Flyers Should Copy Red Wings’ Emmitt Finnie Strategy

Sure, Grebenkin and Luchanko haven’t been perfect this season—they’ve made some mistakes and been punished for them. But there have also been some bright moments, yet there’s been no reward in sight. Cumulatively, the two are averaging 9:40 per game. They haven’t had the talent around them or the usage to truly stand out.

This is very different from Finnie. Detroit is letting him play next to the team’s two best forwards, and the stars are flourishing.

On the other hand, Philadelphia’s top guys are struggling—Travis Konecny and Matvei Michkov have three points combined—and could use a pick-me-up. Grebenkin’s playmaking ability and size could be of great use to either of those two players. Instead, his talent is rotting away on the fourth line.

Luchanko is in the same boat. His offensive game needs more work than Grebenkin’s, but the 19-year-old center could be the spark that gets Konecny and/or Michkov going. That’ll have to remain a hypothetical, though, because he’s a depth plug for the fourth line and is awaiting an inevitable demotion to the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

Now, there’s an argument here that Finnie did more to earn the opportunities he’s getting. But as mentioned, Grebenkin specifically has had those standout moments. When he recorded an assist in an overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 11, he looked fantastic on just 8:36 of ice time. The following contest, he played a little over 10 minutes. Not exactly a “reward.”

Flyers Need to Try New Things to Succeed

The Flyers are 2–2–1, which is a partial miracle considering their schedule. The teams they’ve faced so far averaged 101.6 points last season, putting them in the upper echelon of playoff clubs. However, Philadelphia is also winning its games in an unsustainable manner.

Goaltender Dan Vladař has bailed the Flyers out of certain doom. His .934 save percentage is one of the best marks in the NHL, and most certainly not sustainable—2024–25 Hart Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck was at .925.

Ranking 27^th in goals scored per 60 minutes (and 19^th in expected goals), the Orange and Black need the offense to get going. Running back the same line combinations isn’t going to make that happen.

If the Flyers want their rebuild to progress, giving the youngsters more ice time—even if it’s a one-game trial—is a good way to do that. In general, though, the team has an obligation to try new things, because the current offense is not working.

Will Grebenkin and Luchanko log big minutes in a single NHL game this season? Or will they be stuck on the fourth line, potentially demoted sometime in the near future?

Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick