Jett Luchanko, Hunter McDonald, and Noah Powell stand out in Flyers development camp

Brendan Shanahan was asked when he made the Hockey Hall of Fame how he wanted to be remembered.

“That I was involved,” he told this reporter. Considering he won three Stanley Cups and notched more than 1,300 points during his NHL career, it’s fair to say: mission accomplished.

The players skating at the Flyers development camp are just starting their journeys. Two of the Flyers’ picks at this year’s draft: Spencer Gill — who looked quite comfortable skating on the right side of Hunter McDonald — and Jett Luchanko, won’t turn 18 until August. Others like McDonald, J.R. Avon, Alexis Gendron, and Ethan Samson have American Hockey League games under their belts.

Wherever they are in the development curve, it’s never a bad idea to stick out and showcase what one can bring to the Flyers lineup when they get the call. Although it was a bit lopsided in talent — Team Jones easily topped Team Brière, 7-3 — the Flyers Training Center was packed with fans eager to see the next generation of talent for the Orange and Black.

Here are three players who impressed Saturday at the Flyers development camp scrimmage.

The Flyers’ top pick in the 2024 draft, who signed his entry-level contract not long after the scrimmage ended, showcased what he can bring to the team. Known for his speed, he was able to use it to forecheck and create time and space for himself and his teammates.

» READ MORE: Flyers sign Jett Luchanko to three-year entry-level contract

“Felt good. I thought it was a good game, was a fun game and the pace was really high,” Luchanko said. “A lot of good players out there, a lot of good plays made, and it was a fun time. Everyone was really good.”

FloHockey draft and prospects analyst Chris Peters told The Inquirer at the draft that Luchanko “kind of clears the road a little bit, because he’s going to go dig pucks out,” and “he’s going to be the guy that’s first on the forecheck if you need him to be.” The 17-year-old did just that in the scrimmage.

He showed off a high hockey IQ and vision — including a play in the second period when he carried the puck high in the offensive zone before finding a teammate down low for a scoring chance — and his speed. A guy with a quick first step, he didn’t have a point in the scrimmage but came close a few times. He almost scored in the opening minutes and there was some debate as to whether he nicked a shot by Cooper Wylie.

“To me, sometimes depending on the role ... I think sometimes he gets a little too focused on defense and I think he can free himself up, especially with his speed and whatnot,” said assistant general manager Brent Flahr when asked what Luchanko needs to work on. “He can probably take a few more chances. But I would expect to see significant improvement with his production.”

When asked about other guys who impressed Flahr in the scrimmage, he brought up McDonald.

“A guy like Hunter McDonald, he’s close to 230 pounds now and the way he skates, you can see the way his game is going,” Flahr said.

“His game, his size, his aggression. Obviously, he’s big, long, he’s very strong and he’s a strong skater,” Flahr added. “He’s just a hard, hard guy to play against. There are facets of his game that he’s going to have to work on here going forward to get to the next level, but he’s doing the work. He’s really improved since we’ve drafted him and he’s put himself in this position where [John Tortorella] is impressed.”

» READ MORE: From sixth-round pick to the NHL? Danny Brière likes Hunter McDonald’s chances.

The blueliner’s stock continues to rise. A sixth-round pick in 2022, McDonald played with Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League after his college season with Northeastern ended, which left a mark on the Flyers brass. His play in the scrimmage should also rouse the fan base. A dominating force in the scrimmage, he was consistently involved in the play and was a solid defensive partner for the youngster Gill.

One of the older guys at camp, McDonald, 22, not only notched the first goal with a nifty poke check off a broken play but also played heads-up hockey. He made a nice cross-seam breakout pass in the first period, battled with Devin Kaplan in front of his own net, and even blocked shots, including a one-knee-down block on Lee Parks.

The Flyers’ fifth-round pick, Powell continues to impress.

“First of all, he’s got a great attitude,” Flahr said. “He came in, great shape, very strong. But you can see how he can score goals in juniors because of his strength, his strength on the puck, his ability to shoot the puck, and his willingness to go to the hard areas and get his nose in there. Real determined kid and he’s just one of those players that the puck just follows. Whether it’s hockey sense or whatever it is, the puck follows him and he gets his looks at the net and he’s willing to pay a price and get his nose in there to score goals.”

» READ MORE: Flyers draft pick Noah Powell is hearing impaired but is ‘not going to let anything hold him back’

As Flahr noted, Powell showed top-end speed — although he does need to work on some quickness and agility. At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, Powell was hard to knock off the puck and was fearless driving to the net. He also revealed silky mitts, almost pulling off “The Forsberg” on a breakaway.

“Yeah, I felt pretty good out there. The ice maybe felt a little heavy, but it definitely felt like I was playing my game and kind of buzzing out there with some of the guys,” Powell said, sporting an Ohio State shirt. He will be playing there in the fall.

Massimo Rizzo did not play in the scrimmage. He was dealing with a high-ankle sprain during this past season and the Flyers held him to just skill sessions. ... Carter Sotheran did not play in the scrimmage. ... Flahr said that Alex Bump “looks like an NHL player to me going forward.” ... Alex Čiernik showed some good hockey sense and a good stick, especially when he pressured the opposition deep in their end. He scored during three-on-three action. ... Denver Barkey made a nice pass to set up Jack Williams for a goal after the puck bounced off the glass at a weird angle. ... Josh Zakreski, a camp invite, scored off a rebound on a shot by Austin Moline. ... Heikki Ruohonen (who said he took notes on his phone after each practice), Mark Estapa, Samson, and Alexis Gendron also scored. Ryan MacPherson scored on a penalty shot.