Throughout his seven seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Scott Laughton has consistently improved. Before Alain Vigneault arrived as the head coach in Philadelphia, Laughton achieved career highs in assists and goals. He thrived under Dave Hakstol, but Vigneault brought his skill set to new heights. When 2019-2020 came to a close, Laughton was on pace to smash his personal bests. Vigneault’s system unlocked the rest of Laughton’s potential.
Scott Laughton realizes the Philadelphia Flyers locker room has reached new highs as well. Before the NHL pause due to COVID-19, the Flyers were the leagues hottest team. As they entered their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia achieved top seeding. They had potential that wasn’t realized since 2009-2010.
During the round-robin series of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Scott Laughton went from a healthy scratch to a playoff star. The potential shined through on the second line with Kevin Hayes and Travis Konecny. It spoke to Laughton’s development under Alain Vigneault when he was able to recover from becoming a non-factor in the Montreal Canadiens series. Laughton was a reason the Philadelphia Flyers got to game seven against the New York Islanders. His breakaway goal in the third period of game six kept the Flyers afloat.
Buying into Alain Vigneault’s system played a vital role in Scott Laughton’s success. Vigneault had plans for Laughton in this Philadelphia Flyers offense. It was up to Laughton to harness his talent. Saying Laughton would have top-six forward potential may have been a reach at the beginning of 2019-2020. At the end of the Flyers postseason run, it’s a reality.
Part of what contributed to the spark of the Philadelphia Flyers and Scott Laughton was the motivation from missing players. Oskar Lindblom had a presence all season long during his Ewing’s sarcoma treatments. When he returned to the ice against the New York Islanders in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the energy went through the roof. In preparation for the 2020-2021 season, Laughton wants to keep the locker room relatively the same. Laughton cited he was eyeing the status of Nolan Patrick’s return.
Heading into the offseason, Scott Laughton is in a great place under Alain Vigneault’s regime. With one season under his belt with Vigneault, Laughton broke through his previous glass ceiling. Laughton has become a teetering top-six forward who will lead the third line in 2020-2021. That’s exciting news considering added depth from players like Joel Farabee and James van Riemsdyk. Expect Laughton to keep up with his production and development under Vigneault after a quality postseason bid.
Mandatory Credit – Alex McIntyre
