With the departure of long-time captain Claude Giroux at the trade deadline last year, there was always a question of who would step into that leadership role. While no captain was named for the 2022-23 season (and likely won’t be named for 2023-24, either), Scott Laughton was the only player to wear a letter–an A–and that still counts for something.
Laughton’s game has never been flashy, but he’s always provided a steady presence in the bottom six, be it at center or either wing. While a team full of Scott Laughtons would never win a Stanley Cup, every Cup contender needs a Scott Laughton or two, and the Flyers are lucky to have the original Scott Laughton.
In the 2022-23 season, Laughton set career bests for goals, assists, and points, and saw his average ice time go up by nearly two minutes. He continued his penalty killer role, and scored three shorthanded goals and seven points while down a man; he also got a fair bit of powerplay time and scored five goals and nine points while on the advantage.
As far as fancy stats go, Laughton’s season was somewhat underwhelming. However, a major factor of that might not even be his fault: the Flyers just don’t have the necessary top-line personnel to compete, which forced Laughton to play above his role. Laughton excels as a bottom-six Swiss Army Knife type of player, who can play a second line role in a pinch–but he’s not a player you want in your top six every night. That just isn’t his strength.
Three Questions
Did they live up to expectations?
More or less, yes: Scott Laughton lived up to expectations. He stepped into a leadership vacuum and, from my perspective, wore the A well; that letter also showed a measure of hard-earned trust from John Tortorella. Laughton didn’t dazzle this season, but he provided a grounded, level-headed presence during a tumultuous season.
What can we expect next season?
At the very least, Laughton is a consistent player, so next season we can likely expect more of the same. Hopefully, with the returns of Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson, Laughton will be put into a more ideal role and see his usage fall more in line with his capabilities. That’s not a knock on his skill, either: contenders need steady players like this.
Which, of course, means a contender may come calling for Scott Laughton. While it seems unlikely the Flyers would be willing to part with Laughton, given what he brings to the team, General Manager Danny Briere said in a recent interview with Broad Street Hockey Radio that “nobody is untouchable” due to the position the Flyers are in. Is there a chance Laughton’s wearing a different team’s sweater next season? Maybe, but it would likely take a haul to separate Laughton from the Flyers.
How do we grade their 2022-23 season?
It was a career year for Laughton on a bad Flyers team, and he did the best he could with the roles assigned to him. He didn’t light the league on fire, but that was never the expectation. At worst, he was a depth player utilized above his station; at best, he was the leader this team needed during a down year. Overall, that’s about the best you can ask for.
Grade: B
