The Flyers stood pat at the NHL Trade deadline outside of some housekeeping. The team re-signed Scott Laughton to a five-year deal with a $3M AAV. Here is all you need to know.
There was previously some speculation surrounding Scott Laughton and his future with the Flyers. The 26-year-old would have been a free agent this coming offseason and there were reportedly a few teams, including the Maple Leafs, ready to try and tempt the Flyers with an offer if he wasn’t a part of their long-term plans. That clearly turned out not to be the case.
Laughton was drafted in the first round back in 2012 and has spent his entire career with the Flyers, tallying 359 appearances, 51 goals, and 72 assists. In the 2019-20 campaign, he won the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy, awarded to the Most Improved Player. It wasn’t hard to see why after he posted a career-high 13 goals.
He led the team in scoring during the 2020 postseason. He has 7 goals and 10 assists to his name in what has been a wobbly campaign for the Flyers so far, acting as one of the few consistent pieces on offense when it comes to forechecking and creating opportunities.
According to Jordan Hall of NBC Sports, his on-ice goal differential over the past two seasons at even strength is plus-21, second-best on the Flyers to only Sean Couturier (plus-28).”
Scotty’s a real good young man,” Alain Vigneault said last month. “He’s fun to be around, he’s very intense, he’s got a bite to his game. For me, he’s the type of player, as a coach, that you like to have. He can go anywhere from one of the top-six forward positions to a bottom-six forward position, in any role and not say a word and just play. He wants to win, he’s a team guy and he’s been very effective for us so far.”
Keeping Laughton around is big for the Flyers. Not only does it reward one of the team’s offensive motors, but it helps maintain a consistent sense of leadership. There could be a few big changes facing the Flyers this offseason. The expansion draft looms, the team has underperformed and there are some big paydays on the horizon. Laughton’s continued development and sturdy offensive game could act as the perfect building block.
Photo Credit: Alex McIntyre
