The most notable player on the Philadelphia Flyers’ rookie camp roster was also the only absence on the first day of on-ice activity Thursday at the Flyers Training Center.

Jett Luchanko, the Flyers’ first-round pick (13th overall) in the 2024 draft, is expected to miss all of rookie camp as he recovers from a lingering groin injury. League and team sources deemed his absence as precautionary, and he is expected to be on the ice for the first day of full training camp next Thursday.

Luchanko was also unable to partake in Flyers development camp in July, and also missed the 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase later that month. A source close to Luchanko confirmed that they don’t believe the injury is “anything serious,” and that he never required any surgery.

Luchanko was the darling of Flyers training camp last season, when his speed and hockey sense endeared him to then-coach John Tortorella. Luchanko made the club out of camp and played in four scoreless NHL games before he was reassigned in October to his junior team, the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League. After Guelph’s season concluded, Luchanko joined the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, where he posted nine assists in 16 AHL regular-season and playoff games.

Luchanko was named as the captain of the Storm last January, but, notably, that club recently announced that Charlie Paquette would be taking over those duties for the upcoming season. That led to speculation online that the Storm expected, or even had inside knowledge, that Luchanko would make the Flyers’ 2025-26 roster, but that is not the case, since a decision has not been made. A Flyers team source confirmed that the club wasn’t involved in that decision, while Luchanko’s camp didn’t take it to mean anything, either. Instead, it’s thought that the Storm, who struggled out of the gate last season, want to ensure they have a leadership group in place for the beginning of the season in the event Luchanko remains with the Flyers.

And, of course, that will be up to Luchanko. It will be interesting to see where new coach Rick Tocchet lines him up in camp, particularly after the additions of Trevor Zegras and Christian Dvorak in the offseason, and other young players such as Alex Bump knocking on the door. Still, while Luchanko will have his work cut out for him to make the Flyers out of camp again, a team source said that Luchanko doesn’t necessarily have to make the opening-night roster as a center, and could conceivably start as a winger.

But that will be up to Tocchet, who now won’t get a chance to see Luchanko play for another week.

Aleksei Kolosov is already back in town. The 23-year-old goalie, who struggled mightily in his first NHL season while essentially refusing to play for the AHL Phantoms, will be on the ice for the start of training camp next week.

The question of whether he would accept a reassignment to the Phantoms this season remains hazy, though. The Flyers are expected to carry just two NHL goalies to start the season: Sam Ersson and offseason addition Dan Vladar. Ivan Fedotov still has one year remaining on his contract, while prospect Carson Bjarnason, a second-round draft pick (51st overall) in 2023, is also set to turn pro.

Asked via text whether Kolosov would accept an assignment to the Phantoms this season, his agent, Dan Milstein, said: “(Kolosov) is in Philly and is looking forward to continue his development with the organization.”

Kolosov has one season remaining on his contract, after which he would be a restricted free agent.

Keith Jones revealed on Wednesday that Tyson Foerster is “on pace” to start the season when the Flyers visit the Florida Panthers on Oct. 9, after an infection in his left elbow area required surgery. It was a welcome bit of news, as Foerster, who signed a two-year, $7.5 million contract in the offseason, is expected to be a key player in the Flyers’ top six.

But while everything is “looking good” for Foerster, per another team source, he isn’t out of the woods just yet. The real test for the forward will be when he gets into battle drills in camp, to see whether everything holds up with the surgically repaired elbow. He was spotted Thursday in the Flyers’ informal veterans skate wearing a different-colored sweater, suggesting no contact.

Final note: Don’t expect the Flyers to invite anyone to training camp on a professional tryout, per a team source.

(Photo of Jett Luchanko: Eric Hartline / Getty Images)