VOORHEES, N.J. — Life is different now for Scott Laughton. Seven weeks ago, Laughton and his wife Chloe welcomed their first child, a son named Reed Leo, into the world, making some of the Philadelphia Flyers’ early-season trips a bit tougher from an emotional perspective.
“Every day leaving the house you miss him, especially going on the road,” Laughton said. “Kudos to my wife, she’s been through it all with him and is taking such good care of both of us.”
Reed can take at least partial credit for his father’s four-goal game last week against the Detroit Red Wings. When he came to a game for the first time in his life shortly before that night, waving to his dad on the glass during warmups, Laughton promised hm a goal. It didn’t happen.
“So, had to make up for it,” Laughton said.
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The four pucks from that memorable evening, one of which was Laughton’s 100th career goal, are still sitting somewhere in a team staffer’s office, presumably waiting to be mounted on some sort of wall display. Perhaps Reed’s bedroom will be a good place to hang them, considering the infant’s indirect role.
In the meantime, as Laughton adjusts to his now family of three at home, he’s still the same guy he’s always been in the Flyers’ dressing room. That is, someone who helps set the tone for what the organization hopes is a family atmosphere amongst the 23 players on the roster.
“He’s that guy that people just gravitate towards,” Garnet Hathaway said. “Not only does he bring people together, he knows how we need to prepare for a game, has that energy about him, but also is charismatic, friendly, caring. Just a genuinely good friend that’s a teammate, as well.”
Flyers president Keith Jones and general manager Daniel Brière have made it known with both their words and actions that restoring the culture and foundation they once enjoyed as players under former owner Ed Snider is a priority. Often, particularly after wins, the two of them are seen moving from stall to stall around the room shaking hands with the players or, particularly in Jones’ case, sharing a quick laugh about God knows what. They can both recall Snider doing the same thing.
Further, at least when it comes to Laughton, the higher-ups have been straightforward behind closed doors about his status in the organization. Before last season’s trade deadline, when Laughton was on a number of trade boards, Brière, still in his first full season as GM, told the player that while he couldn’t guarantee he would remain with the club, the price to acquire him was steep — and therefore unlikely to be met. The new leadership has seemed to give Laughton an even greater appreciation for an organization he’s never wanted to depart.
“The biggest thing is knowing where you stand. I think a lot of times throughout throughout the league, you don’t really know where you’re at,” Laughton said. “And I think here, you know exactly where you’re at, what’s going on. You have the team president coming down and talking to you after every game. … When something’s going on, (Brière has) always been the first to either call me, or call me into his office. So I appreciate that, a lot.”
A similar situation could be on the horizon again. Laughton, with seven goals and seven assists in 31 games, is still signed at a reasonable $3 million salary cap hit through next season, and his versatility, penalty-killing prowess and reputation as a teammate could lead to Brière fielding some phone calls.
But this season is different than last, when it felt like a true toss-up as to whether the Flyers would keep Laughton. This season, it should be a relatively easy decision to keep him around.
This Flyers team again looks likely to stay in the playoff hunt, considering their recent uptick in play and the mediocrity around them, and both Brière and coach John Tortorella have said they would prefer some of their young, developing players to taste postseason NHL hockey. The Flyers have already stockpiled six picks in the first two rounds for the 2025 draft, including three in the first round, and could potentially acquire more if they deal other potential targets such as Rasmus Ristolainen in particular.
Unless Laughton is part of a deal that would land the Flyers the true top-line center they’re looking for, it’s obvious he’s much more valuable to a still-building Flyers club than he would be anywhere else. That was conspicuously reconfirmed on Thursday with how Laughton’s teammates reacted to his four-goal night.
Removing him from the group would be too big of a risk to what is still the fourth-youngest dressing room in the league.
“As a leader, he really knows when to be light, when to be funny, and when to say, ‘Hey, we’ve got to be ready for this,’” Hathaway said. “He can flip a switch, and it’s really impressive. I think it’s great for the younger guys. We go into games, either nervous, or we’re down a little bit, and we’re in those highs and lows of the season — he keeps everyone around him pretty even-keeled.”
It makes sense from an on-ice perspective, too.
Lately, Laughton has been part of a fourth line with Hathaway and Ryan Poehling. It’s the kind of fourth line just about every NHL team is searching for: they can kill penalties, they have decent speed, they aren’t afraid to lay the body and all seem to have a team-first attitude. Poehling, like Laughton, is signed through next season, while Hathaway’s two-year extension signed over the summer takes him through 2026-27.
Consistent offense has been an issue, as Hathaway has three goals on the year and Poehling just one, but the underlying metrics say the trio is generating 61.3 percent of expected goals while the Flyers have outscored the opposition 8-6 at five-on-five with them on the ice. While the Flyers continue to search for more high-end talent on their scoring lines, it’s easy to envision them keeping that fourth line together perhaps even through next season, considering all of those other intangibles.
Regarding Laughton’s season, Tortorella said: “I prefer him on wing. I think he’s a player that does a lot of those little things on the boards. One of our top penalty-killers. I use him on faceoffs at certain times in the game. I think the spot he’s with us right now is a good spot, and I think he’s contributed.”
It all adds up to Laughton still firmly in his place as an on- and off-ice leader as the club attempts to keep building.
“I’ve talked to some leaders in the past that have been here that are and have been really good leaders. And one thing that’s really stuck out is making sure everyone feels important in the room, no matter the role,” Laughton said. “And I think I try to do that every day.”
(Photo of Scott Laughton: Emilee Chinn / Getty Images)
