Will anyone meet Philadelphia Flyers’ price for Scott Laughton at the Trade Deadline?

Credit: Scott Laughton (© Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports)

With just over two weeks to go until the NHL’s March 8 trade deadline, we’ve got you covered at Daily Faceoff with at least one trade-focused story every day until Deadline Day.

Today we continue our player profile series with Philadelphia Flyers center Scott Laughton, who is the No. 5 ranked player on our Trade Targets board.

2024 Trade Deadline Countdown: 17 Days

SCOTT LAUGHTON
Center, Philadelphia Flyers
Shoots: Left
Age: 29
Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 190 lbs
Cap Hit: $3 million
Term: 2 years remaining
2023-24 Stats: 56 GP, 7 G, 18 A, 25 Pts, 15:15 TOI
Career Stats: 11th season (all Philadelphia), 575 GP, 89 G, 135 A, 224 Pts
Best Year: 2022-23, 78 GP, 18 G, 25 A, 43 Pts, minus-9, 18:17 TOI
Playoffs: 3 appearances, 1 round won, 24 GP, 6 G, 4 A, 10 Pts

Archetype and Ideal Role

Clutch Player, 3rd Line Center

For our Archetype series, we classified players into nine different categories and “Clutch” was a catch-all basket. Clutch players are a team’s central-processing unit. They are typically relentless, a pain in the ass to play against because they create pressure at both ends of the ice. Laughton fits that description, even if he is not in the elite of the group. He is an ideal third line center for a Cup contending team.

Scouting Report

The real story of Laughton’s game can be traced back to 2016-17. Laughton was the No. 20 pick in 2012 and after 107 NHL games – including the full 2015-16 season in the NHL – he was sent back to the AHL for an entire season. It was there, in Lehigh Valley under coach Scott Gordon, that the former 40-goal, 87-point scorer in junior hockey shed the expectations of being a first-round pick and re-positioned himself for long-term success in the NHL as an all-around player and penalty killer.

Nearly every facet of Laughton’s game that makes him an effective NHL mainstay is derived from his brain. He isn’t exceptionally physically gifted. He isn’t fast, he has average size, and his shot is accurate but not a bomb. So much of what he accomplishes comes from awareness and hockey intelligence, plus his drive and compete.

That hockey intelligence and awareness is perhaps best noticed on the penalty kill. He leads all Flyers forwards in shorthanded time on ice and their unit is the second-best in the league. He has scored shorthanded goals each of the last four seasons, a strong contributor to the Flyers’ penalty kill, which is one of their most dangerous components. They are a staggering net 94 percent on the ‘kill this year, with 13 shorthanded goals for compared to just 24 power play goals allowed.

Without the puck, Laughton anticipates well in the defensive zone, which allows him to get in shot lanes. He has 35 blocks, which puts him in the Top 75 among all forwards this season. He reloads and tracks well against the rush, takes proper angles and supports his defensemen. In the offensive zone, he is willing to get to the inside and drive the net, and he is poised in his approach when entering as the third or fourth man on the rush.

With the puck, Laughton has under-appreciated puck handling skills. He is able to chip in scoring, which adds depth and diversity to a lineup. Utilized on a second power play unit, he can act as a net-front presence or play on the flanks.

In the locker room, newly minted Flyers captain Sean Couturier called Laughton a “glue guy,” which is high praise. He is one of the longest-tenured Flyers and he is well-respected for his work ethic, dedication and team-first approach. There is no ego with Laughton, who puts team above all.

Buyer Beware

The biggest question facing Laughton is: for someone John Tortorella speaks so highly of, why has Laughton’s ice time dropped so significantly? He is down more than three minutes per night, from 18:17 last year to 15:15 this season. Couturier has returned, and that is certainly the one big difference from last year, but Laughton has seen mostly fourth-line duty and a big heaping of special teams time.

Also, this season, Laughton’s shooting percentage (5.8 percent) has been cut in half compared to last year (10.6). On a per shot attempt basis, Laughton hits the net in the top tier among all forwards, and that has resulted in a consistent run of double digit goal seasons. But that doesn’t explain why his shooting percentage has dropped – because he’s hitting the net at a steadier pace than last year.

Laughton is a solid skater but has average speed. According to NHL EDGE puck and player tracking, Laughton’s top speed this season (22.12 mph) is below the 50th percentile. Laughton is on track to take the most penalties of his career (70 PIM) which is a 40 percent increase over his career average. He is also average on faceoffs. His overall win percentage is 49.5 percent, which has him 35th among left-shooting centers with at least 500 draws taken this year.

Add up all of these things – ice time down, shooting percentage down, penalties taken up – are the Flyers potentially trying to get ahead of the age curve? His value may never be higher than it is this season.

Potential Suitors

Buffalo Sabres: Since Laughton has term on his deal, it’s fair to include non-playoff teams as well, and the Sabres have already been linked to him.
Colorado Avalanche: The Avs have invested significant resources in players with high Hockey IQ, and they’re definitely in need of strengthening down the middle.
Edmonton Oilers: Laughton would be a decent add at center ice, but the Oilers appear to be after an impact top-six forward.
New York Rangers: With Filip Chytil out for the season, Laughton makes a ton of sense for the Rangers.
Ottawa Senators: If the Sabres are in the mix, the Sens would be interesting. Thinking back to GM Steve Staios’ question for “200-foot players,” Laughton fits that bill and he’d have a huge supporter in Claude Giroux.
Toronto Maple Leafs: There’s no question the Leafs need to bolster their bottom six, but the question is – for a team with limited assets, does it make sense to use a first-round pick on a player who may only slightly increase their Stanley Cup chances this season?

Comparable Trade Returns

Feb. 24, 2020
To Tampa Bay: Barclay Goodrow, 2020 3rd Rd Pick
To San Jose: 2020 1st Rd Pick (No. 31 overall), Anthony Greco

The Flyers are dealing from a position of strength. They don’t have to move Laughton and they’ve set a high asking price, reportedly a first-round pick. They saw the return for Sean Monahan, a rental with injury history, and realized that they may be able to cash in for a bit more for a player with two years remaining on his deal at a reasonable $3 million.

Goodrow is the only recent comp that is apples-to-apples, involving a bottom-six center with term on his deal. Goodrow, 27 at the time of his deal, was under contract in Tampa for on additional season at $925,000. He only helped the Lightning win two Stanley Cups.

And therein lies the rub for teams: If you’re a contending team and you have other holes to fill (like the Maple Leafs, Oilers or even Avalanche), and there are limited assets to go around, are you going to give up a first-round pick for a player who may or may not help put you over the top? Laughton is undoubtedly a nice piece to have, but even with the term remaining, some teams have already answered ‘no’ to that question.

The sense is the Flyers aren’t going to make a deal just to make one, especially while they’re in a playoff position. They could always revisit in the summer, Laughton’s value likely wouldn’t be any less, and more teams (current non-playoff teams) would be in the mix. It wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see Philadelphia hang onto him now.

Summary

Laughton is a reliable, two-way center who knows and stays within his game. He is well-respected both in the room and around the league for his compete and hockey intelligence. The Flyers have set a high asking price. Will someone step up to pay it?

Daily Faceoff analyst Jon Goyens contributed to this report. Find him on Twitter: @gourmet_hockey

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