Scott Laughton broke into the NHL as a teenager back in 2012-13 and has been a regular member of the Philadelphia Flyers’ lineup basically ever since. For the first time in his 601-game career, things seem to be getting dicey regarding his future with the Orange and Black. The 30-year-old forward is coming off of what was objectively his worst season, and he didn’t improve much at all during the 2024-25 preseason.
Today, Laughton’s job is more or less safe. Aside from a four-game injury, he has never missed a matchup under head coach John Tortorella, who is notorious for healthy-scratching key players. But Laughton might not be safe for long. Improved in the talent department, there is even less margin for error than there was in 2023-24. This season is entering make-or-break territory for the long-tenured veteran.
Laughton’s Disappointing 2023-24 Season
On the surface, Laughton’s previous campaign probably looks fine. He had 39 points in 82 games, making him one of the better point-scorers on the Flyers. Sure, he had a minus-9 rating, but that’s not too bad for a team that missed the playoffs.
However, it’s advanced metrics that tell the real story of Laughton. In terms of expected goal share compared to his teammates, he was one of the worst players in the NHL. When he was on the ice, the Flyers were vastly worse than their opponents. At even strength, he was outscored 63-45 with a team-worst 43.0 expected goals percentage (xGF%) among forwards. On a team that prided itself on consistently outplaying the opposition, Laughton didn’t get the memo.
Putting these metrics into deeper context, Laughton’s wins above replacement (WAR) was among the worst players in the NHL last season according to JFresh Hockey’s model. It’s a theme across all models I’ve seen: the 30-year-old was one of the best in the world at making his team less effective.
A lot of trade speculation surrounding Flyers forward Scott Laughton.
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) February 16, 2024
It would… well it would certainly be buying low. #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/oC7VMu26xy
Based on his impact, one could argue that Laughton was a major reason why the Flyers missed the playoffs by such a slight margin. While they didn’t have any adequate replacements, an average NHLer would have solved a lot of problems. Unfortunately, opposing lines feasted against him fairly often.
Resting a few games might have been largely beneficial to Laughton, but again, there weren’t many options. He was sixth in even-strength ice time among forwards, magnifying his poor play. A team on the brink of being postseason-bound can only deal with a key player expected to sacrifice 57 percent of goals for so long. The Flyers were driven by their even-strength analytics, but Laughton undid some of that excellence and limited the team’s upside as a result.
Luchanko Is a Threat to Laughton
For a while, it felt like Laughton would just be handed the third-line center role this season despite his on-ice struggles. But with the all-but-confirmed surprise that center Jett Luchanko, the Flyers’ first-round pick in 2024, is making the team, that is no longer the case. Now, there’s competition.
Related: Flyers News & Rumors: Luchanko, Zavragin, Preseason Standouts
Luchanko is likely to be the Flyers’ third-line center to open the season, which demotes Laughton to the fourth line (or the press box). Projected to be on the bottom left-wing spot, he’ll now be competing with Noah Cates and Nicolas Deslauriers for that same spot, in theory. Cates had a pretty good 2023-24 campaign, while Deslauriers is an enforcer who Tortorella might want to use from time to time.
There will be competition throughout the lineup, meaning that Luchanko himself isn’t even safe. But for the first time, it looks as though Laughton is on the chopping block. Unless he improves, that won’t change.
It’s worth noting that Luchanko isn’t a lock to be with Philadelphia for the entire season—that much has to be earned. If he can survive through 10 games, however, that’ll officially burn a year off of his entry-level contract and likely mean that he’s on the team for good. If that does end up happening (far from a guarantee, mind you), then it could be a rocky ride for Laughton.
Why Laughton Is Important to the Flyers
If hockey were purely based on analytics and on-ice performance, Laughton would have either been traded or bought out in the offseason. That’s not how the sport works, though.
Laughton is an established leader in the Flyers’ locker room and he is respected around the hockey world. An advocate for the LGBTQ+ community by putting a lot of time and effort into the cause, there’s no doubt that he’s a kind-hearted individual. Players on the team gravitate toward him for a reason—they like having him around.
On top of his off-ice impact, Laughton might just have had a rotten season. That happens to everyone, but the best of them bounce back right away. He isn’t a lost cause because one of his numerous NHL campaigns didn’t go well. In 2024-25, expect him to return to his normal self and continue his tenure with the Orange and Black.
Laughton Needs a Better 2024-25 Season
While we can expect Laughton to return to form, it’s up to him for that to happen. He is a member of a pretty deep bottom-six that will only get deeper in 2025-26 as more prospects graduate to the NHL. With a $3 million cap hit for the next two seasons, he could quickly fall out of favor in Philadelphia if he can’t perform.
To do that, he doesn’t need to break any of Wayne Gretzky’s records or anything. A comparable on-ice impact to his 2022-23 season, for example, would suffice. That being said, returning to that form would be a massive upgrade over what he showed previously. This kind of bounce-back could be what the Orange and Black need to avoid tying a franchise record in consecutive playoff misses (five).
No player has earned the benefit of the doubt like Laughton has. He has given everything to the Flyers—for that, he deserves respect. Still, his performance in 2024-25 means everything. Can he return to the player of old?
