Flyers Could Raise Laughton's Asking Price for Division Rival
The Flyers are getting interest in Scott Laughton and could get a good amount for him if a division rival makes a big push.
Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports - Flyers Could Raise Laughton's Asking Price for Division RivalThere has been a lot of attention on Scott Laughton of the Philadelphia Flyers. The center market is weak this season, especially after two of the biggest names have already been taken off the board - Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan. This should not only raise the cost to acquire him this season from many teams, but boost it even further if a divisional rival wants to add him for the remaining two years of his deal.
Arthur Staple and Kevin Kurz of The Athletic say that there are reports indicating that the New York Rangers have interest in Laughton. Considering that Blake Wheeler suffered a season-ending injury and Filip Chytil is already out for the season, there is a big need to add at least one forward.
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The Rangers have money and assets that they have to seriously think about using this season. They are a Stanley Cup contender and are down two big pieces. To not only address their issues this season, but the future, Laughton would make a huge difference.
Both Staple and Kurz note that it may take more than just a first-round pick to acquire Laughton from the Flyers, which could be elevated for a rival like the Rangers. At this point in the season, it isn't that crazy to think that the Rangers and Flyers could face off in the first round. If this ends up being the case and these teams strike a deal before the deadline involving Laughton, the Flyers need to make it worth their while.
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It is tough to say whether Laughton's value will be higher than it is right now with a weak center market and limited players many teams will be fighting over. He is versatile, has term, and a very nice cap hit of just $3-million AAV. The only reason this is a discussion is because the Flyers aren't expected to have made this jump yet and are still working out the kinks in their roster so that they can contend for a while.
Laughton is great to have in the short term, but once he nears free agency, there's no knowing whether he will re-sign or choose another team. Getting a first-round pick in 2024 will help the Flyers build quicker than if they potentially got one in 2026. Depending on the coming couple of weeks, it is going to get very interesting in Philadelphia.