As we creep closer towards the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline, Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Laughton’s name continues to be tied to the center of trade talks.
As I reported earlier this week on X, the New Jersey Devils and Ottawa Senators have joined a total of seven teams now linked to the centerman. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets are also in on Laughton, along with a Western Conference club that, to this point, is unknown.
The Flyers have postured as sellers in the last number of weeks after slowly falling out of the playoff picture as the calendar flipped to 2025. Things really heated up on the Laughton trade front leading up to the 4 Nations Face-Off. Activity has cooled the last number of days, but the sense is that interested teams will circle back on Laughton as we get closer to the Trade Deadline.
As has been the case for almost 24 months, Flyers GM Daniel Briere is, by all accounts, drawing a line in the sand on his firm asking price for Laughton. The Flyers wanted a first-round selection (or equivalent return in terms of value) for Laughton and are comfortable hanging on to him if they don’t get their price met. Laughton has another year remaining on his contract at $3 million, making the Flyers more than willing to punt this decision until the summer or next season if they don’t get what they feel is sufficient value in return.
Leading into the 4 Nation Face-Off, Laughton was somewhat of a unicorn in terms of available centermen that could fit in on a club’s third line. Yes, New York Islanders center Brock Nelson continues to rank atop Frank Seravalli’s Daily Faceoff Trade Targets board, but any acquiring team would be bringing him in to (presumably) play in the top six. Buffalo Sabres pivot Dylan Cozens’ name is out there, but given GM Kevyn Adams’ specific asking price and the massive contract that comes with the player, Cozens is in a class of his own. Seattle Kraken center Yanni Gourde fits the bill of a typical No. 3 center, but his allure on the trade front was impacted due to injury.
All things considered, Laughton was largely on an island – up until earlier this week.
As Seravalli broke down in his player portfolio on Tuesday, Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic’s name is out there now, too. As I wrote about earlier in the week, while the Bruins are not preparing for a firesale, they are listening to certain players and Frederic is one that is getting attention.
Doing some more digging on this over the last day or so, I was told that at least some of the teams that have shown interest in Laughton have started sniffing around on Frederic. In addition, teams outside the aforementioned ones who haven’t checked in on Laughton have interest in Frederic – including the Minnesota Wild.
The extent of Frederic’s injury, sustained earlier this week, will certainly play a factor in things. His availability has presented a comparable to Laughton in terms of a third-line center option for playoff teams looking to bolster their bottom sixes.
It isn’t apples to apples, mind you, as Frederic is a pure rental (hence the interest from the Wild, who aren’t looking to take on salary if they’re acquiring a bottom-sixer) while Laughton is under contract for another year. Frederic comes at a slightly lower AAV of $2.3 million compared to that of Laughton at $3 million. Furthermore, Fredric’s style of a hard forechecker and his aggressive nature could be argued as best optimized on the wing. I also believe Laughton is more effective in a top-nine role as a winger, but he does better fit the definition of a stereotypical No. 3 center, being able to produce more offense in a similar role; 27 points in 56 games compared to Frederic’s 15 in 57 contests this season.
It’s unclear at this point what the asking price is from the Bruins for Frederic, but given that he is a rental, injured and more offensively limited, it could be safe to assume that GM Don Sweeney will drive a far weaker bargain than that of Briere.
The Flyers are not in a position to cave on their hard-line price for Laughton, and unlike the Bruins, are not under the gun to make an imminent decision due to the player’s contract. But if I have to make a bet, I still get the sense a Laughton trade is going to get over the finish line.
Laughton, 30, was drafted by the Flyers in the first round in 2012.
Things cooling on Ristolainen
In addition to Laughton, defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen’s name has been out there all season as a trade target. The 30 year old rearguard has drastically elevated his play the last season and a half, leading to head coach John Tortorella referring to him as the “most improved player since I’ve been here.”
Even though Ristolainen has been playing the best hockey of his career the last 16 months, it has led to some teams still being gun shy to pay the Flyers’ desired asking price to acquire him. Much like with Laughton, the Flyers are standing firm on their asking price.
As the Athletic’s Kevin Kurz first reported, Ristolainen’s market has significantly cooled off recently. Is that because of the Flyers’ steep ask of a first round pick? Perhaps the two years remaining on his contract at a $5.1 million AAV? All likely contributors, but teams that have previously shown interest have, at least for the time being, backed off.
Speaking with one person Thursday evening, I get the sense that some of the teams that had previously shown interest in Ristolainen could be pivoting to Nashville Predators defenseman Luke Schenn. Though now 35 years old and an inferior player at this stage to Ristolainen, Schenn only has one more year on his contract; his AAV is also almost half that of the former. This may be overvalued, but Schenn’s pedigree of being a Stanley Cup winner – also keep in mind that Ristolainen has never played a playoff game – may be playing a big factor.
Three teams have shown interest in Ristolainen over the last number of weeks. While I’m not certain 100 percent of those teams, I do wonder about the Detroit Red Wings. I’ve said for a few weeks now that I think GM Steve Yzerman should be in the market for a serious addition (specifically on the back end) and Ristolainen would be just that. Sure, a Seth Jones splash would be much more effective, but the major term and dollars left on that contract make it a tough sell – especially in-season.
Another team that comes to mind is the Tampa Bay Lightning, who could use a right shot defenseman capable of playing alongside Victor Hedman. They acquired David Savard ahead of their 2021 Stanley Cup win; adding someone like Ristolainen (or Schenn, whom they know well and was a part of their championship teams) would make sense.
Things have cooled off on Ristolainen to this point, and while things can change between now and the deadline next week, there could be a stalemate between the Flyers and interested teams if cheaper (albeit inferior options) can be had.
Noah Cates staying put
In the case of 26-year -old center Noah Cates, the Flyers have no plans on trading him. Not to say that Cates is untouchable – as nobody is aside from Matvei Michkov – but it would take a massive overpay for the Flyers to move him, by the sounds of it.
Based on conversations I’ve had this week, it sounds like the Cates camp is in favor of a one-year deal to protect the player’s upside. A year away from UFA status and being arbitration eligible (an option both sides seem comfortable using if need be), Cates is seemingly prepared to bet on himself next season.
From a Flyers’ perspective, I’ve heard they see the player in the $3-3.5 million AAV range. The contract of Vegas Golden Knights forward Nicolas Roy (five years, $15 million) is one the Flyers would feel comfortable with – but the player’s camp doesn’t feel the same.
I think Cates would be comfortable going in the four- to five-year range with Cates, but it would take the Flyers locking in his upside and likely going in the $4-5 million AAV ballpark. Considering all this, it does seem like a one year deal is the likely outcome at this time.
Cates was drafted by the Flyers in the fifth round back in 2017.
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