The Philadelphia Flyers are one of the teams in the focus ahead of next week’s trade deadline. Sean Walker is the top right-handed defenseman on the market, Nick Seeler is a pending free agent as well and could be moved alongside his partner. Marc Staal should fetch a late-round pick. But then there’s Scott Laughton.
The idea of trading Laughton has been in Flyers fans’ minds for the past few years. It came down to the wire before he signed a five-year, $15-million contract extension at the 2021 trade deadline. He was in rumors last offseason and is once again on the tip of the tongue this time around.
While moving Laughton would be tough emotionally, it could very well be a trade that we look back on as a pivotal point in the rebuild. Laughton will be 30 years old in March with his contract expiring after the 2025-26 season, right before top prospect Matvei Michkov can come over.
This will be the first trade deadline for Flyers general manager Danny Briere and president of hockey operations Keith Jones. They’re in an interesting position as the deadline approaches with the playoffs well within reach. There will be some tough decisions coming up, including on Laughton if some suitors call.
After we outlined why waiting to trade Laughton (and Rasmus Ristolainen) until the offseason makes sense, let’s take a look at why this NHL trade deadline is the best time to move the Flyers’ veteran forward.
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