The 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held June 28-29 at Sphere in Las Vegas. The first round will be June 28 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) and Rounds 2-7 are June 29 (11:30 a.m. ET; ESPN+, NHLN, SN, SN1). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features. Today, a profile on Guelph forward Jett Luchanko. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.
When Jett Luchanko met with the Guelph coaching staff at the end of last season, the 17-year-old was told more would be expected of him when he returned for the 2023-24 season.
Those responsibilities increased when Guelph's No. 1 center and last season's leading scorer, Matthew Poitras, made the Boston Bruins' roster.
Luchanko responded by leading Guelph with 74 points (20 goals, 54 assists) in 68 games, and making an impact on the power play and penalty kill. It was a major jump from the 14 points (nine goals, five assists) in 46 games he had in 2022-23.
"The coaches told me I was going to have a bigger role, so I kind of just worked towards that the whole summer," Luchanko said. "I had a big summer and I was able to take the role they gave me and put my best effort into that.
"It means they trust me and the same goes back to them, I trusted them a lot and that's what helped me have success this year."
Guelph general manager George Burnett said he felt Luchanko was ready for more responsibility because of the work ethic he showed on and off the ice.
"There was confidence in him because he takes a lot of pride in the details part of the game, the tracking, the defensive-zone coverage, the face-offs," Burnett said. "I think it only makes him a more complete, well-rounded player. ... He certainly saw the other team's top player every night on the road and most nights went head-to-head at home. ... At 17, you're not always comfortable with a young player, particularly a centerman, on the ice against a 19- or 20-year-old, an elite player, but he welcomed that challenge and handled it quite well."
Scouts certainly noticed, and Luchanko is No. 20 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters.
"He is one of the best skaters I've seen this year," Central Scouting's Nick Smith said. "He's explosive with great feet and agility with a smooth stride to get around. He also has a very high IQ and has the ability to make the players around him better. Whether it’s killing a 5-on-3 and blocking a shot or bringing the puck up the ice on a power play, he's a jack-of-all-trades type of player who had quite a load to carry on his team for a young player. He combines it all with good details, habits and a strong compete level."
Opponents noticed as well; Luchanko was second in voting for smartest player and hardest worker in the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League in the league's annual coaches poll.
"I think it means a lot to be recognized in that way," Luchanko said. "I'm just someone who tries to give my best effort in everything that's put in front of me. So I think to be recognized in different categories like that, it means a lot to me, and it's something that I take pride in."
