With the preseason finally in the rearview, the opening night roster has been all but crafted. There’s 13 forwards, 7 defenseman and 2 goalies ready to go, but there’s one extra spot available on the 23-man roster, and it’s come down to a three way dance between 18-year-old center Jett Luchanko, 22-year-old left-handed defenseman Emil Andrae, and 25-year-old winger Olle Lcyksell, who have all laid claim to it during training camp and the preseason. So who should… and who will… get that last roster spot on opening night?
Who Should Make the Team?
Lycksell- Lycksell was nearly a point-per-game player through two seasons in the AHL, and was putting his potential on display during the preseason with four points in five games, good enough for a tie for third in Flyers’ preseason scoring. There’s no real winger spots open right now, but if the offense drys up or someone in particular is in a funk, having Lycksell as the extra (and actually giving him a chance to lay claim to a permanent spot) could be an interesting dark horse candidate to overthrow a regular main roster winger.
Luchanko- The 13th overall pick in 2024 has turned some heads during his first camp and could very well be the guy to claim a roster spot on opening night. He’s the most intriguing name of the bunch simply because he’s a center and an even half-decent one would go a long way on the roster. Because of his entry-level contract, he is subject to a nine-game slide before his deal kicks in, so even if he’s on the roster on opening night, it doesn’t mean he’s here to stay.
The biggest problem here is that if the Flyers are committed to their 13 other forwards (which they clearly are, they ran back an identical roster from last season) and Luchanko makes it, it forces players like Noah Cates or Ryan Poehling out of the lineup. In the real world, that shouldn’t be a problem, but in the land of John Tortorella, the idea of an 18-year-old making and maintaining a spot over the depth veterans is something that needs to be seen to be believed.
Andrae– The Flyers defense isn’t necessarily bad, but it’s not great either and someone challenging for a role is a good thing. Andrae is probably the best pure offensive producer among the bunch, and for that reason alone he should be a look at the NHL level. The way Torts plays musical chairs with the defense would mean Andrae would get minutes at a semi-regular clip, and would make the much better every night option over Johnson in the case of injury.
Who Will Make the Team?
Lycksell- If we’re thinking in terms of the 23rd man, that everyone else is more important and this spot is just the extra, Lycksell makes the most sense. The other two represent your top forward and top defense prospects and letting them make the team just to sit isn’t good for their futures. Lycksell is a bit older and spent half of last season in the NHL press box anyway. Lycksell could be a main roster regular, but at this point it’s not exactly make-or-break for him like it could be the other two, thus Lycksell could be the man to make the opening night roster.
Luchanko- Luchanko has been good but not great during the preseason. They’ve given him every chance to succeed and he’s risen to the occasion even if he’s not 100% ready for the role. The nine-game sample size works in his favor here. They can keep him, see if he can hang when the games start to matter, and if he can’t then no harm no foul. As noted above, it really does feel like the presence of Luchanko throws a wrench into their typical plans and unless he carves out an unquestionable top six spot, it may not last for long. Plus, if Luchanko makes it, then its massive brownie points for Danny Briere, which from a PR perspective might be enough to tip the scale.
Andrae- Tortorella all but said that Andrae is the eighth guy right now and they don’t want to carry eight defenseman to start the season. It’s why the re-signing of Erik Johnson was so damn absurd in the first place, because it cuts the legs out from the prospects. The power play will be under the microscope all season, and if the main roster can’t produce, or in the case of injury, then Andrae may be the first one to get the call to attempt to save the day, but he feels like the most unlikely of the group to snag the opening night spot.
Conclusion
The competition for the 23rd man spot became more fierce than most expected. It sure feels as though Luchanko will be given an opportunity to make it work, and as what could be their best option at center, they may as well give him his nine games and make the call later down the road. Though if he can’t then he probably goes back to juniors and Lycksell is recalled in his place to fill the 23rd spot and reclaim his press box spot, which may be all this represents once the season is under way.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: Getty Images
brotherlypuck.com 