Report: Flyers gauging interest in Laughton
The Philadelphia Flyers are unexpectedly in a playoff spot at the All-Star break, putting an anticipated trade-deadline seller in an unclear position.
One Flyer who may still be on the market is forward Scott Laughton. General manager Daniel Briere isn't eager to trade the 29-year-old but is taking calls to gauge interest from other teams, TSN's Darren Dreger reports.
Laughton has five goals and 20 points in 50 games this season after tallying a career-high 18 goals and 43 points in 2022-23. He's signed for two more years at a $3-million cap hit and has no trade protection.
As the Flyers have trended upward in the standings, Laughton's underlying metrics have gone in the opposite direction. His 44.2% Corsi For rating at five-on-five ranks second-last on the Flyers, according to Natural Stat Trick. He's been outscored 17-32 at even strength as well.
Laughton is one of the Flyers' top penalty killers, ranking second among Philadelphia forwards with 1:51 of shorthanded time per game.
A left-handed center, Laughton has won 49.7% of his 578 faceoffs this season. He's a career 49.8% at the dot.
The Flyers have been busy reshaping their roster since Briere took over in March 2023. Last summer, Philadelphia dealt Ivan Provorov and Kevin Hayes. Recently, disgruntled prospect Cutter Gauthier was traded for a package including Jamie Drysdale.
Briere also took care of a pair of restricted free agents on Jan. 26, signing Owen Tippett to a six-year pact with a $6.2-million average annual value and Ryan Poehling to a two-year deal with a $1.9-million cap hit.
The Flyers sit third in the Metropolitan Division with a 25-19-6 record.