Scott Laughton is on his way back to junior hockey. The Flyers returned him to the OHL’s Oshawa Generals this morning, one day after he was a healthy scratch in the season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team announced the move this morning.
The move makes plenty of sense: If Peter Laviolette isn’t going to put him in the NHL lineup, he’s not going to get any better sitting in the press box. Might as well have him playing hockey. Laughton’s too young for the AHL or another professional league, so it’s either the NHL or the OHL for him this year.
Replacing Laughton on the roster is Kris Newbury, recalled from the Adirondack Phantoms. Newbury has 73 NHL games under his belt, but he’s yet to play for the Flyers since being acquired from the Rangers organization last year. He’s shown an ability to score at the AHL level with over sixty points in each of his last three seasons there, but that success has never translated to the NHL level.
Newbury has nine points and 132 penalty minutes in his NHL career with the Rangers, Red Wings and Leafs. He’s 31 years old and yes, he fights, but he’s not necessarily a strict goon like Jay Rosehill.
Consider us confused as to why Newbury is getting the call over Tye McGinn or Jason Akeson or Ben Holmstrom or Marcel Noebels or any number of younger players in the organization. Unless the Flyers are planning on keeping Jay Rosehill in the lineup, and therefore just need a body to sit in the press box, we’re not sure why Newbury would get the call over some of the other talent in the AHL.
Newbury’s listed as a center but he can probably play any position on the fourth line if he does get into the lineup.
