Flyers’ Head Coach John Tortorella has always been pretty transparent and acts like a General Manager when it comes to the overall outlook of the Flyers organization as a whole. He has said in the past that “You cannot fall in love with players, and the organization would have to proceed as planned. I do think you have to listen because you can’t fall in love. We have to get better. When you try to get better there are going to be some casualties.”
Tortorella continued, “If someone was moved for the sake of us trying to get better, and maybe opening up another avenue to try to get better. You feel bad about it, but this is a business, this is part of it. We can’t have soft skin here, because you get stuck in the mud. I think this organization has been stuck in the mud for a number of years.”
When referencing a soldier like Scott Laughton. It is hard to part ways with this savvy Veteran, however, at the end of the day Laughton knew exactly where he stood within the organization, before he was moved to the New Jersey Devils, “I understand it’s a business and Danny and Jonesy have to do what is best for the group in the future. I’m trying to help this team win and make a little push here.”
Laughton continues, “It’s the same thing every year. I understand the business side of it. But, I signed a five-year contract here, and that’s pretty much it. If they have to make a move, they have to make it. I’ll continue to go business as usual. If I have those conversations down the line, then we do and go from there.”
“Danny is listening. He has to listen because we are in that stage. We have to improve our team. Scotty’s loved here, but you can’t fall in love,” Tortorella said. In the same token, Laughton I’m sure was moved to a team that he preferred to play for. The same went for Claude Giroux, whom had a no trade clause, but the organization made it work with the team he wanted to play for.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs paid the hefty price of a first round pick, thus Laughton was moved. Plus, the Flyers received Nikita Grebenkin. If a team only wanted to offer a second round pick, then Laughton would have remained a Flyer.
Whatever the case may be, this was actually one of the first few times that Laughton could have possibly been dealt. In recent past, the Flyers held onto his services to help aide and stabilize the locker room. The only question that now remains is, how will the team handle losing an instrumental player in the locker room?
Flyers fans can’t be too mad at Danny now. He played hard ball, and won. Trades are easy, not “Difficult”. The Flyers have traded Laughton and Kuzmenko. They have received a first, third, seventh round pick, and Nikita Grebenkin. Not a bad trade deadline for the orange and black.
Nuggets
The Flyers have retained 50% of Laughton’s salary.
So the Leafs first round pick to Philly is top 10 protected, and it’s a 2027 first rounder. Not bad if the Flyers go down the RFA (Restricted Free Agency) route. They just recouped a first they would have to give up more than likely to make a splash in the RFA market for a top six Center.
The Flyers cannot retain anymore contracts (Hayes, Kuzmenko, Laughton).
Kuzmenko’s retainment will fall off on July 1, 2025.
Grebenkin most likely will head to the Phantoms. He’s only 21, but he’s a banger. Plays bigger than what he is 6’2, weighs 209.
In addition, Grebenkin has good hands, stick handling abilities, plus he’s friends with Michkov, as noted on TSN.
