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The Philadelphia Flyers are tied for the bottom spot in the NHL's Eastern Conference standings and it's fairly clear that head coach John Tortorella's team is going to miss the playoffs once again. The Flyers have already traded established players Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost to the Calgary Flames and general manager Daniel Briere may not be done making deals. Veteran center Scott Laughton may be the next Flyer on the move.
Laughton has long been a player who has been a key contributor for the Flyers, and the 30-year-old is currently one of the leading names among players mentioned in trade rumors. The Winnipeg Jets and the Toronto Maple Leafs are both interested in Laughton and trade talks are heating up, per Anthony DiMoro of Daily Faceoff.
Laughton is not among the Flyers' scoring leaders, but he is a responsible, 200-foot player who can contribute on the defensive end of the ice and chip in with occasional offensive production. He has scored 10 goals and 15 assists to this point in the season.
Laughton has been with the Flyers throughout his 12-year career. His most productive offensive season came in 2022-23 when he scored 18 goals and 25 assists for 43 points. Laughton has never topped the 20-goal mark in any of his years in Philadelphia.
He has done an adequate job in the faceoff circle. Laughton had a streak of four consecutive seasons from 2016-17 through 2019-20 in which he won more than half of his faceoffs. He has won 47.9 percent of his faceoffs this season.
Flyers may want a first-round draft pick in return for Laughton
While Laughton is not a player who has a track record of putting the puck in the net with great frequency — that's not likely to change — he does have value with his defensive and all-around skills. In addition to the Jets and Maple Leafs, a number of other teams are interested in Laughton and likely to pick up the phone and call Briere about his services.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman has mentioned the Flyers center since January as a player who could be traded. Briere would like to receive a first-round pick for Laughton. If multiple teams decide they want to pursue the veteran, the Philadelphia general manager may be successful in getting an elite draft pick for his services. However if the rumors are not correct, Briere may have to settle for a lower-round pick.
Right wing Travis Konecny is Philadelphia's leading scorer this season. He has scored 21 goals and has added 38 assists for 59 points. Rookie forward Matvei Michkov is second in scoring with 16 goals and 20 assists for 36 points. Owen Tippett has 14 goals and 16 assists, and he is the only other Flyer who has reached the 30-point mark this season.