On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
Few expected prospect center Jett Luchanko to make Philadelphia’s roster in training camp, but his camp performance allowed him to do exactly that. However, the team has decided that returning to junior is the best move for development; the Flyers announced that they’ve assigned him to OHL Guelph. GM Daniel Briere released the following statement on the move:
"The decision to send Jett back is something we strongly believe is the right path for him and his development. His work-ethic, preparedness and play during training camp and preseason was something we were extremely impressed with and felt he earned the right to make our roster and start the season with us. Ultimately, we feel it is more valuable for Jett to be put in the best possible position to prepare himself for an NHL career, and right now that is with his team in Guelph."
The 18-year-old had a strong showing with the Storm last season, notching 20 goals and 54 assists in 68 regular season games along with three assists in four playoff appearances. That had him rated by many outlets as a first-round pick outside of the lottery. But the Flyers felt differently about his upside, ultimately selecting him 13th overall, signing him to an entry-level contract less than two weeks later.
Luchanko got into four preseason games with Philadelphia, picking up two assists and playing his way onto the opening roster. He suited up in four regular-season contests as well — making him the youngest player in the league — but was held off the scoresheet while playing just over 14 minutes per game on average. However, after being scratched for three of their seven games, it seemed likely that he’d eventually return to junior where he can play significant minutes in all situations and push for a spot at the World Juniors in December.
Since Luchanko won’t get into 10 or more NHL contests this season, his contract won’t officially begin this season after all and he will still have three years remaining on it with a slightly lower cap hit heading into 2025-26. The Flyers now have one vacancy on their active roster and can either promote someone from AHL Lehigh Valley to fill it or operate with 22 players for the time being.
More must-reads:
- Flyers’ start raises eyebrows on John Tortorella’s job security
- Flyers’ Matvei Michkov Has Been Productive in All Situations
- The '1973-75 Philadelphia Flyers' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
Chicago Blackhawks reportedly set to trade 25-year-old goaltender to Stars rival, Edmonton Oilers
Could this young forward answer multiple questions for the Rangers?
Through much of his time with the New York Rangers, Mika Zibanejad has been too good to be a second-line center, yet not quite a top liner for a contender. Now aging out of his prime, his play has dropped off the past two seasons, only rebounding when moved to the wing next to midseason acquisition J.T. Miller. That presents a problem for New York. The Rangers are not deep down the middle. Moving Zibanejad back to center provides that depth, putting Vincent Trochek back in his appropriate 3C role. But does Zibanejad again suffer without Miller? It also leaves the Blueshirts thin on the right side. Zibanejad can’t play two positions at once and the Rangers cannot rob Peter to pay Paul. There is a solution, however: Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish. Anaheim and New York already have strong front office ties, with a pair of trades in the past eight months. The cross-continental line should be open. McTavish is precisely the player archetype that Rangers general manager Chris Drury has sought in this past year. The 22-year-old possesses good size (6-foot-1, 219 pounds) and plays with a grit that Drury adores. An old-fashioned power forward in the making, McTavish hunts bodies, making life miserable for defenders on the forecheck and finds pockets of space when off the puck, where he unloads a cannon of a shot. An all-situations player, McTavish digs in the corners and is developing nicely as an offensive driver. McTavish is a hard worker who shows leadership traits. New Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan loves to play with speed and relentless pressure, a mantra that suits McTavish down to the ground. For a second-line center, McTavish’s numbers don’t exactly pop off the page, but 52 points (22 goals) in 76 games for a bad Ducks team is nothing to sneeze at. In New York, he would also presumably get to play with Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. Given the playmaking ability of those wingers and McTavish’s heavy shot, 30-plus goals could be on the cards. Bleacher Report has stated that the Ducks are unlikely to extend McTavish an offer sheet, instead willing to match whatever offer comes his way. Does that mean he is on the trade block? At the very least it means that Anaheim will likely be willing to listen to offers. That said, it would take an almighty package to pry the former No. 3 pick out of Orange County. The Ducks would rightly command a first-round pick — if not two — and a highly-rated prospect. New York has its own first-rounders in store, as well as a, likely, late first-rounder next year, with second-round picks each year except 2027. Would New York part with a first, a second and a pair of its top prospects? The Rangers are loaded with left wing prospects. Whilst Gabe Perrault is likely off the table, Brennan Othmann, Adam Sykora and Brett Berard should be discussed, as should defenseman E.J. Emery. Would picks and a pair of prospects be enough for Anaheim, though? Here’s a thought experiment: a deal centered around Will Cuylle. As mentioned, the Rangers have a raft of left wingers coming through and Lafreniere is also a natural left winger. Would trading Cuylle for McTavish solve the Rangers' issues at the pivot, allowing Zibanejad to help fix the right-hand side and give the team room to develop more youngsters on the left? Could this solve three issues in one swoop? It would be a, potentially, seismic move, but it might just make sense for both teams, especially if the Ducks are not looking to keep McTavish around long-term. It would complete a remarkable offseason for Drury.
Knicks Predicted to Part Ways With Karl-Anthony Towns in Blockbuster Three-Team Trade
The New York Knicks are looking to make more moves to upgrade their depth as they figure to be one of the teams to beat in the Eastern Conference next season. Of course, the Knicks made their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000 last season and with the amount of injuries to top players in the East, the Conference is wide open entering next season. Because of this, the Knicks have emerged as one of the favorites to win the East thanks to their core led by Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. Despite this, Sports Illustrated’s Jackson Caudell and Rohan Raman recently created a three-team mock trade that would see the Knicks move on from Towns. In the trade, the Knicks would add Jrue Holiday, Robert Williams III and a 2028 first-round pick via the Portland Trail Blazers while they would send Towns and Pacome Dadiet to Portland. The Trail Blazers would also send Duop Reath to the Atlanta Hawks in this proposed mock trade. While the Knicks are looking at ways to improve their depth, moving on from Towns would be a tough decision for them to make despite his struggles, especially on the defensive side, during the playoffs last season. It would also be a tough decision to swap Towns for Williams III due to his injury history, especially with Mitchell Robinson’s injury history as well and the Knicks’ lack of true center depth. While that may be the case, adding a veteran point guard in Holiday to the second unit could be a good addition to the Knicks’ bench and Williams III would also give them more size. Despite this, it is highly unlikely that the Knicks will move on from Towns this summer and likely into next season as they see their core being able to help them compete for a championship next season.
Celtics Expected to Make Another Trade After New Comments From Executive
The Boston Celtics' priorities were already apparent before making the trades they did. Because they wanted to get under the NBA's second tax apron, the Celtics were willing to downgrade some of their players to get under it. That's why the Celtics traded Jrue Holiday for Anfernee Simons and Kristaps Porzingis for Georges Niang. It is a talent downgrade, but it helped Boston achieve their goals of getting under the second apron, even if those players aren't as good as Holiday or Porzingis. However, those trades only helped Boston get closer to being under the NBA's second tax apron, but it didn't get them under completely. Boston signed a few more players this offseason, including Luka Garza, Josh Minott, and Hugo Gonzalez. While these players are on inexpensive contracts, combined, they are enough to keep the Celtics above the NBA's second tax apron. That's why Boston isn't done making moves. Spotrac's Keith Smith revealed in an interview with a Boston Celtics executive that more trades will follow because they are still above the NBA's second tax apron. “Still figuring it all out. As you’ve noted, we’re still above the second apron. We won’t finish there," the Celtics exec told Smith. As far as how the Celtics will do that is anyone's guess. They may trade Anfernee Simons for someone who makes less than him. They may trade Niang's contract to a team that can absorb it via trade exception. They may even trade Sam Hauser or Payton Pritchard to do it. Regardless, more moves are coming for the Celtics.
Suns Need To Make 1 More Roster Move, Not Interested In 2 Veteran Free Agents
The Phoenix Suns have been pretty busy this offseason and are reportedly content with their 2025-26 roster. Still, the Suns are only carrying 13 players, so they need to add at least one more player to their 15-man roster. Suns Need To Make 1 More Roster Move, Not Interested In 2 Veteran Free Agents Phoenix has made 12 total player transactions thus far. The Suns gave Devin Booker two more years; now the 28-year-old is under contract through 2030. They also re-signed Collin Gillespie to a one-year contract. Gillespie, who has 57 games of NBA experience, is expected to see a bigger role this coming season than he has had the past two years. The 26-year-old is projected to be the Suns’ backup point guard. Phoenix added four players, three via trades and one free agent signing. The Suns received Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green in the Kevin Durant trade. The Suns also made a deal for Mark Williams and brought Nigel Hayes-Davis back from overseas. Additionally, they drafted Khaman Malauch and received 2025 draft selections Koby Brea and Rasheer Fleming via the Durant trade. Besides Durant, Tyus Jones, Vasilije Micic, and Mason Plumlee left via free agency. Bradley Beal was “bought out,” and Cody Martin was waived. With all the moves, the Suns got out of their salary cap hole. Phoenix is $2.6 million below the luxury tax. But owner Matt Ishbia hasn’t been concerned about paying the tax, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they do so again. But wouldn’t expect them to go too far over it. “Now under the first and second tax apron,” Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic said. “Phoenix has roster flexibility to aggregate contracts in a trade, do a sign-and-trade, and work with mid-level exceptions.” Rankin said that Phoenix has interest in Golden State restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga. However, he added that the Suns are unlikely to land him because they lack the necessary draft capital and assets to deliver in what would be a sign-and-trade scenario for the Warriors. What Do The Suns Need To Add Phoenix is also now a much younger team, following all the moves. The Suns’ 13-man roster has an average age of 25.5. Booker, Green, Brooks, Ryan Dunn, and Williams are projected to be in coach Jordan Ott’s starting lineup. This first unit gives Ott two scorers and two solid defenders. Williams is the wildcard due to his inability to stay healthy. When healthy, the 23-year-old youngster is a dominant center. Ott’s second unit is more uncertain. Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, and Maluach figure to be part of the Suns’ second unit. The other two spots could come down to Oso Ighodoro, Nick Richards, Hayes-Davis, Gillespie, and Brea. Gillespie is an NBA-caliber player. The 26-year-old is the only true point guard on the roster, though Allen can handle he ball. Gillespie averaged 6.7 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in 16.7 minutes in 24 contests post-all-star break. Gillespie produced one double-double and 1.4 threes with shooting splits of 41.4/42.9/88.2. He also compiled a 4.1-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in nine games as a starter. Gillespie has only 57 games of NBA experience, with 33 of those coming last season. His defense is also a question mark. Brea is a pure shooter, although he has improved as a ball handler and facilitator during his collegiate career. However, the 22-year-old, on a two-way contract, struggled in those areas during the summer league. He averaged 12.0 points, on 11 shots a game, and 2.0 treys while shooting 42.4/42.9/1.000 in Vegas. Fleming, along with the Suns’ other two-way players — CJ Huntley and Isaiah Livers — are wings. So, it wouldn’t be a surprise that the Suns’ 14th roster spot goes to a veteran point guard. Who Could the Suns Be Interested In? According to Rankin, the Suns don’t have veteran free agents like point guards Chris Paul or Russell Westbrook on their radar. There are some intriguing lead guards still available. Paul, of course, signed with the Los Angeles Clippers yesterday. Adam Scott of the Arizona Republic suggested that the Suns should pursue Malcolm Brogdon, Ben Simmons, or Jared Butler. Brogdon and Simmons really don’t make sense given Phoenix’s roster of younger players. Plus, Brogdon and Simmons are drawing attention from teams in better situations than the Suns. Butler is an intriguing option, and the Suns should be able to remain close to the tax line, even after they signed him. The 24-year-old is coming off his best season of his four-year career, splitting time with Washington and Philadelphia. He scored in double-figures in 22 of his 60 appearances and produced one double-double. Butler averaged 9.0 points, 3.7 assists, and 1.3 turnovers over 17.4 minutes a contest. He also knocked one three-pointer in a contest with shooting splits of 44.8/35.5/82.4.
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
