.

Moreover, these rushes at the net are sensational and are an integral part of his play selections. Luchanko is not usually a player who dribbles a lot with the puck, but when the time comes to force his way to the goalie, he can come out with superb dangles. The center player also demonstrates great intelligence in the way he dissects the levers in physical contact with defensemen, lowering his center of gravity to get under his opponent.

It was during his rushes to the net that I realized how fast Luchanko is. Something I didn’t realize immediately. Being a cerebral player, his positioning is always on point so you don’t see him spending energy unnecessarily, but when it comes time to explode, he definitely has one of the best straight-line speeds of all the draft.

The London native also plays with a physical ‘Edge’. He is very competitive and likes to hit his opponents. It is often by arriving at full speed that he will deliver his checks.

He is the player who won the most points at U-18. It wasn’t the easiest thing to evaluate him in Guelph. He didn’t really have offensive support, the team was dysfunctional, in fact, the head coach was fired after their season was over. It was mainly that I had uncertainties about his ceiling. I now believe that the door is open for him to become a 2nd line center also capable of shutting down the best opposing elements.

Number of games watched : 22