The Philadelphia Flyers have a few players that have shown up in the rumor mill lately. Sean Walker and Nick Seeler have been names that have popped up all season. Morgan Frost has shown up as a potential option on TSN's Trade Bait list. Now, another Flyer has had his name thrown into the mix.
After the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks struck a deal on Wednesday night for Elias Lindholm, the market for centers shrunk. With few names out there, Darren Dreger reported that the Flyers are taking calls on Scott Laughton. It would not be the first time his name has been tossed around as a potential trade option.
The Center market is relatively thin. Hence, the @NHLFlyers are taking calls on Scott Laughton. They’re not eager to trade him but Danny Briere is gauging the interest.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) February 1, 2024
What might play against Laughton and the Flyers in any potential deal is that he is not a free agent this summer. A team that takes him on will have his 3M cap hit on the books through the 2025-26 season. Most teams are not willing to take on term as the trade deadline. Deals involving that typically wait until after the season. But with the market the way it is, the Flyers could simply be seeing if a team with some cap space is open to taking Laughton.
What may also work against the Flyers is that this has been a relatively down season for Laughton. He has five goals and 20 points in 50 games a season after posting a career-high 18 goals and 43 points in 78 games. He could theoretically match his goal total, but his current pace wouldn't suggest he will. After scoring two goals in two games, Laughton has gone five games without a point. That came after a 10-game goalless drought where he had just three points.
He is also not driving play as well as in previous years. His 44.20 CF% is second worst on the team, behind Nic Deslauriers. It is on pace to be the worst Laughton has put up since the 2018-19 season. The Flyers have been outscored 32-17, the most against a forward other than Cam Atkinson, who has been on the ice for 35 goals against. Laughton's 44.13 xGF% is the second worst, again only behind Deslauriers.
Laughton was a late bloomer to the NHL. For a first-round pick, though, you would like to see more out of him. 12 years removed from being drafted, he has a career total of 87 goals and 219 points in 569 games. Laughton has provided value in other places during his time in Philadelphia.
As one of the longest-tenured players on the Flyers, Laughton is one of the most respected members of the organization. He is the only player with a letter on his jersey, as his voice carries weight in the locker room. Plenty of teams value that type of leadership in a player. That is why it will probably take a lot for the Flyers to part with Laughton. They reportedly turned down a first-round pick for him last offseason.
It's tough to say if the Flyers would part with Laughton. But as Danny Briere has said before, the team will listen to almost any player on the roster.