Prospect Profile: Scott Laughton
By: Tony Androckitis - Twitter/Facebook
Entering his fourth season of pro hockey, Scott Laughton's journey the past three years has been an interesting one to say the least. It appears, save for being the final cut from Philadelphia Flyers camp, that he'll be able to re-ignite his NHL career this fall with the black and orange.
After getting off to a fast start offensively in his rookie season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms during the 2014-15 season, Laughton was able to earn a call up to the Philadelphia Flyers and appear in 31 NHL games - essentially splitting the year between the NHL and AHL.
The following year, it had appeared Laughton made the jump to the NHL full-time after a 71-game season with the Flyers in 2015-16. It wasn't the case.
Laughton's deficiencies and inconsistent play away from the puck at the NHL level was concerning to the Flyers and general manager Ron Hextall, something he surely had in his mind when Laughton was among the cuts during last year's training camp.
Lessons Learned for Laughton in Lehigh Valley
It became evident early on this past season that Laughton was in the AHL again with the Phantoms for one main reason - to sure up his play away from the puck. After all, as a bottom-six centerman being defensively responsible and active in playing a full 200-foot game is paramount.
"I think I was kind of on the edge my first year, trying to get offense and trying to get it too much I guess," Laughton recalled of his first NHL stint in a recent interview with Inside AHL Hockey.
So it was back to work in the minors for Laughton, and Phantoms' head coach Scott Gordon placed him in a very specific role. He killed penalties when the team was shorthanded, and routinely matched him up against the opposition's top scorers during even strength play.
In fact, Laughton saw almost zero time on the power play this past season. Of his 19 goals, none came on the man advantage. Laughton tallied 15 even strength goals in 60 games last year while also adding four shorthanded tallies in his largely defensive role.
"I thought the role [in Lehigh Valley last season] really helped me kind of fit in," Laughton said, explaining, "trying to stay below the puck and things like that I worked on last year. I thought it really helped my game."
Laughton's defensive prowess is something that separates him from his peers and fellow prospect in the Flyers organization, but don't question his offensive instincts either.
"I don't think I'm a slug or anything like that. I think I can still make plays," Laughton added.
Looking to nail down a spot centering the Flyers' fourth line, Laughton was able to connect on an odd man rush with Michael Raffl Wednesday night - setting up Raffl with a quality scoring chance that Laughton was able to take advantage of on a rebound play at the side of the crease.
He's obviously hoping to pick up where he left off with Lehigh Valley this fall in Philadelphia - playing smart two-way hockey and cashing in on his offensive opportunities. Now that he's had extra time to develop in the AHL, Laughton is ready to take his game to the next level and get back to playing at the highest level in a full-time capacity.
"To be honest, you just focus on what you can do to help the team and make them better. I think if you do that, then you'll be fine. You just have to be simple and focus on getting better every day. I think that's the biggest thing."
