The Philadelphia Flyers just made some tough calls after their preseason, sending down two of their brightest prospects, Cole Knuble and Jett Luchanko, to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. This move comes despite both young forwards having absolute lights-out performances throughout camp and all their preseason appearances. These guys were like waterbugs on the ice, doing everything asked of them in every situation, and Knuble was even the best Flyers player across the entire preseason.
Rick Tocchet Just Laid Out The Hard Truth
Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet didn’t pull any punches explaining the situation after practice on Friday. He knows Knuble and Luchanko had “very good camps,” but the reality is “there’s not many jobs open” right now. It’s a brutal numbers game, pure and simple. Still, Tocchet made it clear their efforts were not wasted. He stressed that these prospects are “pushing people” and creating “better options for the general manager” down the line. It’s all about building organizational depth, and these guys, coming in shape and taking information from the summer, definitely pushed the veterans.
No Room At The Inn, Even For The Best
You gotta feel for Luchanko and Knuble, because their play was undeniably NHL-caliber. Luchanko showed exactly why he’s a top center prospect, using his speed in the neutral zone to create chances, making intelligent passes, and being dangerous on the cycle. And Knuble, wow, he went from a dark horse to literally the best Flyer in preseason. The level they played at is now threatening the job security of other forwards already in the NHL. Guys like Nikita Grebenkin, who was on the roster last season and might be the 13th forward, or Denver Barkey and Alex Bump, who are slated for the fourth line, are holding spots. The kicker? Knuble and Luchanko played better than those guys. The Flyers lost their preseason finale 5-1, by the way, with Aleksei Kolosov not exactly looking like an NHL goalie out there.
These young guns didn’t make the opening night roster, but their efforts have absolutely lit a fire under the whole organization. The 2026-27 season starts on Wednesday, and while they’ll be with the Phantoms to start, Tocchet said, “something can happen in a week, a month. You have to be ready.” The depth of this organization is real, and it’s going to be wild to see who steps up and who gets pushed out as the season unfolds. Keep an eye on the Phantoms, because those two are coming for NHL jobs.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Broad Street Hockey.
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