Flyers reportedly taking calls about trading Scott Laughton

With the trade deadline just five weeks away, Danny Brière’s phone lines promise to be busy.

The first-year Flyers general manager is taking calls on several players, including center Scott Laughton, according to a report from TSN on Thursday.

TSN reported that because of the dearth of center options on the trade market following Vancouver’s deal Wednesday to acquire Elias Lindholm from Calgary, the Flyers are listening on the 29-year-old Laughton. TSN added that while the Flyers are “not eager” to trade Laughton, they are seeing what potential deals are out there ahead of the March 8 trade deadline.

Laughton, who posted career highs of 18 goals, 25 assists, and 43 points last season, has had a down year. He has just five goals and 20 points in 50 games this season and is shooting just 4.6%, the lowest mark among forwards with at least 100 shots.

» READ MORE: Examining which Flyers could be moved before the trade deadline

Despite Laughton’s downturn in play, he would seem to be coveted in the trade market because of his ability to play center or wing and play up and down a lineup. He also is a good penalty killer, a solid faceoff man, and a well-respected locker-room guy.

Stanley Cup contenders always are looking to bolster their depth down the middle and find players who can make a difference on special teams, and Laughton would check both boxes. He also would represent more than a rental, as he is signed for two years beyond this season at an affordable $3 million a year.

While Laughton’s age doesn’t necessarily align with the Flyers’ rebuild timeline or long-view mindset, he has emerged as a valuable leader and voice within the team. On a team without a captain, Laughton is the only player who wears a letter on his jersey and has served as de facto captain for John Tortorella the last season and a half.

The organization clearly values Laughton highly, with the Fourth Period reporting that the Flyers turned down late first-round pick offers for him in the summer. The team also is exceeding expectations and holding down a playoff position at the 50-game mark, so Brière and Co. may elect to stay the course with players who have contracts beyond this season. Rocking the boat significantly by trading one of the team’s most respected players while the team is in the playoff mix surely would have negative reverberations within the locker room and among the fans. That said, the new regime has preached patience and has cautioned about falling in love with this year’s team and compromising its long-term vision of building a consistent Stanley Cup contender for one playoff run.

Laughton is one of several players the Flyers will have to make tough decisions on ahead of March 8. Defensemen Sean Walker, Nick Seeler, and Marc Staal are on expiring contracts, with Walker’s value likely at an all-time high. Common sense points to the Flyers moving at least Walker, and maybe even another blueliner, since the team has been dressing seven defensemen lately and also has NHL-ready options in Lehigh Valley.

Cam Atkinson, Garnet Hathaway, and Morgan Frost are three other forwards who could be in play for various reasons. The Flyers probably would jump at the chance to get out from under another year of the 34-year-old Atkinson’s $5.875 million salary-cap hit, while the rugged Hathaway, who was traded from Washington to Boston at last year’s deadline, surely would have suitors. Meanwhile, Frost has played better lately — 11 points in his last 12 games — but remains on wobbly footing with Tortorella, given their history.

The final and biggest trade chip the Flyers possess is All-Star winger Travis Konecny, who is signed through next season at a $5.5 million cap hit. At 26, Konecny is still in his prime and is closing in on a second-straight 30-goal season. But given that he’s soon due a hefty pay raise, the Flyers would be wise to at least see what kind of return that could recoup for him a trade.

With the lack of star forwards available, and Konecny’s one more year of control, the Flyers likely would get at least a first-round pick, a high-end prospect, and a decent NHL player for the winger. While moving Konecny before March would be a surprise, Brière has reiterated that nobody is untouchable and has shown he is adept at making trades — Ivan Provorov, Kevin Hayes, Cutter Gauthier — despite his relative inexperience.

It sure promises to be an interesting few weeks in Flyers land.