It’s no secret Guelph’s Jett Luchanko has been one of the most talked about trade chips in the Ontario Hockey League this year.
But with Friday’s noon deadline quickly approaching, there still is no word on the future of the Philadelphia Flyers’ first rounder. He may be out the door, he may remain in the Royal City. It's a mystery and a topic that's garnered plenty of speculation up to this point.
“I’m sure that there’s lots of teams that would love to have him,” said general manager George Burnett.
“We’d love to have him here, and we’re proud of all the things that he’s done to date and accomplished. He makes us a better team, and gives us a better chance to compete each and every night.
“Right now, there’s nothing to really talk about.”
Burnett has been busy on the phone, as expected this time of year.
He said he accomplished much of what he wanted to do ahead of time, referring to the separate deals that sent Vilmer Alriksson and Brayden Gillespie to Brampton, and Cam Allen to London.
With those deals out of the way, it’s tough to say whether Guelph will be loud or quiet in the next 36 hours.
“You’re never quite sure who the next call is from, and you’re trying to stay on top of what the options might be out there,” Burnett said.
“There’s not a lot of room to do more things, but we’re certainly listening.”
The overage deadline is Thursday at noon. At the moment, Guelph has local standout Jake Karabela, and best friends Max Namestnikov and Tommy Budnick holding those positions.
Burnett said there isn’t any imminent changes expected on that front.
“If there is any considerations, I guess they have to happen fairly quickly,” he said.
“Right now, the three we have, we’re quite comfortable with.”
He does have an asset in an open import slot, but Burnett isn’t pining to fill the spot.
Coach Cory Stillman has been involved in trade deadline season quite a bit in his career, both as a coach and as a player.
“It’s a tough time,” he said following a controversial 5-4 loss to the Erie Otters in overtime Wednesday.
“You’re waiting, ‘am I being traded, am I not getting traded, whose getting traded.’ It’s a tough time. It’s coming to an end … and I think sometimes it’s people trying to figure out what’s happening with the team. If you’re part of a team, what’s happening, where am I going to be.
“Come Friday at 12:01 p.m., I think everybody will be, could be happy, could be sad, but at least we know it’s over and you get back to work.”
For Luchanko himself, he remained even keel in the public eye, not allowing the trade chatter to get to him.
“I think every time I step into the rink, it’s the same attitude for me, just try my best and do what I can to get better,” he said.
If Wednesday was his curtain call in a Storm uniform, it was one to remember.
He had two goals and an assist, but took a five minute major penalty for cross checking with 10 seconds left in regulation, one the fans in attendance were mighty upset about.
It followed a third period that had both coaches having their share of conversations with the officials.
“We knew they were going to come out with a push (in the third, after the Storm had a 3-1 lead),” Stillman said.
“They got it, they got one and (then) the blown call on the tying goal.”
He was referring to Alex Messier’s tying goal, seconds after Quinn McCall apparently closed his hand on the puck when bringing it down in the neutral zone.
Guelph showed push back despite that, but this game seemed destined for extra time.
And with the team’s best penalty killer, and main faceoff threat sitting in the box against the best faceoff team in the OHL, Pano Fimis called game on the power play.
Daniil Skvortsov and Charlie Paquette scored the other two Guelph goals.
When asked again about the officiating, Stillman bit his tongue.
“It’s tough. They have a job to do, they’re human. But it’s tough when you end up (with) the results that we have,” Stillman said.
“I don’t know, that’s all I can say.”
The Storm won’t play again at home until Friday, Jan. 24 against the Brantford Bulldogs, as the Grand Slam of Curling’s WFG Masters event takes over the Sleeman Centre.
Guelph begins a four-game road trip on Friday and Saturday through Flint and Sault Ste. Marie.
What the roster will ultimately look like come that time remains a mystery.
