The Philadelphia Flyers should have a full plate during the 2024 offseason, but before they can get to the additions, they need to consider subtractions first. High on the list of potential candidates to get moved during the summer is veteran forward Scott Laughton, who has been a polarizing figure and is no stranger to the trade rumor mill.
Laughton, who will turn 30 at the end of May, was the Flyers’ 20th overall pick in 2012. Fast forward to 2024 and he’s got 603 NHL games under his belt and was serving as the de facto captain of the Flyers for a year and a half before Sean Couturier was officially given the role in February.
He’s been on the trade block for at least a year now, but he has managed to survive this long, thanks in part to the sheer amount of respect he has garnered for his leadership both on and off the ice with both his teammates and the front office staff. But with the offseason here once again and changes surely(?) to come, do the Flyers actually considering trading Scott Laughton for real this time?
The front office balked hard at two separate occasions over the last calendar year when it came to dealing Laughton. First at the 2023 NHL draft and again at the 2024 trade deadline. The 2023 offseason especially had some crazy rumored returns out there for Laughton, including a first round pick and potentially more, but Briere opted against trading the veteran forward.
Even during Laughton’s lackluster 2023-24 season when his play had fallen off a cliff, he was one of the very few centers potentially available across the league at the deadline, thus his value was temporarily re-inflated and they still refused to move him.
Stories emerged after the deadline had passed that some players stormed Briere’s office and chained themselves to his desk and engaged in a hunger strike until they got a guarantee Laughton wasn’t moved. While that may or may not be falsified a bit for your reading entertainment, the feeling that Briere wasn’t the only one who didn’t want Laughton to leave was made clear.
Laughton still managed to finish the 2023-24 season with 13 goals and 39 points, which was the second best season of his career from an offensive output persecutive, but his effectiveness on a night-to-night basis was nowhere close to what it was for the last few seasons. He had a resurgence in February that carried him until mid-March (just long enough to save himself from the trade deadline), but there were plenty of examples of Laughton being just flat out bad this season, which was a rarity over the last handful of years.
He’s still has two years left on his current contract at a $3 million cap hit. It isn’t necessarily an egregious dollar value, but it’s probably close to double what he’s worth based on his play during the season.
So do the Flyers trade Laughton? Well it’s something that can’t be taken off the table, but it sure feels unlikely for various reasons. Firstly, it doesn’t seem like they want to trade Laughton, as much as it’s a move to add some financial flexibility to the team or gain some assets for a veteran player and open a roster spot in the process, it doesn’t feel like dealing Laughton is a real option to achieving either of those goals.
Danny Briere himself noted it would take a substantial overpay in order to consider moving him, and there’s a very good chance that his diminished play will not warrant a team stepping up to pay the obscene price. If there’s a specific price tag Briere has in mind, the best bet to hit that will come at a trade deadline when teams are willing to get a little crazy when making additions. So at the earliest, that means spring of 2025 may be the next best, or most realistic, chance to move Laughton.
There’s nothing wrong with keeping a highly respected veteran around the team. It’s pretty clear the Flyers and Scott Laughton both have much respect for each other. The fact that the front office turned their noses up at potential deals in the immediate past seems to indicate there’s no real chance he gets dealt this summer.
His contract isn’t great given the money they’ve handed out to other depth forwards, and his play is barely above replacement level these days, but his leadership can be worth keeping around. The biggest problem is they seemingly use that excuse for every single (mediocre) player these days and the culture excuse turns into a complete gimmick rather than an exclusive clique of the team’s guiding figures.
If the Flyers make changes during the 2024 offseason, chances are Scott Laughton isn’t one of the names that will start next season on a different team. Briere and co. need to do their due diligence, however, as they’re running out of opportunities to actually move the veteran forward for a potential net positive return. If they balk again during the summer, the ball is back in Laughton’s corner to have a renaissance in 2024-25 to prove he deserves his spot on the roster. If he continues to slide for another year, the front office’s asset management abilities may come into question.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: Getty Images
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