Scott Laughton faces what could be his final game in a Flyers uniform: ‘It’s hard not to think about’
No one from the front office has told Laughton he’s on the trade block, but they did have “little conversations” a few weeks back. Laughton said he’s “pretty comfortable” with where things stand.
Scott Laughton is trying not to keep too close an eye on trade rumors as the deadline approaches. Laughton’s even trying to have some fun with it and recently posted a “Last Supper” recreation on what could have been his last road trip with the Flyers.
But for Laughton, whose name has been in trade rumors since the Flyers began their rebuild, those rumblings feel “a little more real” this year. Thursday’s game against Winnipeg could be his last in a Flyers uniform after 12 years with the organization.
“I see it,” Laughton said. “I wouldn’t say I’m checking it all the time. With a newborn, I don’t think you’re on your phone all that much, but I see it pop up on my feed. I’m pretty aware of it. I think it’s nice to be aware of it, and to know what’s out there, even if they are just rumors, just to know where you’re at. It’s your life, at the end of the day.”
» READ MORE: Q&A: Flyers GM Danny Brière talks trade deadline, Scott Laughton’s future, and the team’s upcoming RFAs
No one from the front office has explicitly told Laughton that he’s on the trade block, but they did have “little conversations” a few weeks back, and the veteran forward said he’s “pretty comfortable” with where things stand ahead of today. Laughton is still under contract for next season, so he doesn’t fit the typical mold of an expiring deal being shipped at the deadline.
But with a relatively weak market of available centers, the 30-year-old Laughton could be one of the most valuable players in what’s shaping up to be a seller’s market. He has 11 goals and 16 assists this season.
The Flyers have already made one big trade this year, moving Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost to the Flames for Jakob Pelletier and Andrei Kuzmenko on Jan. 31. But Laughton and Rasmus Ristolainen, who was not on the ice for morning skate on Thursday, have been the subject of intense speculation ahead of today’s deadline.
Coach John Tortorella confirmed that he has no plans to sit Laughton, Ristolainen, or any other player on the Flyers on Thursday because of the trade deadline, a practice that has grown more common in recent years to avoid injuries for players on the block.
“I don’t think about it,” Tortorella said of the deadline. “I coach each and every day, and whatever comes my way, or on my desk, you deal with. So, no, I haven’t thought about it at all.”
Laughton doesn’t have the same luxury. But having a game to prepare for, instead of sitting around waiting for a phone call, is keeping him focused. Going through his normal pregame routine helps calm the “nervous anxiety” of the deadline. But it’s still “hard not to think about” the possibility that Thursday’s game could be his last in a Flyers uniform.
“At the same time, I keep going back to: nothing’s happened, and I don’t know if anything will happen at this point,” Laughton said. “But you think about it, and you think about what’s to come and what the future may hold.
“I’ll try and keep it on the back burner for today. It’s been hard the last week or so, not getting in my own head and overthinking things. I know I make light of it, but it’s your life and your future. With a young family here, it’s something you think about.”