With the 4 Nations Face-Off now in the rearview mirror, all focus around the NHL turns towards the trade deadline.
Less than two weeks away, fans will quickly get confirmation of who’s buying and who’s selling. With that being said, it’s safe to assume that the Philadelphia Flyers will be one of the teams who will prioritize building for the future.
Philadelphia currently sits below a .500 points percentage, near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. While they don’t have any big pending free agents, the Flyers still have a couple of trade chips. One of the more intriguing names heading into the deadline is Scott Laughton.
Laughton has spent his entire career in Philadelphia, playing parts of 12 seasons with the team. He’s managed 106 goals and 265 points in 656 NHL games. Based on reports, there are likely already some teams interested in Laughton as well.
A player able to play either at the center or on the wing, Laughton would add a lot as a tough-to-play-against, bottom-six forward on a contender. The forward has another year remaining on his contract at a $3 million cap hit.
So, let’s take a look at four possible landing spots for Laughton if he’s moved before the deadline.
The Devils could seek an upgrade down the middle
Entering the year, it didn’t seem as though a center upgrade would be necessary for New Jersey. Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier make an excellent one-two punch, while Erik Haula seemed likely to perform fine on the third line. However, Haula’s year has been underwhelming offensively, with just 11 points in 47 games.
With Laughton at a low cap hit and with term remaining, it could be a worthwhile move for the Devils. New Jersey has recovered after an awful 2023-24 season and look like a legitimate contender. With their defense and goaltending established, the most likely option would be the Devils attempting to add to their forward group.
The Lightning need forward depth
Obviously, the top of Tampa Bay’s forward group is as strong as it needs to be. Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel, Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel, and Nick Paul give the Lightning an extremely strong core group.
But whether it’s at center or on the wing, the Lightning need improvements in their bottom-six. The team relies on their top stars for almost all of their offense, leaving very little secondary scoring coming from down the lineup.
In adding Laughton, the Lightning would have some options. One option would be to use Laughton to center the third line, allowing Nick Paul to play on the wing, potentially in the top-six. On the other hand, Laughton could be used on the wing, with the option to create a more balanced top-nine. With Laughton still having another year on his contract, he’s also not a pure rental.
Fans saw Tampa Bay make similar trades, as they geared up for their eventual Stanley Cup wins. The team added depth in the likes of Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow, who ended up being key contributors to their bottom-six. Laughton could be a similar fit as the Lightning try to get back to being a legitimate contender.
Laughton would be a perfect fit with the Maple Leafs
Perhaps the most natural fit for Laughton would be with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Toronto will likely be looking to add at the trade deadline, as they attempt to try to finally get over the playoff hump. At the same time, reports would suggest that the asking price could be too high for the Maple Leafs.
While Laughton can’t put up huge offensive numbers, that’s not necessarily what he’d be tasked with doing in Toronto. With two key centers in Auston Matthews and John Tavares, the Maple Leafs would be looking towards adding depth.
As of now, the Maple Leafs don’t have a true fit for a third-line center. Neither Pontus Holmberg nor David Kampf is capable of exceeding in the role, while Max Domi is a better fit playing on the wing.
As a result, the clear fit would be Laughton centering the third line. It would make sense for the Maple Leafs to be looking for an upgrade down the middle, and Laughton could work as an option.
Capitals could benefit from improving bottom-six
Washington’s resurgence has come as a bit of a surprise this season. Even after a strong offseason, they only seemed destined to be on the playoff bubble. But now leading the Eastern Conference in points percentage, the Capitals look poised for a playoff run.
While the team hasn’t had trouble scoring, they could likely still use improved forward depth. The Capitals are set in the top-six down the middle, with Dylan Strome and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The team also added Lars Eller earlier in the season, but there’s an argument that he’s still not an ideal third-line center.
It’s not a move the team absolutely needs to make, but Laughton would leave the Capitals looking much more well-rounded front heading into the playoffs.
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